Islamic Research and Educational Academy
اکادمی برائے تعلیم و تحقیقَ اسلامی
Formation22 November 2012 (2012-11-22)
TypeConservative Salafist[1]
Registration no.ABN 71161351695[2]
Legal statusRegistered with ACNC as a charity[3]
Headquarters1/29 Dunlop St, Hoppers Crossing, Victoria
Coordinates37°52′07″S 144°43′24″E / 37.868489°S 144.723442°E / -37.868489; 144.723442
LeaderWaseem Razvi
Key people
Syed Murtaza Hussain[4]
Websitehttp://www.ireaworld.org/

The Islamic Research and Educational Academy (IREA; اکادمی برائے تعلیم و تحقیقَ اسلامی) is an independent Islamic dawah organisation based in Hoppers Crossing, Victoria.[5] It is Sunni-based and says, "We use religion to unite, where others may seek to use it to divide". It is led by Waseem Razvi.

Waseem Razvi

The founding President of IREA, Waseem Razvi was born in 1981[6] and brought up in Saudi Arabia by parents of Indian origin. In 2004, he moved to Australia for higher studies. He obtained a master's degree in information systems from the Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2007. He quit from his job in 2010 to engage fully in Dawah works.

Razvi has been quoted as describing Australia, "As the largest multicultural country in the world, Australia accommodates people from around 200 nationalities. It is an open migrant country that embraces people of all cultures and religions with open hands and hearts" and that "Australian society gives followers of different faiths every opportunity to propagate their religion peacefully." "I am delivering sermons in certain churches in which I try to present the true picture of Islam as well as to remove misgivings, with a focus on major similarities and commonalities of Islam and Christianity.”[6]

Razvi has met with Egyptian Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi in Qatar,[4] who has said he supports IREA's dawah.[7]

Razvi has travelled to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to raise funds and to lecture.[8] He said in Saudi Arabia that there is a group in Australia, Q Society , founded by Christian and Jewish zealots, with the slogan, 'Muslims should be kicked out of Australia.'[6]

Razvi is a supporter of the late Islamic preacher, Ahmed Deedat,[5][6] whose books have been banned from sale in France for being, "violently anti-Western, anti-Semitic and inciting to racial hate."[5]

The Australian Islamic Peace Conference

IREA runs Australian Islamic Peace Conferences (AIPC) which the ABC News has reported as a "controversial event".[9]

Razvi has described the three main goals of the Australian Islamic Peace Conferences was to, "achieving unity among Muslims, build bridges of understanding between Muslims and Australian community, and open a door of communications for Muslims with the authorities. Organization of AIPC was a culmination of my endeavors to achieve these goals and it was a very successful one."[6]

The advertised main speaker for the 2013 Peace Conference was Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais[10] who, "has called for violent jihad"[11] and is alleged to have made Antisemitic remarks.[12] Prior to the conference Al-Sudais was denied a visa to enter Australia.[13] Speaking at the 2013 conference was Abu Hamza who has been accused of telling men, "how to beat their wives".[12]

For the 2013 Peace Conference, held at the Melbourne Showgrounds, Christians from various churches initially had approval to hire a stall to give away Bibles. The approval was subsequently withdrawn. The explanation given was, "because it would be unsafe".[14]

One of IREA's conferences was banned by the Melbourne University because it required gender segregation of the audience.[15][16]

At the 2015 conference, a young boy impersonated Islamic tele-evangelist Zakir Naik (Razvi's role model)[6] who is banned in Britain[17] and the conference keynote speaker Hussein Yee has implied that the Jews were behind the 2001 World Trade Centre attack.[18]

The March 2017 conference is entitled, Quran The book that shook the world. Speakers include Shady Alsuleiman and Keysar Trad. In the promotional flyers, the three females have their faces replaced with black ink, while the faces of all other 12 male speakers are displayed.[19] With organisers saying it was done to protect the women from being, "targeted in the streets."[20] Subsequently, one of the female speakers, Monique Toohey pulled out after seeing her face blacked out, saying, "I didn't feel like it aligned with my values, and certainly not in a way that I choose to represent myself publicly".[21]

Council for the Prevention of Islamophobia

The Council for the Prevention of Islamophobia Inc is co-located with IREA. Razvi is the secretary of the organisation.[22] Its purpose is to, "to protect and defend the Muslim community from discrimination based on their Islamic faith and/or race by multiple means".[23]

An Australian speaking tour by the Dutch-American activist and author Ayaan Hirsi Ali, was proposed for April 2017. The Council for the Prevention of Islamophobia said there would be 5,000 protesters outside the Festival Hall in Melbourne if she was to speak at that venue,[24] because, "she is an extremist who condones violence and radicalises people."[4] Her Australian tour was cancelled.[25][24]

Controversy

The charity status of Islamic Research and Educational Academy has been revoked by Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission due to gross negligence in reporting.[26] The charity registration is marked as "Double Defaulter"[27][28] since 27 August 2019, and according to ASIC register, the charity is in External administration.[29][30]

Mosque proposals

Waseem Razvi and the IREA have been involved in proposals for mosques in the Melbourne suburbs of Craigieburn,[1] Melton[31] and the City of Casey.[32]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Blaxendale, Rachel (16 July 2015). "Radicals trip in race to put out the begging bowl". The Australian. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  2. ↑ "ABN 71161351695".
  3. ↑ "Charity name: Islamic Research and Educational Academy Ltd". Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Maley, Jacqueline (8 April 2017). "Anti-Islam activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali protesters met with radical sheikh". Canberra Times. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Melbourne university hosts extremist Muslim group in the wake of Sydney shooting". News Ltd. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cheruppa, Hassan (11 September 2013). "Young preacher lauds Australia's strength to embrace all faiths". Saudi Gazette. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ↑ Bucci, Nino (25 March 2015). "Melbourne Islamic conference organiser Waseem Razvi met notorious sheikh". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  8. ↑ Baxendale, Rachel (30 September 2014). "School funding to pay for radical Muslim preachers". The Australian. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Hate preachers in Australia uncovered after fiery Lateline interview". ABC News. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Boy, 5, to headline Islamic 'peace conference'". News Ltd. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  11. ↑ Zwartz, Barney (12 December 2012). "Fiery imam invited to speak here". The Age. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  12. 1 2 Senator Bernardi (12 March 2013). "Australian Islamic Peace Conference". Australian Parliament House. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  13. ↑ Baxendale, Rachel (26 March 2015). "Islam forum speakers shrouded in secrecy". The Australian. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  14. ↑ Crocker, Geoff (16 March 2013). "Not even true to themselves". Menzies House. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  15. ↑ Baxendale, Rachel (26 April 2013). "Academic calls for end to 'ritualised humiliation'". The Australian. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  16. ↑ Baxendale, Rachel (13 May 2013). "Melbourne Uni cancels 'inter-faith' event by Islamic Research and Educational Academy". The Australian. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  17. ↑ "Jews were behind 9/11 attack, implies Malaysian preacher". Free Malaysia Today. 30 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  18. ↑ Baxendale, Rachel (28 March 2015). "Islamic conference keynote speaker says September 11 not unjust". The Australian. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  19. ↑ "Women's faces hidden on Australian Islamic Peace Conference flyer, sparking outrage". Herald Sun. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  20. ↑ Panahi, Rita (10 February 2017). "Bizarre alliance sees Regressive Left tolerating Islamist bigotry". Herald Sun. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  21. ↑ "Islamic Conference under fire for a flyer which doesn't show female speakers". 3AW. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  22. ↑ "Association extract for Council for the Prevention of Islamophia". Consumer Affairs Victoria. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  23. ↑ "Council for the Prevention of Islamophobia". Consumer Affairs Victoria. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  24. 1 2 Maly, Paul (4 April 2017). "Islam critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali cancels tour". The Australian. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  25. ↑ Tasker, Belinda (3 April 2017). "Islam critic Hirsi Ali cancels Aust tour". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  26. ↑ "Search the ACNC Charity Register". Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  27. ↑ "Islamic Research and Educational Academy Ltd". Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  28. ↑ "Double Defaulter". Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  29. ↑ "Islamic Research and Educational Academy Ltd ACN 161 351 695". Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  30. ↑ "External administration". Asic. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  31. ↑ Webb, Carolyn. "Melton protests: Pro and anti-Muslim groups clash". The Age. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  32. ↑ "Residents say they aren't racist, they just don't want new mosque". 9News. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
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