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Question: Why did Mohammad take a donkey with him into Heaven?
Panel: (Laughter)
Imam Galil: The Koran tells the story. Mohammed was feeling disconsolate. God took pity on Mohammed and took him on a celestial journey. The means of transport was a very special creature
Ms Nishana Azadzoi: The creature wasn’t a horse or a donkey.
Dr Yucel: To have spiritual belief is part of human nature.
Mr Imran Zaman: I was born into an Islamic family. I am attracted to the idea of only one God – no trinity, no idols, no pantheon of gods
Question: “Why do you believe what you believe?”
Ms Sabrina Bassal: Christianity doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t understand the trinity concept. Islam makes sense and nothing really contradicts the other.
Imam Galil: A schism developed between Shi’ites and Sunnis but the main teachings between the two groups are the same.
Question: Do both Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims consider each other to be Muslims?
Dr Yucel: Yes. There are similarities and differences between Shi’ites and Sunnis but they both consider each other to be Muslims.
Dr Yucel: 95% of terrorist victims are Muslims. But Muslims should nonetheless be critical of themselves
Same audience member: Moderate Muslims should speak out against violence committed in the name of Islam.
Panel: But they do.
Nazeem: How often does the media speak to moderate Muslims?
Audience member: You see people blowing up things. You don’t see Hindus or Buddhists blowing up things. It’s people blowing up things in the name of Islam.
Nazeem: People of many different faiths blow things up and do bad things to other human beings. The narrative about Muslims is skewed. Sure, there are Muslim extremists. We wouldn’t need to be at this forum if that wasn’t the case. 911 fuelled a 2 dimensional conversation – us vs them
Audience member complaining that he wants to ask a question to challenge the speakers
Ms Nishana Azadzoi: The key is education. We can educate ourselves. Ask questions about Islam.
Nazeem Hussein: Muslims have been used as a political football. A lof of the time the responsibility for countering misunderstandings falls on the Muslim community. It needs to be a 2 way street. (Murmurs of agreement from the audience at this)
Nazeem Hussein: If our religion really taught violence, we’d be pretty bad Muslims if we haven’t already destroyed the world. The question is ignorant. But it’s only natural to come up with that question given the misunderstandings about Islam that ppl are bombarded with
Question 4: How much is “fundamental Islam” indicative of Islamic doctrine?
Question 3: What’s it like being a young Islam person in western society?
Ms Sabrina Bassal: I get stared at for wearing the hijab. There’s pressure to wear it and not wear it.
Ms Nishama Azadzoi: “Hijab” in Arabic means “barrier”. It governs everything you do in society. It’s not just about the head-covering, it’s about lowering your gaze and other behaviour. When you wear the hijab, you’re a role model for your faith. You have to watch how you speak and talk.
Dr Yucel: Hijab is in the Christian Bible too
