PRESS RELEASE: National Mosques Open to counter rising Islamophobia and build community
27th October 2021
Media Release
National Mosques Open to counter rising Islamophobia and build community
Every year, mosques across Australia open their doors to all communities and host community building events and activities.
The National Mosque Open Day initiative launched in 2014 in recognition there was a growing sentiment of Islamophobia which was recently confirmed in the Australian Human Rights Watch Sharing the Stories of Australian Muslims report released this year. The report highlighted that 80% of Australian Muslims who participated in the survey reported experiencing unfavourable treatment based on their religion, race or ethnicity.
This year on the 30th of October, 15 mosques are joining from places like Mareeba and Slack’s Creek in Queensland, Gungahlin in the ACT, along with Hobart West, Palmerston in the Northern Territory and Queen’s Park in Western Australia. National Mosque Open Day gives non-Muslims the opportunity to explore mosques, meet community members and ask any questions they may have to challenge unconscious biases and humanise the Muslim experience.
While Australia prides itself on being multicultural, the ‘us and them’ narrative continues to polarise communities on a range of issues. To overcome the expanding divides that plague our communities and society, our initiatives focus on our common humanity. It is our societal responsibility to combat discrimination and espouse the values we want to live by.
For the week leading up to National Mosque Open Day, there is National Unity Week, committed to transforming our workplaces, neighbourhoods, and communities into spaces where everyone is safe, and we engage and challenge people in conversations about social issues impacting us all.
Strong and healthy communities are built on foundations such as respect, understanding and connection, and we know it is our responsibility as Australians to come together and build community for our shared future.
For more information on National Unity Week events visit www.nuw.org.au
For more information about National Mosque Open Day visit www.nmod.org.au
For more information, contact
Amna K Hassan
0415 282 855
[email protected]
The Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) has been in operation since 1962 and has grown to be a nationally recognised representative service provider with over 1,000 members, over 400 initiatives and events and with a staff of over 40.
Its reach has grown to include a vast spectrum of communities and networks from across NSW, including having three mosques and partnerships with a number of stakeholders and sponsors.