This weekend I was proud of my Muslim brothers and sisters because they showed the wider Australian public that Muslims can integrate into the Australian way of life, but with an Islamic tinge.
NRL Grand Final Weekend saw a bulk of the Sydney Muslim community support the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs. Our community was out in force, with sisters looking pretty in their Bulldog’s jerseys and white and blue hijabs. While most brothers wore the jersey some of our keener brothers even wore Abayas in blue with a white prayer cap.
In the week leading up to the grand final we witnessed many Muslim families decorate their houses in the blue and white. On the day of the game itself, those who didn’t attend the match with the other 80,000 plus fans had the good old Aussie sunday afternoon BBQ to watch the game with family and friends. It didn’t stop there, even though the Bulldogs lost, after the game we had brothers and sisters celebrating out of Doggies Headquarters at Belmore, at the Bankstown Sports Club and many many other locations.
What were more impressive was that, despite fears to the contrary, the after game celebrations not only passionate, but also peaceful. The Bulldogs fans showed good sportsmanship and many twittered and facebooked congratulatory comments to the Storm and their supporters. But what really set my heart alight was the show of respect for their other Doggies Fans.
During the game and after the game, there were scenes of jubilation and happiness, as our brothers and sisters celebrated with everyone. During that 2-3 hours that Sunday, no one cared if the person next to them was a Muslim or not; and if they were Muslim, no one cared if they were Sunni or Shia. No-one questioned class, race or culture. Everyone was united under the one banner of the Bulldogs.
Now I had to read that last sentence a few times before it sunk in. In fact I re-read that last paragraph a few times and wondered what am I writing? Muslims doing what their religion asks them to do, like showing respect for one another and for others, obeying the law, spending time with their family and just generally being in good spirits. How good a display was that for the wider community, on how we are tolerant and accepting and that we too know how to have a good time.
But still the last sentence of the last paragraph disturbs me. United under the banner of the Blue and White, under the banner of a Bulldog. When writing it I was about to type “United under the banner of La illah illa Allah (there is no God except Allah)”, but reality dawned on me that this show of passion, support, unity, respect, humility and good spirits was for a football game.
Don’t get me wrong I’m all for watching a good game of footy; in fact I watched the game myself. But the question is why does this passion come out for a game, but not for peaceful protest in support of the honour of our prophet or for passionate support of the oppressed Palestinians, or a show of love for fellow Muslims in Burma, a show of despair for our brothers and sisters in Syria and the list goes on and sadly on.
There are many Muslims who have shown their passion and their love for the Ummah and this cannot be taken away from those who work tirelessly in support of causes facing the Muslim world, but in Sydney I have not seen the Muslim community as passionate about a cause and in such large numbers as I saw last night for a football match. I don’t know whether to feel ashamed of them or whether to view this as a positive step which we can use as a platform, for us to unite.
Maybe the next visit to ANZ stadium for the Muslims of Sydney will be Eid prayers, which will unite Sunni, Shia, Lebanese, Pakistani, Turkish, Australian, black, white, etc. Let’s wear green and white, let us decorate our houses with symbols of Islam and come together for the sake of something far more meaningful than a football game. Let us celebrate and unite under the banner of “La illah Il Allah” Inshallah.
