Life through the lens of a Muslim Man in Australia

I am a Married Muslim Man in Australia with six children. I homeschool my children with the help of my wife. She wears the burka and home births our children; she is one of the strongest women I know to have honoured this earth with her presence. My wife and I wear born Muslims, but our parents never actually practiced Islam as it should be practice. They were affected by materialism and the glitz and glamour of this world.

I came to Islam at the age of 19 and so did my wife; we took the journey together. Indeed, I came from a life of drinking, smoking, drugs, and night clubs. Whilst she came from a life of mingling openly and focusing on becoming a career woman. As we became stronger in our faith through much hardship, we adorn the Islamic garb. She put on the veil at the age of 22. This is an incredibly hard decision for a woman but they are the ones that need to make that decision to adorn the veil. However, nobody thinks about how hard it is for a husband to walk with his incredibly strong veiled wife in public.

The looks you get and the passing by verbal attacks you receive is enough for the weak to leave Islam forever and abandon everyone he holds dearly that practices Islam including his wife. In fact, I started to question myself in that my wife is so incredibly strong and I appeared to have become weak. Isn’t there an Islamic garb for men in Islam? Yes, there is. Our prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) distinguish himself as a Muslim through grooming and garb to set his followers apart from all others. Hence, I also adorn the Islamic garb and entered the public looking like Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban. We have been like this for over 11 years now, adorning the Islamic garb.

The pandemic has made Islamophobic attacks in Brisbane drop a little bit. However, before the pandemic I would have to physically protect my family from assaults by the racists that resided in Brisbane. By no means am I scared of these racist, but I have become more aware perhaps one day if I am defending myself that I maybe shot by a police officer, in a perceived terrorist incident. Being a Muslim man, I don’t trust the Queensland Police and never would I rely on them to protect me.

Your probably thinking, you haven’t given the police a chance? However, I can tell you that in the early stages of my accepting Islam, I found out very early that they would never come to a Muslims aid. A woman living in our complex when we were 20 started to abuse us regularly and we tried to take the normal route of complaining to the police at Beenleigh station. I remember the woman officer I spoke to till this day and I continue to see her but she would have forgotten me. She told me to just move houses, instead of taking the complaint. Anyway, the women’s boyfriend tried the same tactic some weeks later and I punched him and he learnt his lesson; so did the woman.

I am a person that cannot let people walk over him and in the early years of my acceptance of Islam I was charged with assault and other offences because of these racists. Nothing happens to them. And today, I have children and I have calmed down a lot but it continues to affect me in that I am a well educated man. I have a doctor in law but I am unable to practice despite having finished all my required practice and education to register about 2 years ago. I want to represent Muslim such as myself in court, but the racists have made it so hard. Apparently, you need to wear western attire including a coat and bow to the coat of arms and the Judge. This despite it being a breach of our human rights.

Clearly, they don’t want Muslims to yield any real power within their boarders. But you must be asking, we do have Muslims in the courts and political systems? Think to yourself, are they really Muslims or are they hypocrites. Do they pray five times a day or do they just call themselves Muslims. In this country we have Islamic Scholars, but the media will never consult them for answers. In fact, the Islamic Scholars are under a microscope in Australia, in that they are censored as to what they can say and are encouraged to report their own members to the authorities if they suspect extremist tendencies. This is what I mean, when I say that as a Muslim you need to be aware of your surroundings.

I am sure that many people have reported me to the national terrorism line in Australia and I know that the authorities know me and my family well. If you’re just starting out as a Muslim, then don’t fear. These Imams and Islamic Scholars will direct you to the basics of Islam but when you have learnt the basics than proceed carefully, especially when asking about the political system of Islam and its foreign policies.

Life is tough as a Muslim man in Australia. You have fake Muslims that turn out to be undercover cops, you have Muslims that are hypocrites and pray for your downfall. Islam teaches us to respect our elders but be very careful as some of these elders have sick hearts and bad intentions. You have Imams that invite you to Islam with the sweetest calls but they manipulate Islam and don’t see us all as equals. Rather, they see money and they will ask you to stand up and leave if they are doing an action contrary to the teachings of Islam. Fake tears roll down their cheeks for the pain of our fellow Muslim brethren despite the truth written in our books as to the solution. Non-Muslims have written about this in examples such as Maslow’s pyramid; food, shelter, and safety.

Food and shelter are covered by the donations that follow in at the humiliation of our brethren that have their photo taken by being asked to line up in a humiliating fashion. I only hope that those make them do such deeds are placed in the same positions. Everyone has the right to humility and dignity, it’s a human right. Although, without safety you have achieved nothing, as the oppressor continues to oppress. I have heard with my own ears from the bosses of large charity foundations that it’s useless to give food and shelter money. That the destitute need to grow their own food. These individuals pay themselves handsomely with the money raised from charity and this is what they say. Disgusting, a person on the edge of starvation is told to grow their own food in a country that has no security for them. A child told to grow food on the edge of starvation. It’s easy to talk but to take action is something that doesn’t exist.

I tried learning Islam at a University, but this University was teaching Islam from a devious sect. They had employed individuals that embarrassed you when you read the Qur’an instead of helping you read with proficiency. And that last straw, was when I heard from the head of that School that certain individuals from non-Arab darker skinned countries were not employed by the School as they were seen to be deficient in their knowledge and practice of Islam despite having the qualifications to teach Islam.

Yes, I am a dark-skinned Muslim Man raised in Australia since I was 5 years old. We have racism built into the practice of Islam in Australia despite it being forbidden in Islam. However, lets admit it now; the white and lighter skinned Muslims in Australia have it much easier than us darker skinned Muslims. The white Australia Policy abolished in the mid- 1970’s allowed lighter skinned Muslims to establish themselves easier and with deeper routes to Australian society. Perhaps, the Australian Government knew the brown and dark-skinned Muslims were extremely strong having built the Ghan railway despite their very low numbers.

Islam teaches us that the non-Arab Muslim and the Arab-Muslim are equal. The same goes for the light and dark-skinned Muslims. However, what needs to be addressed is the ingrained racism that exists within the Australian Muslim society. We have esteemed scholars that write that anyone that converts to Islam is potentially a terrorist and they publish these findings in American psychological journals. These people are also regarded as Imams that give sermons about unity of the Islamic Community whilst backstabbing their fellow Muslims with such statements. I plan to conduct some research on Islamic Issues in Australia but never do I want to backstab my Muslim brother or sister.

We have Muslims that promote halal compliant mortgages. I have an Accounting degree so tell me how a house ends up costing me three times the amount at the end of the term. Aren’t the other 2 thirds interest? No, according to these “Muslims,” its just the profit added to the home. Seriously, they know and I know that it’s interest and the funds come straight from a bank as these people act like a broker. For this reason I rent, however if there are any readers that would like to gift some money towards my home or offer an interest free loan then I am open to these solutions.

It’s hard being a Muslim Man in this world, economically I am doomed to fail as I am not allowed to access money from a bank due to interest. However, I ask myself, am I really doomed to fail? Or does it make me stronger and not a slave to the system? You see I have many businesses and I continue to hustle to make money in the most halal manner possible. We Muslims cannot steal money, gamble, sell drugs, deal in or sell immoral goods or services and much more. We aren’t even allowed to back bite so that is why I am careful not to mention any names or specifics that may implicate certain individuals unless I have been directly wronged.

As we continue to walk the road of Islam we are tested more, and I tell you some of the tests I have been through would break the average person. Although, when you have passed the test, you think back and wonder to yourself that, the test you just went through was really not that hard. My extended family and parents are a major test in my life. You see, despite what you have been told; your family, children and wife can become tests in your life. Unfortunately, my Parents and extended family are major tests in my life and it’s not worth going into details as its enough to understand that family can become a source of despair and suffering. Although, those that bear it with tolerance will be rewarded in the hereafter. If you cut ties from your family for no reason or reasons that are unacceptable then this is a major sin but if you distance yourself to protect yourself then Allah knows best.

How brave do you have to be, in that I am a dark Muslim Man in Islamic Garb walking in Australian Society amongst a white race that sees you and hates you? How can any white racist Australian Man or Women claim they are brave when confronting a man like me despite the fact, they have the support of their own race that are the majority in this country? Who is the real coward, me or these racist? I challenge these racists to go into Taliban Country, wear your garb (budgie smugglers or bikini) and hurl your racist speech at them. Do it, record it and post it on social media. They won’t because deep down inside they know they are a coward, a gutless wonder, a loser now and forever.

Before you judge me; just try to live my life. Some days I feel exhausted as when I am out with my family, I need to be watching six kids and a wife constantly making sure to shield them from racism and abuse. Unfortunately, they have had to see me defend myself as little children in the middle of supermarkets and shopping centres. The Australian government doesn’t protect the rights of Muslims and minorities. The amusing thing is that never has a Police officer followed up on any of these incidents, some that could even be consider a hate crime. As I have become older, and through the study of law, I have realised that I am only allowed to do enough to deter the attack, which is what I do.

I am currently saving to buy a big parcel of land in the middle of nowhere, where I can build a home and a Mosque. To be a Muslim you must be resilient, and I can tell you that I have had enough of people in Australia. I just want to escape to the desert plains or a rural area near the sea. I don’t have family in Australia, apart from my parents and a few extended families as the rest is overseas. So, raising my children to love one another and rely on each other is very important to me. I want them to be close and to establish firm roots in this country.

I am a dark-skinned Muslim Man living in Australia with my wife and six children. I don’t belong in my country of birth, and I don’t belong in Australian society, nor do I belong in an Arab or so called Muslim Country. In fact, I don’t belong in this world. I am a stranger who neither belongs here or there. I am a stranger that looks forward to the hereafter.