MUSLIM WORLD

The Australian Muslims are the second largest minority group in the country after the Buddhists. At least 1.7 percent of the population is considered Muslim. These Muslims' origin can be traced back to several decades ago, when many of them came to Australia as camel trainers. They were all from the Middle East and they stayed since then. The number of Muslims in the country has diminished since 2001, as many of them have gone back to their home countries. Those living in the country still have ties with their home countries. The first generation Muslims of the country had cross cultural marriages, resulting in a different community.

There was a time after the Second World War, when there was an increase in the number of Muslim immigrants to the country. Earlier on they could not enter the country, but after the war, there was a need to improve the cultural as well as economic condition of the country. The Australian government was also very strict about not allowing the dark Muslim migrate to the country. Only the fair skin Muslims could migrate. They were mostly from Albania. It was only three decades ago that any Muslim from any country could migrate to Australia.

There are many Australian Muslims from the Middle East, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia. There is also a large number of Muslim students from all over the world, because of the high standards of education in the country. As the country needed a multi cultural face, they allowed all the Muslims from all over the world to live in the country. This has also allowed the Muslim community in the country to contribute a lot towards the society. First it was the camel trainers, who helped the Australians explore much of their land.

Then it is the Muslims in Australia who live there today. As they have strong ties with their home countries, they have opened a channel for trade through this opportunity. They export halal meat to their home countries, and they allow a lot of foreign exchange to pour into the country. For this purpose, the government has been very supportive. Most of the Muslim population in the country lives in the cities, such as Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. A very few of them live in the suburbs. There are also a number of mosques that have been built in the country.

The Muslim students too have contributed a lot as Australian Muslims. After they complete their studies at their own expenses, many of them choose good and honorable positions such as law, medicine, science and arts. They then contribute to the culture of the country. Majority or almost all of the Muslims in the country do not support the radical members of the community, and the latter have also been asked to leave the country. Many Islamic leaders work towards spreading the word of Islam in the right way. They also work towards integrating with the Australian society, as required.