The reported that 1,140 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians identify as Muslim. A figure has grown significantly in the last 15 years, almost doubling that of what was recorded in 2001. While statistics indicate Muslim conversion and identification is growing in Indigenous communities, Islam in Indigenous Australia is not new.
Dating as far back as the early 1700s - almost a century before British settlement - Asian neighbours who worked, traded and socialised with First Nations’ people. From Afghan and Indian cameleers in Central Australia to Malay pearl divers in the Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula, and Indonesian fisherman in the Top End, Muslim-Australia holds many fascinating stories.
More recently however, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have become drawn to the faith independently, interested in its guiding principles, spiritual beliefs and finding cultural parallels to traditional Indigenous culture. But just like the individuals living in different parts of the country, with different backgrounds and families, the stories are as diverse as the people themselves.
In an 2012 boxing great, Anthony Mundine was asked how he thinks media portrays of him, to which he replied, “I’m three things that you shouldn’t be in this society, and that’s Muslim, Aboriginal and outspoken.”
Reflecting on Mundine’s powerful words and the preconceptions of minority groups, we consider national identity, and meet the people who are dedicated to their faith and simultaneously committed to keeping culture strong.
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Aunty Halima, a Torres Strait Islander Elder, was the daughter of an Indo-Malay pearl diver Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Source: Stuart Miller
Pictured above: Aunty Halima with her granddaughters, Raheema, Maimunnah and Tasneem, and her close friend of 30 years, Khadija, and Khadija's daughter, Shifaa.
NITV would like to thank all the participants for inviting us into their homes and sharing their stories with us.
Join the conversation: #MuslimsLikeUs
Muslims Like Us airs over two nights at 8.30pm, February 21 and 22 on SBS. Watch the trailer now:
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