Muslims and Islamic Society of Darwin - Article Example

Professional Writing Muslims and Islamic Society of Darwin Darwin is a in Australia where a certain percentage of the population belongs to Islam. In Darwin, Muslims are always been welcomed to practice their religion and the major role played in this respect is by the Islamic Society of Darwin, which is a non-profit organisation. The Society plays a significant role in providing clarification relating to misconceptions as well as spreading awareness about Islam, so that a better integration can be developed within the Darwin community. Subsequently, the Society has been functioning with the main objective of ascertaining that people belonging to the Islamic religions are treated in an equitable manner (Islamic Society of Darwin, 2014). Islam is recognised as the second largest religion on a global context. In this context, Muslims are considered as one of the biggest communities, who are spread throughout the world (Desilver, 2013). In the present scenario, maximum number of Australian people shows racial equality for the Muslims and Islam. Most of the Australians of Darwin are identified to have favouring attitude as well as behaviour for Muslims residing in the area (Khan & Ahmad, 2013). In the context, Darwin has turned into a place of racial equality between Australians and other indigenous groups. However, certain percentages of Australians are recognised to depict conflicting attitude and discriminate Muslim and Islam region owing to the different terrorist activities that are observed on a global context (Islamic Society of Darwin, 2014). According to the ‘Quran’, Muslims are followers of Islam religion. In this respect, the Darwin people develop hatred for Islam based on terrorism activities that are conducted ISIS groups representing Islam. Thus, the Muslims residing in Darwin face difficulties is explaining to the Australians in Darwin about the facts the ISIS group does not follow Quran (Donald, 2007). In this respect, the lifestyle of Muslims and Islam can be distinguished on the basis of ‘Sunni’ and ’Shia’. Sunni and Shia Muslims are present in Darwin and the Australians are concerned about the differences between the two. In the Islam society, racial discrimination and conflict situations arises due to the difference of Sunni and Shia. On the other side, Sunni and Shia Muslims visit to the same Mosque in Darwin and pray together, which has created a very beautiful picture of Islam. In Darwin, there are around 2500 to 3000 Muslims and majority of the Muslims are identified to be belonging to Sunni (Hope, 2014). Sunni and Shia are the two important denominations of the Islam religion. It has been identified that out of 100% of Muslim population, 87-89% people are Sunni and 11-12% are Shia. Sunni Muslims are recognised to reside in the Southeast Asia, China, Africa, Arab World and South Africa. On the other side, Shia Muslims reside in Iraq, Iran, Bahrain and Lebanon. Different articles have been provided with the aim of attracting the attention of readers about racial discrimination and war between Sunni and Shia (Winston, 2014). Cultural Difference between Sunni and Shia is a very common subject and different writers have discussed about it. The aforementioned article also represented the same topic of cultural and racial discrimination between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Darwin, Australia. People of Iran and Iraq have a dark experience about the discrimination and cultural differences with respect to racial discrimination between Sunni and Shia. The Islamic Society of Darwin has been generating a friendly environment among the Muslims and Australians and reduced misconception about the religion too. In this context, the lifestyle feature discussed about Muslims in Darwin signifies the success of Islamic Society of Darwin among Islamic community (Winston, 2014). Researchers have written about varied problems, which are related to Australian Muslims. In the past, researchers depicted about Lebanese Muslims who were residing in the Sydney and had faced social discrimination and conflict situations (Betts & Healy, 2002). Similarly, Jakubowicz, an Australian Professor has written about future of Australian Islam multiculturalism. The article has represented discourses about multiculturalism of Muslim religion in Australia (Jakubowicz, 2007). Different services are offered by Islamic Society of Darwin with the assistance of which discrimination between Sunni and Shia has been reduced. In this respect, to have a clear picture about the Islamic Society of Darwin, an extensive research has been conducted. Islamic Society of Darwin is the only mosque where Sunni and Shia daily go for prayers. In occasions like Eid and Jumuah, both Sunni and Shia are identified to have their prayers in the same Mosque. On the other side, the Society has offered different services to its members. It arranges weekend madrasah for Islamic children where regular classes are held on Hadith, Tafsser, and Fiqh. The Society also arranges different Islamic classes for sisters. During Ramadan, the Society arranges community dinner to generate positive environment among Sunni and Shia. The Society organizes charitable food bazaars and Islamic lectures with the intention of preaching true Islam words as provided in Quran to generate peace within the Darwin community. Islamic Society of Darwin is open for all humans and it is continuously spreading awareness in the community (Islamic Society of Darwin, 2014). Whilst visiting the Islamic Society of Darwin, The Imam named Daud Likangala Dlongolo (Daud Yunus) of the society stated that people are happy with the services provided by the Society. The Imam assists in providing Islamic knowledge and intellectual guidance with the assistance of which the people visiting the Society are protected from the invasion relating to foreign ideas. In a similar manner, Mohammed Jillur Rahman who is the public officer of the Society revealed that the Society provides different services to the people visiting about prayers, lectures and classes that are offered, so that the people are able to attend the same for generating better awareness about Islam, so that the Muslims are treated with equitable cultural values and rights. Mohammad is one of the respondents who is a young boy who regularly participates in the various activities of the society and follows the lectures informed about the lifestyle of Muslims in Darwin. He stated me that the Society financially supports his family and helped his family members to live in peace. In the past, his family has suffered from racial discrimination and that time people of the Society had given them food and shelter. The other respondents named Ali is a 60 years old man belonging to Shia Muslim community. He shared different vicissitudes of his life and family. At age of 20, he came to Australia and joined the Society. In the first phrase of his life, it was very difficult and painful. Being a Shia Muslim, he faced different problems such as racial discrimination for which he was restricted from entering Mosque. As he was a Shia, no one talked to him in his earlier age when he resided at southern part, which mostly comprised Sunni Muslims. His life was filled with conflict situation during that time. Then he escaped from that place and came to Darwin. In Darwin, he joined the Society. Therefore, after joining the Society, he was facilitated with different services to live a normal life and now he happily lived in Darwin and has a very successful family life as well. The Society has also assisted him to live a life filled with happiness. Every year at the time of Eid, he and his family celebrates the occasion joyfully. Respondent Sara is a 30 years of age woman who attains the classes in the Society. She belongs to very conservative family. Few years back, most of days she never saw sunlight, because she was a Sunni Muslim girl, as she was required to wear “Burka” all the time as tradition. She belongs to Sunni Muslim society and accordingly, she has to follow strict rules and regulations. She never went out with her friends and family. In a one sentence, she was behind the bars all time for following customs and beliefs. Now she is regularly going out with her friends. She has given all credits to her husband, as after marriage her husband forced her to join the classes and attain all lectures of the Society. Islamic Society of Darwin has changed her lifestyle in relation to personal life as well as family life and now she motivates others to join the Society. The Islamic Society of Darwin has minimized cultural as well as racial discriminations. This Society has created a new example for the coming generations. In the society, it is strictly mentioned that none of the member should ever talk about cultural differences between Sunni and Shia. This policy helps to form a positive environment in the society. Cultural and other occasional events also helped to reduce racial discrimination between Sunni and Shia. The Islamic Society of Darwin is a non-government organisation operating with the aim of developing awareness and mitigating misconceptions. In Darwin, the society has been able to develop better equality between the Australians and Muslims. The majority of the Muslims in Darwin are Sunni. Moreover, from the interview conducted on the members and visitors of the Society, it can be ascertained that Society is effective in preaching the visitors about the value and beliefs of Islam. Breakout box: Read More