Mohammed Bouras says his area of belonging and security at his college is beneath risk.
Because the Muslim worldwide scholar moved to Victoria final yr, Swinburne College of Expertise’s Multi Religion Centre has been a spot for him to attach with different folks and develop friendships.
However now, he and different members of the Swinburne Islamic Society (SWINIS) are at loggerheads with the college over the centre, which they’ve now been locked out from for 2 straight Fridays for prayers — on the primary day of worship for Muslims.
Mohammed Bouras is the Swinburne Islamic Society’s Friday prayer coordinator. Supply: SBS Information / Youssef Saudie
Bouras and SWINIS members really feel the prayer room has been compromised on account of alarms and safety passes having been put in. They’re additionally dissatisfied they weren’t consulted over the university-appointed chaplain (or Imam) who oversees the prayers.
In the meantime, Swinburne College — positioned in Hawthorn in Melbourne’s inner-east — alleges some SWINIS management has breached the Multi Religion Centre’s pointers, which has led to them being locked out.
Bouras — who can be the SWINIS Friday prayer coordinator — spoke to SBS Information final week when he held a protest with different members on Friday, 18 October. At that time he had additionally organised a second protest for Friday, 25 October which has since gone forward as a result of the centre remained closed to the group.
“It is like a press release,” Bouras instructed SBS Information. “Should you do not permit us again within the prayer room, we will preserve praying; you can not stop us from praying.”
Bouras stated Friday prayer was “very essential” to Muslims and alleged the motion the college had taken amounted to “discrimination” and claimed their non secular rights had been infringed on.
What’s Swinburne College’s Multi Religion Centre?
The Multi Religion Centre is a facility for college kids, workers and their speedy household to make use of for prayer, meditation and reflection at Swinburne College.
The area shouldn’t be for normal use by members of the broader group.
Together with the Imam, who was appointed earlier this yr, Swinburne additionally has appointed accredited Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu chaplains.
The Multi Religion Centre is positioned at Swinburne College’s campus in Hawthorn, in Melbourne’s internal east. Supply: Getty / Nina Dermawan/Second Editorial
SWINIS president Tabish Relatively stated the college put in alarms and launched safety passes to entry the prayer room, which is usually utilized by Muslims, late final yr. He claimed these should not usually used at different related areas.
“Deal with us similar to you deal with everybody else, do not marginalise us, do not reinforce stereotypes, do not make our life tough,” Relatively instructed SBS Information.
Alarms have been put in to make sure compliance with the important thing card entry, the ABC reported earlier this week.
How has Swinburne College responded?
A Swinburne College spokesperson instructed SBS Information it had determined to shut the centre on Fridays due to “breaches and a sample of behaviour” from a small group of SWINIS members.
The spokesperson stated the Friday closures would stay in place “till SWINIS meets with the college to debate our considerations and commits to observe the rules that everybody else follows”.
“SWINIS management have repeatedly breached the rules since they have been authorised in 2023,” the spokesperson stated.
The college has additionally alleged SWINIS has continued to open the centre to most of the people, and has refused to work with the Imam.
The spokesperson stated the college was additionally investigating an incident on 11 October “led by a small group of Swinburne Islamic Society members”.
“This consists of refusing to permit the Imam to steer prayer and inspiring attendance from giant numbers of individuals not related to the college,” the spokesperson stated.
Sheikh Sarakibi Moustapha was appointed by Swinburne College earlier this yr. Supply: Equipped
SBS Information has seen a video of the incident wherein the chaplain makes an attempt to take a microphone from a scholar who’s main the Friday prayer.
The video reveals the chaplain leaving after the coed gave the microphone to a SWINIS member.
The centre was then closed for the remainder of the day.
Relatively stated SWINIS was not correctly consulted concerning the the Imam’s appointment.
“You can not impose an Imam upon us,” he stated. “We’re not sheep that want a herd, we have now the fitting and the aptitude to decide on our Imam,” he stated.
Information from a SWINIS on-line survey, supplied to SBS Information, confirmed all of about 200 respondents had voted in favour of the present student-led setup, moderately than accepting the university-appointed chaplain.
‘Nobody opposed me’: Imam
Sheikh Sarakibi Moustapha instructed SBS Information he had no challenge with session being a part of the method of selecting a chaplain.
“However I did seek the advice of,” he instructed SBS Information.” Nobody opposed me personally, like once I met with them in April 2023, they have been opposing chaplaincy altogether.”
“I have not seen the uni Islamophobic or anti-Muslim in my dealings with them, I’ve not seen something like that.”
Moustapha believes the dispute stems from a broader challenge of not having an area mosque within the space.
“There is a want for a prayer area; there is a want for a mosque,” he stated. We will come collectively, we get a little bit of donations from the group, if that works and we discover the place, we both lease it or buy it, and we get the permits, , to be a spot of worship.”
