Religious Literacy and Islam in Australia

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Recently, I came across an article, “Religious literacy is essential to Australia’s migration solution“, written by Halim Rane, a Professor of Islamic Studies in the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science at Griffith University.

After reading it, I had some questions that I wanted to raise publicly, and that is how this post was born. What I have done is taken excerpts from Professor Rane’s article and stated my questions below the excerpts.

Islam’s Growth

“Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion, with a global population exceeding two billion, Muslims are expected to comprise around one-third of the world’s population by the latter half of the century. “

  • Is Islam the fastest-growing religion because of a high birth rate in Muslim communities, OR is it because people are converting to Islam?

Our Misunderstanding

“The religion of Islam and its sacred scripture, the Qurʾān, are poorly understood by many Australians, who are frequently exposed to sensational media reporting, divisive political discourse and ideologically motivated public commentary.”

  • While I agree that there is some truth in this statement, what are we non-Muslims (in Australia and around the world) to make of videos shared on social media featuring Muslim Imams preaching hateful messages?
  • How are non-Muslims meant to interpret troubling passages in the Qurʾān concerning us (such as Surah 9:1-6 and Surah 9:29-31) amongst others?

Muslim Australians

“Most Muslim Australians already understand Islam in ways that support citizenship, coexistence, ethical responsibility, contextual interpretation and close relations with non-Muslims.”

  • Does the Qurʾān traditionally allow for contextual interpretation, OR is this a modern view that Islam has embraced or is embracing?

“The 2020 Islam in Australia national survey, based on 1,034 Muslim Australian citizens and permanent residents, examined how Muslim Australians understand, interpret and express Islam in Australian society.”

  • Even if the 1,034 respondents were randomly selected, how confident can we be that the pattern holds for the wider Muslim Australian population, and does the study claim more uniformity than the data actually support?

“If citizenship, loyalty to lawful agreements, peace with neighbours, respect for difference and contribution to the common good are Australian values, then Muslim Australians do not stand outside those values.”

  • What about teachings in the Qurʾān that appear to contradict this? For example, how are non-Muslims, especially Christians like me and Jews, meant to interpret Sura 5:51 and Sura 9:29?

Religious Literacy

“Religious literacy is essential because Australia’s future prosperity will likely require migrants from regions where Islam is socially significant, while public understanding of Islam remains vulnerable to fear, media distortion, geopolitical trauma and political manipulation.”

“Australia does not need a discriminatory migration policy to protect its values. It needs a religiously literate public culture capable of recognising that Muslim Australians already hold understandings of Islam that affirm human security, citizenship, openness to knowledge and peaceful coexistence.”

  • Are Australian Muslims following the same Qurʾān as those who are branded as “radical Islamists”? If so, why is there a difference in interpretation of the teachings?
  • Would you agree that there should be a greater effort in Islam to ensure a correct and standard interpretation of the Qurʾān that is accepted globally?
  • Why is the burden placed on everyday Australians to understand Islam better when it seems that Muslims themselves have different interpretations of the core teachings of Islam as laid out in the Qurʾān?

I sincerely hope that I will not be falsely accused of being an “Islamophobe” for merely raising these questions.

Thanks for reading.

Thank Sri :)Thank Sri 🙂