Melbourne Conference

Conference Information

Introduction

Collaboration: The Vision of Gülen and Muslim-Christian Relations – will take place on Wednesday the 15^th and Thursday the 16^th of July.

Islamophobia: the Experience in Worlds Old and New - Lessons from Europe and Australia represents one half of a pair of conferences being planed by AIS, ACU and Monash for July 2009. This conference, to be held at Monash's Caulfield campus on Saturday the 18^th, and Sunday the 19^th of July. Another major international conference on the Gülen Movement –From Dialogue to.

These conferences are organised by the Australian Intercultural Society (AIS) in conjunction with Monash University and the Australian Catholic University with special support from the

• Centre for Islam and the Modern World
• National Centre for Australian Studies
• Monash Centre for EU and European Studies
• Global Terrorism Research Centre
• Fethullah Gülen Chair in the Study of Islam and Muslim-Catholic Relations

Fethullah Gülen Chair Inaugural International Conference Rationale

This conference "From Dialogue to Collaboration: The Vision of Fethullah Gülen and Muslim-Christian Relations" aims to explore, through the prism of Fethullah Gülen's personal and theological profile, his worldwide contribution to Islamic studies, education, philanthropy, and interreligious dialogue. Gülen's vision of dialogue and Muslim-Christian relations will be brought into relation with developments in the Catholic Church and other Christian Churches since Vatican II's Nostra Aetate (1965)

Islamophobia Conference Rationale

In 2003, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) commenced a project called Isma: National consultations on eliminating prejudice against Arab and Muslim Australians. During this project the Commission consulted with over 1400 Arab and Muslim Australians around Australia. Participants described their experiences of racial and religious discrimination, vilification and abuse since the September 11 attacks in 2001 and the Bali bombings in 2002.

The Isma Report, published in 2004, found that the impact of racial and religious discrimination against Arab and Muslim Australians is most acutely felt by women, in particular Muslim women wearing the hijab or other forms of religious dress. The report also found that most incidents raised in the consultations were not reported to police or other government authorities due to fear of victimisation; lack of trust in authority; lack of knowledge about the law and complaints processes; the perceived difficulty in making a complaint; and the perception that outcomes were unsatisfactory.

The biggest impacts reported by consultation participants, particularly women and young people, were a substantial increase in fear, for example of being attacked or abused; a growing sense of alienation from the wider community; and an increase in distrust of authority such as government or police.

Consultation participants throughout the Ismaﻉ Project expressed strong views about the need for more effective community action as well as government action to tackle anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination. Ismaﻉ identified several strategies for addressing these issues, including improved networking between diverse community groups, stronger community leadership, and better education within communities as well as the broader public about issues affecting Arab and Muslim Australians, as well as providing greater support for individuals who were seen to be particularly at risk of discrimination and vilification (such as women, young people and newly arrived migrants and refugees).

Since the Isma Report was published other events, such as the London bombings in July 2005, have taken place that are likely to exacerbate the discrimination and vilification being experienced by Muslims as identified in Isma. These events have only increased the need to address such problems and to seek ways of promoting the common goals of harmony and understanding.

There is a need to bring these issues to academic discourse and critical enquiry so that meaningful discussion can take place and real progress can be made. Although the public debate will not or should not end, this conference will make a significant positive and progressive contribution to the discourse. At the same time, this conference will provide an opportunity for the humanities and social sciences departments in our universities to enquire into real issues impacting on our society. This conference will also create a platform for the research already done in the field as well as spark new research.

Most importantly, Muslim community will be engaged in the process through the involvement of initiating organisations, Affinity Intercultural Foundation and Australian Intercultural Society. This will ensure that the Muslim Community, in particular, is not only a subject of intellectual enquiry but also an integral participant in the debate. In such engagement, the Muslim community can willingly contribute to the exploration of issues rather than feel under attack and become defensive, closing itself to change and social integration.

• More information on this event can be found at: http://www.intercultural.org.au/events_2007/gulen_chair/index.htm