Australia is a successful multicultural country, with one quarter of Australians being born overseas and half of Australia’s population having at least one migrant parent (Australian Human Rights Commission 2014). Through investigation of gender roles and halal diet as two aspects of Islamic culture in Australia, it can be demonstrated that Muslims contribute to Australian cultural diversity as much as their religion allows. These contributions are measured by how they affect non-Muslims in society and their reactions to them.
Islamic gender roles are defined by the Qur’ān (U Akbar 2016, pers. interview., 11 August). Men and women are largely segregated, with predominantly minor restrictions placed upon men and comparatively strong restrictions imposed upon women. However, Australia’s pluralist democratic laws ensure that religious cultural restrictions do not prevent Muslim women from determining their own future and choosing how they contribute to Australian society. The achievements of women like Dr Susan Carland, who has been regarded as a “Muslim Leader of Tomorrow” by the UN Alliance of Civilizations (Monash University 2016), and those of Captain Mona Shindy, the highest ranking Muslim serving in the Royal Australian Navy (Kimmorley 2014) who was awarded the title of Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year in 2015 (Tutty 2015), have been celebrated not only by the Islamic community but also the wider (pluralist) Australian community. Examples such as these demonstrate that some Muslim women make significant positive contributions to the Australian Islamic community and also to the success of Australian pluralist society in general.
There are specific verses in the Qur’ān which define what is halal for consumption (U Akbar 2016, pers. interview., 11 August), as in Sūrah 5:3,
Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allāh, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows…’ (The Qur’ān 2011, p. 95).
Halal certification of Australian-produced foods allows them to be exported to Islamic countries, contributing billions of dollars to Australia’s export economy. Four of the top ten countries for Australian food exports in 2015 were Islamic countries, while the total amount of food exported to those countries accounts for 16% of all Australian food exports (Fact Check 2015). The Islamic influence upon the Australian diet and food consumption comes from many parts of the world, with curries from India, Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia and Indonesia and the Döner kebab from Turkey, which has become immensely popular in Australia as a take-away food.
Some Muslims have been shown to contribute positively towards Australian society. They are valuable members of all levels of Australian government, armed forces and the public service, while also contributing as volunteers, professionals, sports people, entrepreneurs, entertainers and activists (Kimmorley 2014). Muslim women such as Dr Susan Carland (Monash University 2016) and Captain Mona Shindy (Kimmorley 2014) have made valuable contributions to their fields of endeavour and to the wider Australian community. The influence of cuisine from Muslim countries such as kebabs and curries, coupled with the financial benefits associated with halal certified exports, exert a significant influence over Australian society. These examples clearly demonstrate that Muslims contribute to modern multicultural Australian society.
Reference List
Australian Human Rights Commission 2014, Face the facts: cultural diversity, viewed 3 September 2016, <_ http://www.humanrights.gov.au=”www.humanrights.gov.au” face-facts-cultural-diversity=”face-facts-cultural-diversity”>.
Fact Check 2015, ‘Fact file: Halal certification, food exports and terrorism’, ABC News, 14 April, viewed 26 August 2016, <_ http://www.abc.net.au=”www.abc.net.au” news=”news” _2015-04-14=”_2015-04-14″ fact-file-halal-certification-and-food-exports=”fact-file-halal-certification-and-food-exports” _6383246=”_6383246″>.
Kimmorley, S 2014, ‘15 famous Australians you may not have known were Muslim’, Business Insider Australia, 22 November, viewed 23 August 2016, <_ http://www.businessinsider.com.au=”www.businessinsider.com.au” _15-famous-australians-you-may-not-have-known-were-muslim-2014-11ed20husic=”_15-famous-australians-you-may-not-have-known-were-muslim-2014-11ed20husic”>.
Monash University 2016, Susan Carland: Faculty of Arts profile, viewed 23 August 2016, <_ profiles.arts.monash.edu.au=”profiles.arts.monash.edu.au” susan-carland=”susan-carland” _=”_”>.
The Qur’ān 2011, trans. U Muhammad, Saheeh International, Al-Muntada Al-Islami Trust, Ryadh.
Tutty, J 2015, ‘Telstra business woman of the year Captain Mona Shindy breaks down barriers’, The Courier Mail, 19 November, viewed 23 August 2016, <_ http://www.couriermail.com.au=”www.couriermail.com.au” business=”business” telstra-business-woman-of-the-year-captain-mona-shindy-breaks-down-barriers=”telstra-business-woman-of-the-year-captain-mona-shindy-breaks-down-barriers” news-story=”news-story” _3bf59d0ac436ff64ead78ff92f9f4518=”_3bf59d0ac436ff64ead78ff92f9f4518″>.