The Weekend Australian are reporting today that a number of “Muslim leaders” — including the former head of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) and chairman of the now defunct Muslim Community Reference Group (MCRG), Dr Ameer Ali — are calling on Australian Muslims to fly the flag outside of mosques in order to prove our “loyalty” to Australia.
Muslim clerics yesterday urged Australia’s 300,000 Muslims to back the idea as a symbol of “integration” and pride.
The former chairman of the Prime Minister’s Muslim reference group, Ameer Ali, pushed the Australian Muslim community yesterday to adopt the flag.
“Even in Muslim countries in the mosque they fly the national flag … (such as) in Pakistan. If that can be done in a Muslim country why not in Australia?” Dr Ali said.
He said Muslims opposed to the flag being displayed outside mosques were religiously narrow-minded. “I think they are looking at it from a very narrow, religious angle,” he said.
As opposed, of course, to a very broad, public relations angle.
One of Australia’s most respected female Muslim leaders, Aziza Abdel-Halim, said displaying a national flag outside mosques would not conflict with Islamic teachings.
“Putting the Australian flag (outside mosques is) a good sign of integration, of being at one with everyone else in this country and our pride in being Australian,” said Sister Abdel-Halim, also a former senior member of John Howard’s Muslim advisory body.
Nobody has any problem with Australian Muslims being loyal to their country, integrating with its other citizens or working for the betterment of the broader society.
However, does anyone else see it is a little superficial that this latest proposal is linked to “proving” our loyalty, showing our “integration” and, as Aziza Abdel-Halim said, providing a “good sign of integration” and “pride in being Australian”. In other words, it comes across as an insincere affectation and nothing more. In a sense, such posturing may even be harmful to our own interests because the overtness of the gesture would make other Australians suspicious as to the purity of our motives and it leaves us open to the allegation that whatever public good we do is a well-scripted and choreographed play for public sympathy or acceptance.
There must be better ways of demonstrating that Muslims are a valued part of Australian society. One idea that springs to mind is for us to actually become valued members of Australian society by making a positive contribution to it. The only reason that doubts about our loyalty or worth can get as much mileage as they do is because of our own collective failings. Being seen in a positive light by our fellow Australians shouldn’t be an overriding objective, giving rise to an increasingly series of bizarre posturings and jingostic proposals, but rather a consequence of simply practicing our faith as it should be practiced. This is, however, much harder and often comes at a greater personal price than erecting a flagpole at the front of our mosque and calling the media to take some photos.
9 comments ↓
Great points.
“Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.”
James Bryce – (British politician, diplomat, and historian, 1838-1922)
The Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) are calling for the waving of flags to be compulsory for places of worship and to be built into local council building codes. They want it to be taxpayer funded though.
Displaying the cross is an act of disbelief. The cross is clearly a part of the Flag. Shame this was not mentioned.
Glad I am not part of the LMA right now… I feel that the flag thing is inappropriate for a place of worship – it is a place anyone regardless of nationality and ethnicity can be make welcome.
http://satiricalmuslim.com/200.....-jingoism/
As a Brit, I’ve always felt unsure about the excessive display of American flags in front of homes and institutions in the US. Since we do not have that kind of saturated flag-bearing over here, I’ve always felt it reflected an insecure nation that sort refuge in it like a child holding on to their favourite blanket.
In most cases, the times you will see our nation’s flag hanging off windows of people’s cars or homes is during a sport’s tournament or the minority of our finest BNP and NF members celebrating a different kind of patriotism.
No doubt a nation’s flag has many uses, it can display patriotism and support, symbolise mourning and even comfort some people it seems. But now it has a new use, it validates Muslims.
And just like the necessity to hang the faces of Arab dictators in Arab homes, to attach too much importance into flag-bearing is unhelpful for any nation because anyone seen not displaying such superficial patriotism, will be judged and viewed suspiciously.
Anyways, as the article rightly points out, citizenship is about more than flags. Otherwise, I say we all just cut out the middle man and stick our passports on our foreheads.
Abu Ilyas made a strong point, and in my opinion that and the fact that nationalism is forbidden in Islam should be enough.
Flag waving does not make a person a better Australian, or mean they love this country more then any other place. And nationalism has no place in any place of worship, they are meant to be places for all people.
I think our “leaders” need to start thinking before they speak. There obviously is very little of this going on in their heads considering the past 12 months alone.
Good points, Basboosa.
I don’t think these “leaders” really expect anyone to listen to them. They are just doing to so they can get a pat on the head from the government for promoting “moderation”. No doubt it’s done with the expectation of some cash or a seat on some government board.
Good points!!
While, yes, i’m sure the Australian flag being flown outside mosques would have a positive effect on a Muslim’s sense of national identity and pride, we must ask ourselves if the Australian flag really means that much, when you can look around and see it hanging in somebody’s front widow, or on the seat covers of cars! Don’t you think it kind of cheapens the effect of having a national flag? Surely the Muslim community can prove their commitment to Australia without having to fly the flag outside their mosques. I mean, if they want to, let em, but I don’t believe that hanging up a flag is going to instantaniously make ANYONE a “better Australian”. Don’t make them feel as though they NEED to fly the flag! it’s their choice. But with Australians showing our flag EVERYWHERE (even on thongs for goodness’ sake), will it really have the effect they are hoping for?
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