National
Native Of Oppressors Matters and Oppressed
Eugenia Flynn*
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lave is the memoir of Mende Nazer narrating the circumstances of her life before, during and after her enslavement as a black Nuba (a tribe in Sudan) by Arab Muslims. I read this memoir a few weeks ago and was struck by Nazer’s sense of humanity. I never once felt that Nazer moved toward racism or Islamophobia despite her enslavement by Arab Muslims. Always in the memoir, Nazer dealt with the humanity, or lack thereof, of the individuals in her life – she never saw them as just their race or religion. Therefore, Nazer never saw her oppressors’ actions as a result of their Arabness or Islamic faith. Contrastingly, her enslavers were more than happy to consign Nazer to her race and perceived lack of Islam (even though she actually was a Muslim). Talking with a friend I was reminded that this kind of slavery and oppression at its core is purely and simply shirk – forcing the oppressed to worship other than Allah; that is to worship, in either a literal or less tangible sense, the oppressor. And whilst not exactly the same circumstances, I am drawn to the
similarities between Indigenous Australians and the native Sudanese people like Nazer and her tribe the Nuba. Funnily enough, when you look hard at the world you see that these similarities are everywhere. Like at the Eighth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. I attended this Session just after reading Nazer’s life story and was constantly reminded that Muslims continue to be involved in the ongoing oppression and even slavery of Muslim and non-Muslim Indigenous Peoples right around the world. Indigenes from Niger and Algeria spoke of the oppression they faced from Muslim oppressors and I felt and continue to feel a sense of obligation to these people. I do so as a Muslim who wishes to see the Oneness of Allah recognised around the world and refuses to allow oppression and slavery to perpetuate shirk. I do so in recognition that every other Muslim should also fight against oppression and slavery. Join me in the fray? * Eugenia Flynn is an Aboriginal (Tiwi and Larrakia) and Chinese (Teo Chew) woman. She reverted to Islam in 2002 and in 2007 founded the Indigenous Muslim Support Network, which she continues to run. Eugenia aims to see Indigenous Australians healthy, strong and free and is the Deputy Chair of the National Indigenous Youth Movement of Australia. She can be contacted via email: genie_fly@yahoo.com.au.
Young Australian Muslim Leaders Explore Islam in Indonesia Hyder Gulam*
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uring late May 2009, along with four other young Australian Muslim leaders, I travelled to Indonesia to meet with Indonesian community, education and religious leaders, civil society, academics, Above: from Left: Hyder Gulam, Iman Dandan, Shameema Kolia, government officials and Hussam Elmaghraby, Mohammad El-Leissy. media representatives. The Photo: Courtesy of Hyder Gulam purpose of the trip was to further a bilateral exchange program aimed MEP has brought out over 60 Indonesian at strengthening links and understanding of Muslims to Australia, and over 30 Australian Islam in both Australia and Indonesia; the Muslims have visited Australia during the he Australia-Indonesia Muslim Exchange seven years of the program. Program (‘MEP’). As most would know, the Republic of The MEP is an initiative of the Australia- Indonesia is an archipelago consisting of over Indonesia Institute (AII) with support from the 17,000 islands in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Cultural Section and AusAID at the Australian It has an estimated population of around 237 Embassy in Jakarta, the Islamic Council of million people, is the world’s fourth most Victoria, the Asia Institute at the University populous country, and has the largest Muslim of Melbourne and Paramadina University of population in the world. Indonesia is home to Jakarta. MEP was established in 2002 by the two of the largest Muslim organisations in the Australian Government through the AII. The world – Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama
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rescent Times was established to support and serve the Muslim community. The journey is long and the financial hardship of the start is hard to overcome despite the huge success of our editorial content and on readership level.To secure the printing cost of the newspaper, and to deliver a free copy for you we need your financial support. Donation details: * Send cheques to “Crescent Times” P. O. Box: 628 Mirrabooka, 6941 WA * On line transfer to Crescent Times bank account: BSB: 016498 A/N: 481145891 Your support is essential in our journey to establish authentic Australian Islamic media. (‘NU’), with a combined membership of 70+ million. Indonesia is also one of Australia’s closest neighbours, and is the location of the largest Australian Embassy in the world. Indonesia is important not only for trade, but from an Islamic perspective, is an example of tolerant Islam. Those familiar with Professor Abdullah Saeed and Bilal Cleland respective texts on Islam in Australia, would know that the Indonesian fishermen have had extensive trade links with the Australian Aboriginal People since the 12th-16th Century, long before colonisation. The 2009 Australian MEP to Indonesia reflected the broad cultural diversity of Australia’s Muslim community, comprising of three male and two female participants from Melbourne, Sydney and Perth with ethnic backgrounds from Egypt, Lebanon, Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan and South Africa. As a minority religion in Australia, the MEP were very keen to see how Islam co-existed with other religions, when it was clearly the majority faith. Although I was born in Singapore to Pakistani parents, and had visited Bali previously, this was my first visit to the main island of Indonesia, Java. Coupled with my previous opportunity to have worked in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia) as a lawyer, I was very keen to see how Islam was practised in Indonesia. I also wanted to see how Islam was managing to maintain cultural values for the Indonesian people and still grow and flourish in the archipelago. I was impressed by how NU and Muhammadiyah worked in their communities: social work, civil society and human rights included. In the case of NU, I noticed how the work extended to disaster services and in particular educating communities that although natural disasters cannot be stopped, its effects could be tackled and in many circumstances avoided – for example, landslides do not always have to occur in nature or for that matter dams bursting as well. As for the way that Islam is practiced in Indonesia, I feel that it is at the forefront in many ways in terms of intellectual pursuits. Islamic schools (both madrassahs and peseantrans ) do teach Arabic, Indonesian and English but they also teach the sciences including biology. As well, mechanics is taught and this is an example of how Islam in Indonesia is working together for the future of Indonesia and of
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the religion itself. I was impressed by the real emphasis on education amongst all Indonesians, and the promotion of education and leadership for females. Quite a number of the Principals of the peseantrans I visited were female, and were highly qualified - with a minimum of a Masters degree. Many of these schools had more than 50% females studying and teaching. I view Indonesia at the forefront of Islamic thought and discussion and Inshallah with more English translations being made available, these thoughts can (and should) be shared with the rest of the world. Islam in Indonesia fits in very well with the culture and the two have grown together over many centuries. I think Indonesia’s tolerant and gentle way will win out and help Indonesia to develop and grow through education, democracy, economic growth and by decreasing poverty levels. In summary, I would recommend any Australia Muslim between the ages of 21 and 40 years of age attend the MEP. Not only do you learn about Indonesia, and how Islam is practiced there, but you also learn about yourself and the practice of your own faith. As I have seen from Indonesia, the practice of Islam places the onus of the observance of faith onto one’s self. To me, Indonesia, represents a viable counterpoint to the Islam that is practiced in other parts of the world. Islam here is tolerant, open, progressive and fair. * Hyder Gulam is a Melbourne based lawyer.