Springvale’s Minaret College head of Islamics studies and humanities Dr Yamin Cheng says a new course to train Muslim leaders will help promote the image of Islam in Australia.By Shaun Inguanzo
INTERNATIONAL Muslim leaders would be marginalised in Australia in favour of Australian-born clerics in a local bid to enhance the nation-wide image of Islam.
Springvale’s Minaret College is working closely with the International Islamic University of Malaysia to design a one-year Diploma in Islamic Studies, aimed at creating a new-age of localised Islamic leaders.
Minaret’s head of Islamic studies and humanities, Dr Yamin Cheng, said the course would aim to produce Australian-born Muslim leaders, while keeping international Muslim clerics on the “periphery”.
According to course planners, the new age leaders will not only be Australian-born, but will be favoured over international counterparts due to their capacity to teach Islam in English and their better understanding of Australia’s diverse multicultural environment.
Among the expected changes, traditional Muslim cleric clothing could be toned down to look more casual in an effort to further integrate Muslims into the wider community.
Minaret’s head of Islamic studies and humanities, Dr Yamin Cheng, said the course would help break down cultural barriers between Muslims and non-Muslims.
He said the barriers were a result of people confusing the religious values of Islam with customs and traditions of other countries, such as clothing, language and attitudes.
Dr Cheng said these held little relevance to the values of Islam as a religion, and that the course would teach potential leaders that it was okay to practice Islam and take part in a range of customs from varying countries.
The aim, he said, was to produce Muslim leaders able to cope with Australia’s diverse multiculturalism and expand Islam beyond restrictive stereotypes
“We aim to eventually produce Muslim leaders who come from the Australian community,” he said.
Dr Cheng said there were five principles that acted as the basis for the course.
He said these included a clear understanding of Islam and the post-modern world, and how to practise Islam in Australia’s diverse and multicultural society.
Other principles include how to communicate clearly and efficiently with all people, ways of interacting with various people in the community, and a leader’s attitudes and how they are interpreted by non-Muslims.
The course is expected to begin in the third or fourth term next year, and attract about 20 students.
