The Swinburne Islamic Society has condemned the move as part of a broader effort to restrict their religious freedoms, leaving nearly 400 members to voice their frustrations.

Tabish Rather, president of the Swinburne Islamic Society, described the situation as the culmination of a year of mounting restrictions on the prayer room. He pointed out that security measures, such as requiring swipe card access and installing alarms, have made students feel like they are under surveillance.

“The university doesn’t require swipe access to the student lounge, but they have this security measure for us,” said Rather, a 20-year-old applied mathematics student.

The October 11 incident that led to the closure was a flashpoint, as a disagreement unfolded over who would lead the Friday prayer.

Rather stated that the presence of a university-appointed chaplain was “unnecessary,” and that the chaplain’s attempt to take the microphone from a student leading the prayer upset those who wanted a fellow student to serve as imam.

“As a Muslim community and independent student body, it’s our right to nominate our imam,” he added, emphasizing that the student-led prayers had been conducted without issue for 14 years.

Frustration

Health science master’s student Fatima also shared her frustrations, expressing that the changes made the prayer space feel less welcoming.

“It’s a chill, safe space, especially for us as Hijabi women,” she said. “But now, there’s this added layer of exclusivity, and it feels like anyone from outside Swinburne is scrutinized.”

Fatima also pointed out that recent policies, such as limiting access to the Multi Faith Centre during Ramadan, caused difficulties for those wanting to perform early morning prayers.

The Islamic Society said students have had to pray in the rain or outside the center after restricting access. In a protest following the closure, students gathered in the atrium to pray.

The group’s discontent grew by what they saw as inconsistent enforcement of security measures, leading some to believe that the university’s policies specifically targeted the Muslim community.

Adel Salman, president of the Islamic Council of Victoria, backed the students’ calls for autonomy over their Friday prayers, noting the broader importance of the prayer space for fostering community among international students.

“For many, the prayer area is a place to actually socialize and form a community as well as worship,” he said.

“The university interfering has an impact on their mental and emotional well-being.”

Despite the ongoing protests, Swinburne University has stated that the Multi Faith Centre will remain closed on Fridays until a meeting with the Swinburne Islamic Society occurs to resolve the concerns.

Source: About Islam

Authors: Haseeb-ur-Rehman Warrich, Department of Arts and Media, Foundation University, Islamabad, Pakistan, Jamal ud Din, Department of Media and Communication Studies, University of Swat, Pakistan, Rooh ul Amin Khan, Department of Media and Communication Studies, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Published in: Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, Vol 11, Issue 2, Fall 2021

Publisher: University of Management and Technology

Online Publication Date: September 17, 2021

Framing of the Muslims and Islam has been a debatable/is a contentious area of interest for researchers. This study is designed to analyze the approach of the Australian press towards the Muslims and Islam when it covers the terrorist incidents in Australia and in other part of the world, especially in the western countries. The news related to terrorist incidents and activities published during a six-month timeframe, that is, from October 2016 to March 2017, in two popular newspapers namely The Daily Telegraph (leaning towards the Liberal Party) and The Courier Mail (right-centered newspaper in its nature) was thoroughly analyzed. The major objective was to know how these newspapers frame the Muslims and Islam in their news contents when the issue of terrorism is under discussion. Despite the different political leanings of the selected newspapers, their approach towards the Muslims and Islam was found to be similar as both the dailies framed the terrorism related stories in a way to associate the Muslims and Islam with terrorism.

Read full article HERE.

Source:  Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization