1. Sticks and stones may break our bones
By KatelinChambers
They’resecond generation Australians fighting back with theirpositiveattitudesand they’re
notletting anything oranyonestand in their way.
Ramsha Naz:sheddinglight onthe fightagainstIslamaphobia.
Photoby KatelinChambers.
Young AustralianMuslims are tiredof beingtoldtogoback to theircountryand now they’re
usingtheirwordsto fightback.
Withthe rise inmediacoverage of IslamicState fightersand IslaminAustralia,young
Muslimshave made ittheirmissiontocombatthe stereotypesof theircommunities.
“If we’re beingvictimised,it’sourjobto getout there and show themwe are justlike you;
we adhere to a differentreligionandwe have differentbeliefsbutinthe endwe are all here
to achieve ourdreamsandbe successful inlife,”said18 year-oldstudent,RamshaNaz.
While people like Ramshahave beenusingtheirpositive attitudestodispelbigotry,fighting
Islamaphobiais still anuphillbattle.
“I rememberonce,Iwasjuststandingthere anda guyon the train saidto me,‘f*ckoff
Muslim.’Ireallyfeltlike IwantedtosaysomethingbutIwas reallyscaredsoI justmovedto
anothercarriage to get awayfrom him,”said21 year-old, FariszahBaharuddin.

2. Young Muslimshave bucked the victimstereotypewiththeireffortstopromote abetter
understandingof Islamtonon-Muslims.
“Its our jobalsonot to take everythingtoheart.Some people,theytake ittoheartand they
act in a reallyinappropriateway,butit’sourjobto get out there andeducate people,”she
said.
Miss Nazusesher role ascommittee memberof the Universityof New SouthWales (UNSW)
MuslimSociety topromote interfaithdialogueinSydney’s east.
“You can’t automaticallyexpectsomeone torespectyou,orthoughtheyshould,butpeople
have preconceivedperceptionsof you,sowhenyouinvolve differentpeoplefromdifferent
faithsandfrom differentethnicities…theystarttounderstandyou’re justlike them,”she
said.
Young Muslimshave beeninspiredtojointhe movementafterbeingsubjectsof abuse
themselves.
“I’ve had one experience onatrain. What happenedwas,some individual wasapparently
verydistraughtabouthowMuslimsare invadingAustraliabutatthe time I didn’treply.
“If I meethimagain,I’dlike tohelphimremove thatmisconception…tohelphimto
understand,”said24 year-oldcommerce student,AghaPathan.
The ScanlonFoundation’s national surveyon social cohesionandimmigration foundthat25
percent of surveyrespondentsfeltnegativelytowardsMuslims.
“We are victimsof bigotryandit’strue to a large extent,butitsnotlike everysingle person
isout there to huntus downand isagainstus.Sometimesthe problemisthat the Muslim
communitysometimes thinkseveryoneisouttoget us,”explainedcriminologyandcriminal
justice student,RamshaNaz.
Social mediahasbecome analternative wayforMuslimstoshow that Australiansshouldn’t
be afraidof them.
The Facebookpage,AustralianMuslimFaces, hastakentosharingthe individual stories of
AustralianMuslims.
“So one day I was lookingatthe Humansof New York Page andthenI startedlooking
aroundto see if she couldfindan Australianequivalent.Ifoundone andit had 100 odd faces
up there,butthere wasonlyone personof colourand no Muslimsthere atall.So I wanted
to showour communitytothe broaderAustraliancommunity; thatwasouroriginal
thinking,”saidcreator,SeanMcNulty.
McNultyalsosaid itis importantforthe Muslimcommunitytoshow that they aren’tthe
homogenousgroupdisplayedinthe media.
The Facebook page is alsousingits followingof 20,000 people todismissmythssome
Australiansmayhave aboutIslam.

3. “We don’tdiscussmattersof religionunlessit’sagenuine question.If someone isgoingto
ask a question,we mustanswerthemandengage withthem;providethemwithan
understanding.Someof these trollsactuallyturnaroundsay,‘ohI’ve neverconsideredit
that way’whenyouanswerthem.Itsabsolutelyfantasticwhenwe make progresslike that,”
McNultysaid.
While AustralianMuslimFaceshashaditssuccesses,ittoohas overcome difficultiesin
givingAustraliansocietyabetterunderstandingof Islam.
“Some more devoutMuslimswere asking,‘whyare youshowingthisgirl whoisn’twearing
the hijab?’Thenthere wasthe opposite where otherswere asking,‘whyare yougivingtime
to these Muslimswhodon’twanttoassimilate?’Butintermsof non-Muslims,it’sbeen
receivedabsolutelyfantastically,we’ve hadsomuchsupport,”he said.
Creator,Sean,wantedtochange the mindof one personbutmanagedthe change the minds
of manymore.
“Connor…wasone of the mostpopular, hisstoryhad somethinglike5,000 shares.We traced
some of those sharesand foundhimon some devoutanti-Muslimpage.Itprovokedsome
fascinatingdiscussionwithpeoplesaying,‘theyshouldall be like thisguy’…andthisisinthe
heartof Islamaphobia,sothatisquite encouraging,”he said.
Seanis one of a numberof Muslimswith the opinionthatmediasensationalismhas
contributedtodivisionsbetweenMuslimsandnon-MuslimsinAustralia.
“Sometimespeoplejustdon’tknowthingssothey’re hesitant…theythinkit’s [Islam] likea
cult or something.WhenItell people IstudiedinaMuslimschool theykindof don’t
understandthatyeah,it’sthe same as any otherschool,”said18 year-old, SibghaJillani.
Recentnewscoverage of the Halal Certificationof foodssuchas Cadburychocolate has
causedunrestamongstsome Australianswhobelieve the moneyisfundingterror
organisations
“With the recenthalal scandal,obviouslythat’sgoingto effectMuslimsif youreduce the
typesof foodwe have available tous,butits justaboutmakingsure our foodrespectsour
religion.Personallyspeaking,if theywere tosayTimTams aren’thalal tomorrow I’dbe
suicidal.
“Coverage like this…categorises all Muslimsunfairly.OftenwhenMuslimsenthusiastically
speakoutagainstit, the mediaisquickto pickout the faults,” saidJillani.
IslamicgroupsaroundAustraliahave encouragedMuslimstobecome involvedintheirlocal
communitiesandembrace whatAustraliahasto offer.
“We needtobe out in ourlocal communities,socialising,makingfriendsandbeingactive
citizens;Muslimsare notthe violentpeople the newssometimesshowsustobe,”said
AhmedAkhterof MuslimVillage Australia.
A numberof MuslimstudentsinSydney’seasternsuburbshave reportedbeingwell
acceptedintotheircommunity.

4. “Withinmycommunity,if there’safunctiongoingon…I go andtake mysiblingsthere and
we have fun;we go and get involvedinthe community.
“Its verynice because peoplethinkyou’re differentandtheythinkwe can’tspeak
English…butwhenIspeakproperEnglishandopenmymouththeysay,‘ohyou don’thave
an accent,you’re so Aussie ‘andIsay,‘well I am.’ The mediaportraysusas comingon
boats...no,Icame on a plane thankyou,”said UNSW student,RamshaNaz.
The ScanlonFoundation’ssurveyrevealedthat30 percent of 18 to 25 year-oldsinNew
SouthWales thoughtMuslimsinAustraliawere outsiders.
“WhenI go to class,all the Chinese are sittingtogethertalkingtoeachother,soin orderto
breakthe ice I actuallylearntabit of basicMandarin so that I can talkto them.I go and say
‘ni hao’ tothem…theyopenupandyou can talkto each other.
“If a Muslimdoesn’tgoto Bondi Beach and surfernevergoestothe Gallipoli Mosque then
it’s[society] alwaysgoingtobe disjointed andperceptionsgrow fromthat; a lack of
exposure toMuslimsinwesternsociety.If youdon’tfill the voidwith the rightinformation
thensomebodyelse will andthey’re goingtofill itwithfalse informationandinformation
youcant control,”saidAghaPathan.
Some non-MuslimAustralianshave recognisedthattheytoohave a role to playin the
removal of Islamaphobia.
Socialistgroup,SolidarityInternational,regularlyhasapresence ateventssuchasthe Pro-
Palestine Movement.
“Just thissemesterIwasat a pro-Palestine rallyatSydneyUniversity.A Muslimwoman
whowas withushad her headscarf tornfrom herheadby a securityguard.Notonly
was the guard notallowedtotouchher,hisfirstresponse wasnotjustto remove her
fromthe buildingbuttoremove herhijab,”recalledSolidarityInternationalmember,Ruben
Fela.
Felasaidthat all Australianshave aresponsibilitytochange the perceptionof Islamin
Australiabyengagingwiththe Muslimcommunityinsteadof solelythe mediathatwrites
aboutthem.
While the movementisgainingtractioneachday,Australia’syoungMuslimshave calledfor
supportfromtheircommunitiestoendthe discriminationtheyface.
“At the endof the day wordsare just wordsand theycan’thurt us unlesswe letthem.
We’re all humanand justtryingto live ahappylife,buttodo that we needthe Muslimand
Australiancommunitiestobe one,”saidNaz.