Like most Australians, I first became aware of Father Rod Bower through the signs he posts out the front of his church building in Gosford. There were signs in support of asylum-seekers, signs supporting the rights of gay and lesbian people and, most relevant to us here, regular signs expressing goodwill towards the Muslim community. […]
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Anne Aly is an amazing woman. She’s a mother, an academic, an expert in counter-terrorism, Australia’s first female Muslim MP, and she’s got a great sense of humour. I first met Anne at an interfaith presentation in Canberra where she immediately impressed me with her passion and authenticity. I then read her autobiography – Finding
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Sheikh Shoaib is a gentle and passionate man with a deep commitment to both social justice and interfaith harmony. He is also a scholar. This interview took place in Shoaib’s centre in Guildford on 12 September 2017.
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Father Bob Maguire – the Larrikin Priest – is a kindred spirit. Indeed, he has been an inspiration to me for many years. If he didn’t live a thousand kilometres away, I’d have tried to spend a lot more time with him and be properly mentored by him. We have a common leaning towards those
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Finding prominent Muslim women to interview for this book was a challenge. It’s not just that Islam doesn’t ordain women. In the Arabic and Persian communities I’m involved with, men tend to spend most of their time with other men, and women with women. As a man, I naturally didn’t develop as many friendships with
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Dr Hassoun is one of my favourite people in the world, and someone I pray for every day. He made a deep impression on me the first time I met him. I see him as an archetypal spiritual leader. They say that ‘a fish rots from the head’, meaning that if the leader of an
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