Sydney - Middle East Times Int’l: During these years AFIC has witnessed many events. It faced many challenges and obstacles but it also participated in building many vital facilities that contributed to the rejuvenation of the Muslim and Australian communities alike. It succeeded in some areas and it may have disappointed in others but none can deny or be ungracious to the monumental efforts that testify unquestionably to the achievements of this union.

This great fortress was and remains to be a mosaic piece and a communal fabric of the rarest fibers merging under a unifying umbrella institution. In this umbrella institution, every member has taken it upon themselves to accept the responsibility, to carry the torch and to continue the legacy. Every member in every association, and every institution, and every center and every council from all over Australia strive to exhibit the immaculate image of the message of Islam and to present the best social work for the benefit of humanity.

The re-launch of the Australian National Sharia Board four years ago, the religious wing of this union, intended to be a continuation and a fruition of the previous scholarly councils that were established decades ago. The minutes of the meetings of these scholarly councils continue to be preserved until today. Some of these minutes date back to the beginning of the nineties of the last century and stand proof that the vision has always been the same and that the councils of the imams and scholars has been established decades ago and for a long time.

From the rich history of these councils and from the heritage of our past and our predecessors, we in the Australian National Sharia Board have sought the confidence and the courage to continue and complete the journey with an elite group of virtuous Australian scholars and imams. Some of whom are attending with us tonight to emphasize the importance of uniformity and diversity and to enhance the status and role of the Islamic message and the scholarly effort in building our communities and our homeland. They emphasize the importance of advocating constructive concepts, positive principles and the values that enable us to live in safety and peace with all groups, religions and beliefs with full awareness of the uniqueness of each. So we can all contribute to spreading the spirit of dialogue, understanding and civilized communication to which Islam calls.

We, in Daar al-Iftaa’ in the National Shariah Board, announce our program and one of our most important priorities is to unify the word and gather the ranks through dialogue. We have taken the initiative to do so repeatedly, proposed solutions and even offered compromises several times on the expense of internal disputes. All this is to demonstrate the genuineness of our position, and from this pulpit we declare once more that we are advocates of unity, not advocates of division, and our sight is forever fixed on the beautiful words of Allah in Surat al-Tawbah, وقل اعملوا فسيرى الله عملكم ورسوله والمؤمنون “And say (O Muhammad) ‘Do deeds!’ Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers.”

And God Willing, with the aid of our faithful and loyal imams and our blessed councils and our dynamic associations that have spent their lives in building the foundations of goodness and society in partnership with the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. With all of your support, and I must say without your presence we would not have yielded such strength. With all of you, we will continue the journey, God Almighty willing.

I Welcome you all tonight.