Australia Muslim Is Not Yet Explored

Not many people would know that there are Muslims in Australia. It is only the third largest religion in the country after Christianity and Buddhism. About 1.5 percent of the Australian population has been identified as a Muslim community. As with most Muslim histories, Islam in Australia too has a long and diverse history to it.

A lot of Muslims went to Australia during the European settlement. They were sailors and prisoners. But no one can really place them, and where they went. Today only a few names are left behind from those settlers. The nineteenth century saw a permanent presence of Australia Muslim. During the late nineteenth century, a lot of Malay divers were used in Australia.

They were hired in agreement with the Dutch and used in the Western and Northern territories for pearling grounds. There were only about 1800 Muslim divers who worked there. Most of them returned to their home country. Camels were also imported to Australia during this time to explore the dry regions. Naturally, these camel handlers also were Muslims.

These Muslim trainers came from several countries, and were called the Afghans in Australia. In the twentieth century, many Muslims from countries other than Europe tried to immigrate to Australia, but were rejected by the government because of certain rules that they had. This was known as the White Australian policy, and they allowed only fair Muslims to enter the country.

Due to this restriction, economic and social growth was stunted, so the rules had to change after World War Two. The rules were relaxed, and the country began accepting Muslim immigrants besides others. It became even more relaxed after 1970, as the government wanted the country to become multi-cultural. During the twenty first century, Muslims from about sixty countries had settled in Australia.

Lebanese Muslims were one of the first communities who migrated largely to Australia due to the civil war in their country in 1975. They are the largest Muslim group in Australia. They form the foundation for the Arab Muslim population in the country. Most of them live in Sydney. About 3.4 percent of Sydney’s population is Muslims.

This will make up for about half of the Muslim population in the country. Many Muslims of Turkish, Albanian, Bosnian and Arab ethnicity live in Melbourne too. Most of the Muslims in Australia have chosen to live in cities, and very few of them are located in regional areas. This country also has a lot of Muslim students from countries like Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia.

There is a small but significant Muslim community of the Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. The early Afghans who were imported to train Muslims played a major role in Australian life. In today’s society, the Muslims play a big role in international trade. A lot of Muslims have established businesses with their countries of origin. One of the major trades the Muslims in Australia contribute too, is the export of halal meat. They are now comfortable in the country.