On the 17th of November 2010, Affinity hosted a group of about forty Yr 11 students from St Francis High School for a cultural tour of Auburn.
The students are currently studying Islam as a religion is their Studies of Religion (SOR) course and took the trip down to Sydney to get a firsthand experience of the Islamic culture and Muslims.
The student’s day began with a tour of Auburn Gallipoli Mosque, where they were treated to see a unique Sydney icon. Being the first time in a Mosque for most of them, it brought out a lot of questions about its history, purpose and the role it plays for the local Muslim community. They were even fortunate enough to witness a prayer session which allowed them to closely observe the ritual.
After the Mosque tour, the students walked towards Mado café, a popular Turkish Cuisine Restaurant, for lunch. For many of the students this would be the first time they have had Turkish food and judging by the empty plates they enjoyed it.
After the lunch, the students headed towards the Affinity office to do some intense workshops on Islam & Muslim Culture. Affinity invited local members from Islamic Sciences & Research Academy (ISRA), Mr Sadiq and Ms Makiz Ansari, who both gave the students talks on the fundamentals of Islam, bio ethics, Hajj and key Islamic personalities. These sessions were really valuable as the students were engaged in knowing more about the Islamic culture and way of life and to hear the presenter’s own personal experiences in what it means to live as a Muslim in a pluralistic society.
It is these types of interactive sessions that Affinity believes are invaluable as it allows a person to be understood in their own frame of reference. This was attested to by the response the students provided feeling they have walked away from the sessions being more appreciative and respecting a person for practicing their faith and culture to the best of their ability in a tolerant and inclusive society such as ours.
