Attendees and speakers at past events have draped themselves in the Australian flag, and worn hats and t-shirts adorned with the Union Jack and southern cross.
Source/Credit: Daily Mail Australia
By Ben Hill | January 15, 2018
A Muslim organisation is calling for followers to wave flags and hold barbecues and a 'special prayer' at mosques on Australia Day to show their love for their country and dispel myths they are not loyal citizens.
Amid calls for the date to be changed, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Australia is planning to throw its support behind January 26 at mosques across the country with flag waving, loud anthem singing and a 'special prayer' for Australia.
The group has also launched a hashtag #MuslimsForLoyalty on social media.
'There's a lot of talk that Muslims aren't loyal to Australia, so we want to show through our actions that we are,' Association spokesman Aqeel Ibraheem told Daily Mail Australia.
'We want to get our members to not feel shy to be proud of Australia,' he said.
The planned Muslim celebrations come as Greens leader Richard Di Natale and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott weighed in on calls to change the date of Australia Day.
Mr Di Natale told The Australian the January 26 date was inappropriate.
'All Australians want a day on which we can come together and to celebrate our wonderfully diverse, open and free society, but January 26 is not that day,' he said.
'It's time that we stop papering over an issue that for 200 years has been so divisive and painful for so many of our citizens.'
Mr Abbott took to Twitter to respond to those calls.
'There are 364 other days a year for the Greens to be politically correct,
'Why can't they just accept that January 26 is the best available day to celebrate all that's good about life in Australia.'
The celebrations will start early for the association's members, with a special prayer being said at 4.30am.
'All our members will get up and say a special prayer for Australia. We will pray for prosperity and peace in Australia', Mr Ibraheem said.
There will be a free barbecue open to anyone at the Baitul Huda Mosque in Sydney, where the street outside will be lined with hundreds of flags.
At the mosque there will be speeches on a variety of topics related to living in Australia, including why Muslims love to live there.
Attendees and speakers at past events have draped themselves in the Australian flag, and worn hats and t-shirts adorned with the Union Jack and southern cross.
Mr Ibraheem said members of the association have handed out flyers to the public with pictures of the Australian flag expressing their loyalty to the country in the lead up to Australia Day.
Association president Imam Inamul Haq Kauser said his organisation 'always prays for the progress and development of our homeland Australia'.
'As per our traditions we will celebrate Australia Day in all mosques across Australia.
'We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our nation, government and people because our religion teaches us that love of country of residence is part of faith.'
Read original post here: Australia: Ahmadi Muslims to hold barbecues at mosques and 'special prayers' to prove they’re proud citizens
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