Islam in Australia: A National Survey of Muslim Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a national survey on Islam in Australia based on responses of 1034 Muslim Australian citizens and permanent residents. Knowing what Muslim Australians think about Islam in relation to Australian society is essential for a more informed understanding about Islam and Muslims needed to address misinformation, Islamophobia, and extremism. The findings presented in this article include typologies of Muslims; sources of influence concerning Islam; interpretations of the Qur’an; perspectives on ethical, social, and theological issues; issues of concern; social connections and sense of belonging; views on various Muslim-majority countries; and perspectives concerning political Islam, including jihad, caliphate, and shariah. While respondents’ understandings, interpretations, and expressions of Islam overall align with values and principles of equality, human rights, social cohesion, and social justice, a minority were found to understand and interpret Islam in ways that reflect the influence of late 20th and early 21st century ideas associated with Islamist political ideology, and a smaller sub-group were found to have views that could be considered extreme. This article discusses these findings in relation to the early 21st century time-period factors and the Australian social context.

Negotiating Gendered Religious Space: Australian Muslim Women and the Mosque

“…They were overwhelmingly supportive of the necessity for changes in the quality of women's spaces in the mosque. The poor quality of women's space in the mosque is well supported by current scholarship (Rane et al 2020;Shannahan 2014;Woodlock 2010b). Mosques that are open to women usually only offer them physical spaces which are poorer in quality and size compared to men's space.…”

“…Current scholarship has found that mosques are significant places for Muslim women in Western contexts to gain knowledge about Islam, worship, improve their spirituality, engage with the Muslim community and gain a sense of belonging (Nyhagen 2019;Rane et al 2020;Shannahan 2014). For most of the women in the study, the main motivation and reason for attending the mosque were for worship and spirituality, as well as connecting with and belonging to the Muslim community.…”

“…One woman believed that it is not only men but also women who make the atmosphere in the mosque unwelcoming. The unwelcoming atmosphere of the mosque has been one of the findings of the recent National Survey of Muslim Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents (Rane et al 2020).…”

“…Currently, the inclusion of women in mosque activities is a contested issue (Nyhagen 2019). Although some research indicates Muslim women in Australia are participating in mosques (Hussain 2009;Woodlock 2010a), the practice of gender segregation is still happening and women are often not involved in decision making (Rane et al 2020;Sohrabi 2016). Therefore, the mosque space remains overwhelmingly male-centred.…”

Introduction to the Special Issue “Islamic and Muslim Studies in Australia”

“…These contributors represent many of Australia's universities engaged in Islamic and Muslim studies, including the Australian National University, Charles Sturt University, Deakin University, Griffith University and the University of Newcastle. The topics covered in this Special Issue include how Muslim Australians understand Islam (Rane et al 2020); ethical and epistemological challenges facing Islamic and Muslim studies researchers (Mansouri 2020); Islamic studies in Australia's university sector (Keskin and Ozalp 2021); Muslim women's access and participation in Australia's mosques (Ghafournia 2020); religion, belonging and active citizenship among Muslim youth in Australia (Ozalp and Cufurović 2021); responses of Muslim community organizations to Islamophobia (Cheikh Husain 2020); Muslim ethical elites (Roose 2020); and migration experiences of Hazara Afghans (Parkes 2020).…”