Islamic Council of Victoria
AbbreviationICV
HeadquartersMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
WebsiteOfficial website

The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) an Australian Muslim organisation acting as the central representative body for the Muslim community and local Islamic organisations in Victoria, Australia.[1]

Activities

Community

The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) is the peak Muslim body representing an estimated 200,000 Muslims in Victoria and over 70 member societies. ICV offer advocacy and social welfare services while leading state and national initiatives on cohesion and harmony through community consultations and advice to Government. It has experience in building meaningful engagements, partnerships and projects with over 70 organisations (both Muslim and non-Muslim) including over 20 Multifaith and Multicultural groups.

Condemnation of terrorism

The Council has issued multiple press releases condemning terrorism and have rejected the link between Islam and violence.[2]

Zakat

The ICV collects and distributes zakat to the Muslim community.[3]

Court case

The ICV in Islamic Council of Victoria v Catch the Fire Ministries Inc. mounted one of the first cases under Victoria's 2001 Racial and Religious Tolerance Act. The Council sued an Evangelical Christian group for the vilification of Muslims.[4][5][6]

On 22 June 2005, Judge Michael Higgins of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal delivered his final verdict on the religious vilification issue regarding remedies. He found that financial compensation would be inappropriate, but ordered Nalliah and Scot to take out newspaper advertisements to the value of $68,690 which summarised the findings in the case. Nalliah criticised the ruling, comparing the legislation to "sharia law by stealth". He also said that he would rather go to jail than comply with the ruling. Lawyers for the defendants had previously appealed to the Supreme Court of Victoria, in an Originating Motion alleging that Higgins showed signs of bias, that there were errors in the decision, and that the act itself was unconstitutional. Following the decision, an appeal was lodged with the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court and the originating motion was dropped. The appeal was heard in August 2006.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, an interfaith public interest law firm based in Washington DC, had intervened on Pastor Scot's behalf, engaging in discussion with the Attorney General of Australia, providing legal representation with local counsel, and providing legal arguments employed for the legal appeal. On 14 December 2006, the Supreme Court of Victoria, upheld the appeal and ordered that the matter be re-decided, without hearing new evidence, by a judge (other than Judge Higgins) of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.[7] The Islamic Council of Victoria was ordered to pay half of Scot's and Nalliah's legal costs of the appeal.

Use of religious authorities

Imam Sheikh Abdi Nur Weli serves as the organisation's "in-house Imam" and religious services coordinator.[8]

The Victorian Board of Imams is often consulted by the central committee in the course of its decision making process.[8]

Executive committee

The executive committee is responsible for the governance of the Council and is voted in every two years.[8]

The current board as of September 2017:

  • Adel Salman, President
  • Mohamed Mohideen, Vice President
  • Yusuf Zarani, Secretary
  • Milon Islam, Treasurer
  • Sacir Lacevic, Executive Member
  • Abdel Kareem, Executive Member
  • Inaz Janif, Executive Member
  • Sarah Baarini, Executive Member

Safe spaces for radical youth

The council proposed to create safe spaces for radicalised youth. This idea came under fire from the premier of Victoria and the council's state funding came under review as a result.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About us." Islamic Council of Victoria. Accessed October 30, 2014.
  2. ↑ Akbarzadeh, Shahram, and Bianca Smith. "The representation of Islam and Muslims in the media." Islam in the Media. Monash University. (2005). http://asiainstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/571112/Islam-in-the-Media.pdf
  3. ↑ "About Zakat@ICV". Islamic Council of Victoria. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  4. ↑ Ellinson, Katie. "Human Rights: Exercising permissible limits on free speech." Law Society Journal. Australian Human Rights Commission. April, 2005.
  5. ↑ Hussein, Shakira. "They do not vilify out ideas, they vilify us: a reply to Salman Rushdie." Open Democracy: Free thinking for the free world. 23 February, 2005.
  6. ↑ Sway, Mustafa Abu. "Islamophobia: Meaning, Manifestation, Causes." Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture 12, no. 2&3 (2005).
  7. ↑ Court of Appeal (Supreme Court of Victoria) decision Dec 2006 - overturning VCAT decision
  8. 1 2 3 "The Board." Archived 2014-10-29 at the Wayback Machine Islamic Council of Victoria. Accessed October 30, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Vic Islamic Council funding under review." (archived link)
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