Proximity among Islamic Schools of Thought, Need of the Day
Proximity of the Islamic schools of thought is necessary for Muslims today, an Australian Shia researcher told IQNA.
Zeynab Taylor, Shia human rights researcher and director of Imam Ali (AS) School in Australia, added that women can play a significant role in the strengthening of unity among Shia and Sunni Muslims.
She said lack of proximity among Islamic sects is felt in Australia. “Fortunately, Islam has grown in Australia in recent years, many Islamic societies have been formed and many Islamic centers set up. But there is lack of unity among the country’s Muslims unfortunately.”
The Australian scholars who embraced Shia Islam some 19 years ago stressed that the need for Muslim unity in her country is necessary and that “we should get united by following the verse “And hold fast, all together, to the rope of God, and do not become divided, (Holy Quran, 3:103)””.
She regretted that because of lack of Muslim unity, Wahabism, with a strong financial backing, has spread in Australia, saying that the Wahabis present a distorted image of Islam to the Australian society.
“Through different methods, they attract new Muslims to their deviated beliefs … and misuse people’s lack of knowledge (about Islam).”
Ms Taylor said what Wahabis seek is to spread discord and disunity among Muslim sects and if things go on like this, there will be a tragedy.
“Muslims should make efforts to enhance fraternity and unity to foil attempts by these anti-Islamic groups that wage war on Islam in the name of Islam.”
She said many media outlets in Australia act in line with Wahabis’ agenda and fan the flames of differences among Muslim. “What we, as the Muslim minority in Australia, should do is to forget about our insignificant differences and focus on our commonalities to introduce real Islam.”
The Australian scholar underlined that Muslims can pay a vital role in creating his unity.
She referred to her activities in Australia and the establishment of Imam Ali (AS) School, saying that it is one of few Islamic schools in the country in which Islamic teachings and sciences are presented to children and teenagers in the English language.
She said establishing Islamic organizations and NGOs for women can be an influential step toward ensuring Shia-Sunni unity in Islamic societies.
Ms Taylor went on to say that Australian Christians who make up some 80 percent of the country’s population work together regardless of their denominational differences, stressing that Muslims, too, should follow the teachings of the Quran and the Holy Prophet (PUBH) by forgetting their differences and standing united to resolve the problems ahead.
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