ISLAMIC COUNCIL OF VICTORIA

ANNUAL REPORT

2015 - 16

I S L A M I C C O U N C I L O F V I C T O R I A

ICV MEMBERS

Afghan Islamic Society

AICOM - Afghan Islamic Centre and Omar Farooq Mosque  

Al-Ehsan Centre

Ararat Islamic Welfare Association

ASWJ - Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah

Australia Bangladesh Islamic Council Inc.

Australian Bosnian Islamic Centre Deer Park

Australian Islamic Mission

Australian Islamic Social Association (Milli Gorus)

Australian Muslim Media

Australian Muslim Social Services Agency (AMSSA)

Bendigo Islamic Association Inc

Benevolence Australia

Bilal Ethioopian Community Association Victoria

Bosnia Hercegovina Islamic Society

Cyprus Turkish Islamic Community Inc.

Dandenong Turkish Islamic Cultural Society

Daru Bilal

Darussalam Society

El Sedeaq Islamic Society

Eritrean Islamic Society of Australia

FAMSY - Federation of Australian Muslim Students and Youth

GAMCI - Gippsland Australian Muslim Community Inc

Arkan Toledo Care With Me Islamic Practice and Dawah Circle Islamic Weekend School Islamic Relief Australia

MCCA Minhajul Quran Vic Muslim Legal Network Nurul Huda Acedemy Victorian Police Muslim Association

BAILP Muhajiroon Community Association Inc Muslim Aid Australia Australian Muslim Unit Trust ( AMUT)

Goulburn Valley Turkish Islamic & Cultural Society

HIYC - Hume Islamic Youth Centre

IISCA - Islamic Information and Support Centre of Australia

IMAN

IMCV - Indonesian Muslim Community of Victoria

Islamic Association of Monash Mosque Inc.

Islamic Education and Welfare Assoc of Dandenong

Islamic Guidance Society of Australia

Islamic Society of Albury-Wodonga

Islamic Society of Ballarat

Islamic Education & Awareness of Casey Association (IEACA).

ISOMER - Islamic Society of Melbourne

Islamic Society of Victoria - Preston Mosque

Maarefa Group

Mano River Association of Victoria

MICS - Melbourne Islamic Cultural Society Inc

IISNA MyCentre - Islamic Information and Services Network

Newport Islamic Society

Oromo Islamic Resource Centre

The Light Foundation

United Muslim Migrant Association

USMAA - United Sri Lankan Muslim Association in Australia

Werribee Islamic Centre

AFFILIATED MEMBERS

ABOUT THE ISLAMIC COUNCIL OF VICTORIA

The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) is the peak

Muslim body representing an estimated 200,000

Muslim population in the state of Victoria

through its 60-plus member societies.

The ICV vision statement is:

“to foster and enable a vibrant Islamic community

where Muslims enrich society through the values of

Islam”.

The vision is intended to remind us all of the high

level of responsibility we have as Victorian

Muslims, as Austral ian Muslims and as

Australians.

The ICV operates on two key platforms;

1) Advocacy – on matters of interest and concern

to Muslims through advocacy, consultation and

cooperation with governments, other peak

bodies, faith communities, service providers, the

media and the general public.

2) Social Welfare Services – we run over a dozen

community programs, helping improve the

welfare of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups

within the Muslim community.

The ICV's success in playing a leading role in

social cohesion and harmony. The Muslim

population is increasingly diverse. New

communities are establishing themselves, and

several faith communities are experiencing

major growth and with it challenges of

settlement and integration.

Amidst our current social challenges, the ICV

leads the way, both state and nationally, as a

peak Muslim body championing cohesion and

harmony through efforts and services in recent

years;

a greater sense of shared purpose, belonging

and acceptance amongst all

services and activities that foster understanding,

appreciation and respect for cultural diversity

and equality

active promotion of a harmonious, inclusive and

respectful society

strategic partnerships and collaborations with

peak faith and multi-faith organisations.

consultations, meaningful engagements and

partnerships and delivery of initiatives/activities

The ICV current ly works w i th over 70

organisations (Muslim and non-Muslim)

including over 20 Multifaith and Multicultural

groups.

We aim to support all Victorian Muslims to have a

strong sense of belonging, through important

and strong relationships with key stakeholders

leading to increased understandings and respect

for all.

ABS – Australian Bureau of Statistic Census

AFIC - Australian Federation of Islamic Councils

AFL - Australian Football League

AFP - Australian Federal Police

AG - Attorney Generals Dept

Al Wasat Newspaper

AMES – Adult Migrant Education Services

AMF - Australian Multicultural Foundation

Anglican Church

ANIC - Australian National Imams Council

Australian Conservation Foundation

Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights

Benevolence

Cabrini Health

CCN – Community Care Network

CMY – Centre of Multicultural Youth

Corrections Victoria

CRU - Community Resilience Unit

Department of Health & Human Services

DHS – Dept of Human Services

Diyanet - Turkish Ministry of Religious Affairs

DPC – Dept of Premier and Cabinet

DSS – Dept of Social Services

ECCV - Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria

Emergency Ministry (VCC)

Faith Leaders Group - Prison Chaplaincy

FCCV – Faith Communities Council of Victoria

First Guardian

Foundation House

Good Shepherd Microfinance

Gosford Church NSW

HAI – Human Appeal Australia

Hope Street

Huddle – Nth Melbourne Football Club

IMA - Islamic Museum of Australia

Immigration Dept - Border Force

OUR APPRECIATION TO OUR VALUED PARTNERS

Special Acknowledgements

Our special gratitudes are particularly extended to our many wonderfully talented friends who have been incredibly supportive,

whose personal and professional advice, mentoring and expertise has made huge differences;

Adam Slonim Carl Gopalkrishnan Carmel Guerra Chin Tan Daniela Ascone Darren Hutchinson

Gavin Ackerly Hakan Akyol Hass Dellal Irene Bouzzo Joe Illardi Kathy Laster Kerim Birinci

Paul Waite Ranj Samrai Rudy Monteleone Tony Nicholls

Initiatives of Change

Interfaith Centre of Melbourne

Interfaith Network (Dandenong)

Islamic Relief

JCCV – Jewish Communities Council of Victoria

JCMA - Jews Christians Muslims Association

Leadership Victoria

Lebanese Muslim Association

Lord Mayor City of Melbourne

MAG – Multifaith Advisory Group

MCCA – Muslim Community Co-operative Australia

Melbourne University- Chaplaincy

MFB - Melbourne Fire Brigade

NCEIS - National Centre for Excellence in Islamic Studies

OHPI - Online Hate Prevention Institute

OMAC - Office of Multiculturalism & Citizenship

OTA – Organ Tissue Authority & Donate Life

PMC – Prime Minister and Cabinet

Red Cross Blood Service

RMIT – School of Global, Urban and Social Studies

SHV - Spiritual Health Victoria

SMCT – Southern Metropolitan Cemetery Trust

SRC - Social Research Centre

ThinQ Group

Uniting Church

VAADA - Victorian Alcohol and Drugs Association

Variety Victoria

VCC – Victorian Council of Churches

VEOHRC – Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission

Victoria Police

Victoria University - Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing

Victoria University – Sir Zelman Cowen Centre

Victorian Board of Imams

VMC - Victorian Multicultural Commission

Western Bulldogs

The ICV wishes to express our sincere appreciation to a host of organisations who have worked with and

supported the ICV in various capacities throughout the 2015-16.

OUR PEOPLE

Bayram Aktepe

Mohamed Mohideen

Seyfi Seyit

Nazeh Baarini

Junaid Cheema

Omar Abdo

Zeynep Sertel

Samar Mougharbel

Barry Pestana

Ayan Shere Omer

Mohammed Eleissy

Nail Aykan

Ayman Islam

Sumeyya Kutlu

Liyana Schroeder

Suaad Warsame

Bakri Shanino

Bahriye Bol

Asma Siddiq

Cameron Thomas

Anthony Vitale

Remzi Unal

Esref Avda

Sh Majidih Essa

Ahu Kocak

Sh Abdinur Weli

Sh Moustapha Sarakibi

Altaf Hussain

Yasser Soliman

Rachid El Chaar

Rahil Khan

Irfan Majeed Mian

Abdirahman Mohamud

Hammad Guler

Mukhtar Mohammed

Lina Ayoubi

Sarah Charmand

Ilker Abak

Aamer Rahman

Maryum Chaudhry

President

Vice-President

Secretary

Treasurer

Executive Member

Executive Member

Executive Member

Executive Member

Executive Member

Executive Member

Executive Member

Executive Director

Services Manager

Accounts Officer

Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant

Muslim Connect Post-Release Officer

Communications Officer

NILS Program Coordinator

Media and Campaigns Coordinator

CISP Program Manager

CISP Liaison Officer

CISP Social Worker

CISP Religious Services Coordinator

CISP Senior Clinician

ICV Head Imam

Prison Chaplain & ICV Imam

Senior Prison Chaplain

Prison Chaplain

Prison Chaplain

Prison Chaplain

Prison Chaplain

Prison Chaplain

Prison Chaplain

Muslim Connect Post-Release Coordinator

Hospital Chaplaincy Coordinator

Volunteers Coordinator

Youth Engagement Officer

Youth Engagement Officer

Youth Engagement Officer

EXCO

STAFF

PEOPLE BEHIND THE ICV

Sheikh Abdinur Weli

Cameron Thomas Mukhtar Mohammed Bakri Shanino Mahir Mohamed

Nada Kalam Sarah Charmand Anam Javed Sheikh Rachid al Chaar

Suaad Warsame Maryum Chaudhry Ayesha Bux Sheikh Muammer Guler

Dr Aladin Zayegh Yasser Soliman Sadeeq Omarjee

LETTER FROM PREMIER

LETTER FROM OPPOSITION LEADER

LETTER FROM MINISTER FORMULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

May the Peace and Blessing of

God be upon you.

The Islamic Council of Victoria

has had its greatest year on

record. With membership

soaring to a record number of

65 organisations and financial

growth exceeding 20%, we

cont inue to bui ld on the

platform laid by previous

p r e s i d e n t s a n d t h e i r

administrations.

The year has seen the ICV

achieve quite a number of

n o t a b l e fi r s t s , t h e m o s t

prominent being the visit of the

Prime Minister of Australia in

e a r l y 2 0 1 6 f o l l o w e d b y

participation at the inaugural

PM's Iftar at Kirribilli House.

Additionally, high-level direct

meetings with the highest levels

of state and local government

have also occurred to ensure

the concerns of the Muslim

community have been heard.

The mainstream and measured

a p p ro a c h o f t h e I C V h a s

resulted in the voice of Victorian

Muslims being heard at more

places than ever before.

Another notable first has been

t h e fi r s t ev e r P re s i d e n t s

Summit, where member society

presidents and previous ICV

presidents have a l l come

together to discuss the ICV's

p lans for the year ahead

alongside the strategic planning

process.

Our members remained our

core focus. Alongside the Public

Lecture Series, the inaugural Eid

a l - A d h a b r e a k f a s t a n d

organisational development

workshops for members, we

have delivered direct grants and

donations to over 20 member

societies this year.

The Executive Committee has

also attended over 50 member

society functions to maintain

grass roots relationships.

Strategically, a major new

initiative for resettlement of

newly arrived Muslims to our

shores has been kicked off. Our

strong programmes in prisons,

hospital and juvenile facilities

have grown and our youth

p ro g ra m m e s c o n t i n u e t o

mature.

Separately, we have signed a

M e m o r a n d u m o f

Understanding with the Board

of Imams Victoria to improve

the authorisation of marriage

celebrants, executed a major re-

rewrite of the constitution to

ensure timely compliance with

new state legislation and hired a

Campaigns and Media Officer.

In the year ahead, challenges

with population growth will

require more investment in

infrastructure and political

attacks on Islam are likely to

demand increased attention

from ICV. The organisation is in

a strong position to manage

these.

I would l ike to thank our

stakeholders, members, staff

and volunteers for their trust

and confidence in working with

the ICV. I pray that God gives us

the energy and courage to

deliver more for the wellbeing

and benefit of all Victorians in

the year ahead.

Bayram Aktepe

President

MESSAGE FROMTHE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The year 2015-16 was an exciting and

rewarding year. As every year brings

d i ff e r e n t d e m a n d s a n d n e w

opportunities, over the past year the ICV

was able to show great leadership via a

many h igh l ights and p ioneer ing

achievements; community events and

e n g a g e m e n t s , p a r t n e r s h i p s a n d

collaborations and new programs and

better services delivery.

In an environment where the political

landscape has been challenging to say

the least, the ICV has remained steadfast

and strong in the face of the many social

challenges that presented themselves

consistently and gradually over a period

of time. However from adversity come

opportunities, as long as we are able to

foresee and seize those opportunities.

There is an enormous reservoir of

goodwill towards the communities we

work with. And we will continue to pursue

new strategies and new forms of

partnership, and effective ways to engage

and communicate with our supporters.

As a community based organisation

established to give voice to our member's

needs and concerns we must always look

to continually improve our resources and

services so we can remain relevant and be

effective.

We have been able to expand our services

strongly, increase the number of projects

under management, embark on a

program of continuous improvement in

governance and in administration, review

our policies and make changes to our

Constitution.

We have a very diverse, well qualified and

dedicated staff who work together as a

team to deliver on our priorities and

create sound relationships with those

individuals and organisations we work so

closely with. We have grown in staff

numbers as we gained more and more

project funding.

We are particularly proud of our Small

Grants Program, aka 'Project Mosaic',

where we have supported numerous

member organisations, reaching out to

grass roots thereby helping many initiate

projects and events important to our

people, in particular to our youth.

Our people are fundamental to the

strength of the organisation and the

resilience of our community. The team at

ICV and our many par tners and

supporters do all we can to change and

adapt to new c ircumstances. We

recognise that we must continue to

s t r e n g t h e n a n d b r o a d e n o u r

partnerships and strategic alliances, our

understandings of our members

concerns and needs, and our capacity to

influence key decision makers. We are

immensely proud of our collaborative

approach to engaging with stakeholders

and partners across and beyond the

community sector.

Together with a committed and talented

team of board, staff and volunteers we

were able to build on this strong platform

and establish a new phase of growth,

value and benefit for our community.

I would l ike to acknowledge the

stewardship provided by our president

Bayram Aktepe and his Executive

Committee throughout this challenging

year. The Board members individual and

col lective efforts demonstrate an

undeniable passion and enthusiasm for

l e a d i n g a n d s t r e n g t h e n i n g o u r

communities.

We thank the Victorian Government

through OMAC (Office of Multicultural

Affairs and Citizenship) for their continual

commitment to the ICV and their

leadership with social cohesion in our

state.

A very special thank you for a number of

'friends' who have acted as personal

mentors over the year. Their expertise,

moral support, counsel and ongoing

encouragement has been invaluable.

I wish to congratulate my colleagues and

staff for their hard work, drive and

commitments. It has been an absolute

pleasure and privilege to work by their

side. In particular, my sincere gratitude to

Br Ayman Islam, ICV Services Manager,

for his loyalty and prudent management

of our services and operations.

I would also like to pay tribute to all the

dedicated volunteers. They play a vital

role in our organisation. I feel proud to be

part of this very dedicated and spirited

team. We are passionate about our work

and determined about making a real

difference in real people's lives.

It has also been an honour to serve in the

capacity of Executive Director. It has been

a real privilege to work with and alongside

so many pass ionate people and

organisations.

In reflecting up on the achievements over

recent years, the ICV has come a long way

since it was established. It has gone

through many strategic and significant

changes over the past several years in

response to the growing and changing

demographics of our community and the

evolving needs and expectation of our

members, partners and external social

environment. I am confident the ICV is

well positioned to meet the challenges

and opportunities in the years ahead.

Nail Aykan

Executive Director

Major Highlights

1. PM Malcolm Turnbull Visit

2. VMC Award for Excellence

3. Folio Leadership Program by

Leadership Victoria

4. Muslim Youth Leaders Policy

Roundtable in Canberra

5. Ilyasha Shabazz Event

6. SBS Documentary of City Mosque

New Achievements

1. Youth Engagement Project

2. Campaign and Media Coordinator

3. DSS Grant – Muslim Youth

Leadership Training

4. Volunteers Co-ordinator

5. VU Imams Training

6. Syrian Refugee Support Group

2016 was a significant year for the Islamic Council of Victoria as

growth and demand in our programs increased across the board.

We welcomed new staff, farewelled a few as well, and restructured

existing programs to improve the long term outcomes of the

community we serve.

Some of the highlights of the year include:

Collectively we delivered more advocacy and outreach through our

financial inclusion programs:

Qard Hasan No Interest Loans Scheme

Established a partnership with sisters of Mercy & AMES to pilot an

Australian first NILS program targeting Asylum Seekers

The Zakat Program

Distributed over $85,000 over the previous financial year to over

80 different families

ICV Food Bank Program

Distributed over 300 food parcels to asylum seekers and families

of low income and distributed Qurban meat to 30 different

household.

Partnered with Community Care Network to provide 160 hot meals

to help feed the homeless on Flinders Street over the month of

Ramadan

Provided support and spiritual care to our most vulnerable, elderly

and infirmed through our chaplaincy programs:

ICV Hospital Chaplaincy

Held the first training session for volunteers in the South-East

expanding the pool of volunteers to 40+ servicing more than 14

hospitals around the state.

Part of the professional development committee at Spiritual

Health Victoria focused on informing and up skilling health

workers

Prison Chaplaincy

The chaplains attended the 2nd annual prison chaplaincy

conference and a code of conduct was developed in partnership

with other faith bodies

Mental Health

Secured the services of a provisional psychologist who will help to

develop a cross-cultural training workshop for the correctional

facilities and will also assist with debriefing of staff working in

chaplaincy.

Created positive social change and mentored d isadvantaged young

people through our Youth Engagement initiatives:

Muslim Connect Post Release Transition Program

Employed 2 specialised case-workers to manage the critical role of

transition with a view to creating a long term community

mentoring program

Youth Engagement

Youth-led Policy

The ICV led a youth consultation with 25 young people discussing

key themes: belonging, employment, services, and law and justice.

Quarterly Roundtables engaging with important local service

providers, councils and various government departments

Advisory and speaking engagement roles at various conferences,

consultations, forums and programs.

Youth Juvenile Justice Services

Established a relationship with Parkville Youth Justice for regular

chaplaincy on a weekly basis including engagement for special

needs cases.

The services arm plays a critical role in engaging the community

and providing access to some of life's basic necessities whether it is

fair access to credit, food, housing or pastoral support. They are all

designed to empower the community and help build capacity.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the staff and

volunteers that have put in tireless efforts to make the ICV what it is

today. For the chaplains who sacrificed late nights and their

weekends, Youth Engagement Officers that will travel vast

distances to meet the needs of others, the case-workers that take

on the weight of the world and go that extra mile or executive

assistants that work diligently behind the scene but play an

integral role in shaping our many events and workshops that keep

the organisation running. Thank You for all that you do and the

sacrifices you make to improve the lives of others.

A special thank you to the Executive Director who has been a

constant source of support and leadership. His unrelenting

commitment towards community service acts as a beacon for us

all. Thanks also to the Executive committee for all of their efforts

and support over the year.

May Allah (swt) accept all your services to our community and

reward you accordingly.

As we look towards 2017 the management team will strive to

continue to create an environment that is appropriate,

professional & based on the principals of continuous quality

improvement. We will support the ongoing development of staff

and to seek new opportunities so that the ICV continues its path of

growth & development.

Ayman Islam

Services Manager

MESSAGE FROM SERVICES MANAGER

“A Muslim

who plants a tree

or sows a field,

from which man,

birds and animals can eat,

is committing

an act of charity.”

(Muslim)

The Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon

Malcolm Turnbull MP visited the ICV and met

with Youth Leaders on Monday 7th March 2016.

Accompanying the PM, was Social Services

Minister the Hon Christian Porter plus many

senior Government advisors and heads of

departments.

18 diversely young Muslim representatives

gathered in a round-table to listen to the PM, ask

questions and contribute ideas in the 40 minute

conversation.

The PM Malcolm Turnbull also met with ICV

Executive Committee members where ICV

President Bayram Aktepe presented the ICV

Strategic Blueprint for 2016.

It is envisaged this will be the first of many

Muslim community engagement opportunities

and we all look forward to working with the PM

and his team to further our social cohesion and

encourage greater Muslim civic participation

and in particular youth engagement.

KEY EVENTS

PM Malcolm Turnbull visit to the ICV

PM Hosts First Ever Iftar at Kirribilli House

Representatives of the Islamic Council of Victoria

attended the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's Iftar,

at Kirribilli House on Thursday 16th June 2016.

Over 70 Muslim leaders representing a very wide

spectrum, from all over the country were invited to

join in this very memorable event.

ICV President Bayram Aktepe noted “It was a

noteworthy first for the Australian Muslim

community, and what a first for our nation at large.

We also believe it is sends an important message to

the World, that the leaders of Australia are driving an

agenda of multicultural harmony by respecting and

sharing in the rich tapestry of our community”.

The Prime Minister in his speech emphatically

highlighted that “we are the most successful and

harmonious multicultural society in the world. Our

multicultural success is at the heart of our national

identity. It is intrinsic to our history and our character”

The PM commended the ICV saying "In March this

year, I visited and participated in a roundtable meeting

with Muslim youth leaders at the Islamic Council of

Victoria. I was thrilled to meet such a talented and

accomplished group of young Australians, I was inspired

to hear about the extraordinary work that they're doing

in serving the broader community. At the ICV we

committed together, to work together in partnership, to

ensure we are a stronger and more united Australian

family.”

ICV President Sr Zeynep Sertel says “we hope it is a

first of many celebrations to come and we look

forward to building upon this foundation of

commitment to support the success of unity and

peace”

We thank the Prime Minister for his hospitality, words

of encouragement and showing faith in the

Australian Muslim community leadership. And to

conclude with the PM's closing words “our nation is

built on a foundation of mutual respect, love and

respect, for our fellow Australians and a love and respect

for humanity”.

Vic Premier Visits Dandenong Mosque

The Victorian Premier the Hon. Daniel Andrews

visited the Emir Sultan Mosque (aka Dandenong

Mosque) at Friday Prayers on Friday 24th June 2016,

as he had committed to visiting a Mosque during the

holy month of Ramadan, coming immediately after

the Premiers Iftar on 15th June.

The ICV President Bayram Aktepe co-hosted the

Premier with Imam Salih Dogan.

Imam Salih thanked the Premier for visiting their

Mosque and witness first-hand Muslims celebrating

the holy day of the week ie) Friday in weekly

congregational prayers and in particular at such a

sacred time in the month of Ramadan “we were

honoured and humbled to host our state leader and

our congregation extends our heartfelt regards to all

members of parliament”.

Br Bayram praised the Premier for his leadership and

encouraged “all MP's, State & Federal, to follow the

Premiers lead and take the opportunity and visit a local

mosque so to meet every day Muslims”.

The Premier re-iterated his commitment to an

inclusive society, a more united Victorian community

saying “such visits can only strengthen the ties and

understandings amongst our diverse communities and

Victoria is indeed the most successful and harmonious

multicultural state in Australia”.

KEY EVENTS

Victorian Governor Meets ICV

Her Excellency the Hon Linda Dessau AM, Governor

of Victoria met with ICV President Bayram Aktepe,

Vice President Mohamad Mohideen and Executive

Director Nail Aykan, on Tuesday 19th January 2016 at

Government House.

HE The Governor appointed in July 2015, took the

opportunity to meet with Muslim community leaders

to discuss many issues of importance such as

i n c l u s i v e n e s s , s o c i a l c o h e s i o n a n d c i v i c

opportunities, in particular for youth and women.

The Governor was very receptive and hoped this first

occasion will lead to further active engagement,

foster meaningful relationships and strengthen ties

and understandings.

The ICV representatives found the meeting very

fruitful and welcomed the opportunity to work more

closely with the Governor throughout 2016, helping

realise a more inclusive society for all Victorians.

KEY EVENTS

ICV Presidents Summit

The ICV held its inaugural Presidents' Summit on

Sunday 8th May to bring together leaders from its

member societies and Past-Presidents of ICV.

Aside from an opportunity to meet other leaders,

participants engaged in workshops to map out the

year ahead and proposed initiatives based on ICV's

Blueprint 2016. A continued focus on youth, new

media and ongoing education were highlighted as

priority areas.

An Advisory Board of Past Presidents was launched

on the occasion with all agreeing to participate in the

event.

The evening culminated with an address over dinner

from Dr Abulhaliq Kazi, ICV's first President, who

shared his optimism for the future with the audience.

He said the initial fears of the early years were no

longer present and that the Victorian Muslim

community is today strong and diverse.

ICV President Bayram Aktepe thanked attendees and

express his hope to see everybody together again

together for a gala Hijri New Year celebration event in

September.

ICV Executive Director, Nail Aykan, received the

Award for Service Delivery to Multicultural Victoria at

the Victorian Multicultural Commission's (VMC)

annual Awards for Excellence 2015, on Thursday,

December 3 at Government House.

The event was hosted by Victoria's Governor the Hon.

Linda Dessau AM and Victorian Premier Hon. Daniel

Andrews MP.

VMC Chair Helen Kapalos presented the award,

which recognises excellence in a specific service area

by people or organisations who work professionally

with culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse

communities, actively participate in projects

designed to improve services and establish good

relationships.

Nail Aykan, having been at the helm of the ICV for

almost five years, said “Alhamdulillah for the

opportunity to serve our community. The award is a

recognition of all the collective efforts of many

people.”

Nail Aykan has been involved with the ICV for over 20

years, and in the last five years, served as its General

Manager and now Executive Director. He has a played

a very important role in promoting multicultural and

interfaith activities on behalf of the ICV and the wider

Muslim community. He has been a great advocate of

multicultural activities, promoting racial harmony

and developing excellent working relationship on

behalf of the ICV on various fronts, including with

other religions.

ICV Executive Director ReceivesVMC Award for Excellence

The ICV organised the first ever Muslim Youth

delegation to a Policy Roundtable in Canberra with

senior Policy Advisors and Dept heads from the

Prime Minister & Cabinet (PM&C) at Old

Parliament House. Twelve young Muslims

represented on 4 key areas of interests and

concerns, along with ICV President Bayram Aktepe

and ICV Executive Director Nail Aykan and ICV

Advisor Ranj Samrai.

Mr Troy Sloan, First Assistant Secretary, Social

Policy Division, Department of the Prime Minister

and Cabinet hosted and facilitated this important

meeting;

Discussion Topic 1: Culture, discrimination and

belonging

Discrimination and bias in the broader community

Intergenerational challenges

Challenges facing Muslim children and youth in

mainstream schools

Discussion Topic 2: Youth unemployment and

barriers to workforce participation

Transition from education to the workforce

Barriers to employment (including employer bias,

job retention and career progression)

Encouraging entrepreneurialism

Discussion Topic 3: Justice and law

enforcement

Youth engagement with government justice

services

Perceived bias in the judicial system

Improving engagement between law enforcement

and Muslim youth

Rates of incarceration of Muslim youth

Discussion Topic 4: Improving the health and

long term outcomes for Muslim youth

Challenges of substance abuse (drugs and alcohol)

Addressing mental health in Muslim youth

Domestic violence

Our young people appreciated the opportunity to

speak frankly on the issues that were affecting our

communities and how these were impacting on

the long-term outcomes of Muslim youth. They

also appreciated the opportunity to share their

thinking around potential solut ions and

approaches that can overcome some of the

barriers to more positive engagement with the

Government and its agencies and the broader

community.

We were encouraged by the feedback from the

Government representatives around the table and

the potential for deepening engagement and

potentially working together in the future to

strengthen the Islamic communities across

Victoria and more broadly throughout Australia.

It was the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull who

initiated this meeting during his visit to the ICV in

A p r i l w h e n h e m e t w i t h M u s l i m y o u t h

representatives.

We are encouraged at the support being offered to

our young people to not only continue to make a

positive contribution to our country through

greater par t i c ipat ion in educat ion and

employment but through measures to increase

the impact young people have on strengthening

the broader community through greater

awareness and understanding of people of Islamic

faith.

Muslim Youth Leaders Policy Roundtable in Canberra

KEY EVENTS

KEY EVENTS

Ilyasah Shabazz Tour

The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), in partnership with

Variety Victoria, the children's charity, proudly hosted Ilyasah

Al Shabazz, the daughter of the legendary African-American

Muslim leader Malcolm X, in the heart of the CBD at the iconic

Melbourne Town Hall on Friday 9th October 2015

Ilyasah Al Shabazz is a community organiser, social activist,

motivational speaker and author who works tirelessly to

promote higher education, interfaith dialogue and in

connecting young leaders of the world. Fifty years on from

the assassination of Malcolm X, Ilyasah is walking in the

footsteps of her father who was a giant in the civil rights

movement. Malcolm X advocated for positive change in civil

and human rights in the 1950s and '60s and helped fight

racial prejudice, empower youth and spread the peaceful

message of Islam.

Ilaysah spent the week visiting schools and universities,

meeting with youth leaders and attending media interviews.

As part of the ICV's community engagement outlook, the

event was organised with public accessibility in mind, with

many students and community members from diverse

religious and cultural backgrounds in attendance. The ICV

event attracted over 800 people, and with MC Toltu Tufa from

Afaan Productions at the helm, the atmosphere in the grand

hall was exuberant.

The evening began with a stirring presentation by

Indigenous elder, Monica Morgan which was followed with

the official thanks by Nail Aykan, Executive Director of the

ICV. Variety board member and key organiser of the Ilyasah

Shabazz tour, Craig Dent, reflected upon the previous ICV

event at the town hall, the Melbourne Muslim Festival, before

introducing Ilyasah to the delighted audience. Nada Kalam,

event organiser, presented Ilyasah with a heartfelt thanks

and flowers. The evening was officially closed by MC Toltu.

The ICV looks forward to presenting future large scale public

events that share in the positive contribution of Muslims,

both locally and abroad, in the spirit of bringing the

Melbourne community together and celebrating the

richness in our proudly diverse and multicultural landscape.

“When you teach a man, you teach a community;

when you teach a woman, you raise a nation”Malcolm X

Joint Journey to Jerusalem

In May 2016, twelve people from the Jewish, Christian and

Muslim faiths in Melbourne embarked on an incredible

journey of discovery to Jerusalem over 10 days. Consisting of

spiritual leaders and lay people, the group visited each

other's historical sacred places to study and share texts, to

listen to each other's story in a land so sacred to all three

traditions.

The program is an initiative of the Jewish Muslim Christian

Association (JCMA) and supported by the 3 peak councils -

Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), Victorian Council of Churches

(VCC) & the Jewish Community council of Victoria ( JCCV). The

Journey to Jerusalem 2016 consisted of 4 Muslims, 4

Christians, 2 Jews and one administrative officer. The group

were not only representing the three faiths but also

showcasing the true nature of multiculturalism in Australia.

Over the 10 days the group visited the sacred places for all

three faiths. On the 1st day in Jerusalem, various important

historical sites were visited; the Wailing Wall, one of the

holiest sites to the Jewish faith. The 2nd day all members

visited the Muslim quarter of the inner city including the

Mosque precinct which includes the Dome of the Rock

Mosque (Qubbat as-Sakhrah) and Masjid Al Aqsa. On the 3rd

day various places of worship for those of the Christian faith

were visited including the Church of Ascension. It was a

wonderful experience to see the group respect each other's

faith and share in the joy of everyone been moved by his/her

faith.

“The whole experience of learning about each other's faith,

sharing in the similarities and all realising that we worship the

One God. We might take different pathways but at the end we are

reaching out to our Creator. The group itself was beautiful, the

care that we took with each other to support one another when

things overwhelmed or upset us, the frank discussions that we

had during the debriefings that we had each day and then be

able to rise above and be a united group was such a wonderful

interfaith experience. The various people whom we met during

our journey who chatted to us out of curiosity, or the ones who

wanted to take pictures with us due to the uniqueness of our

group not only being interfaith but also so multicultural, those

who extended their hospitality to us by inviting us to their homes

for meals and even a morning cup of tea after Fajr prayers was

such a joyful experience. At the end we learnt much about the

common objectives of our faiths and that all humans can live in

peace and harmony if we just have faith, love and hope” said one

of the Muslim participants.

Imams Training Graduationat Parliament House

The Legal Workshops for Imams program held over 12

weeks in 7 sessions was a resounding success. The

group of 12 imams volunteered to be part of the

program & came from across Melbourne. Most of the

imams taking part in the program were current or past

members of the management committee of the Board

of Imams Victoria (BOIV).

They came from mosques and schools all around

Greater Melbourne, including Werribee, Preston,

Springvale, Geelong and Melbourne City. The

participating imams had very different cultural

backgrounds – born in Lebanon, Egypt, South Africa, Sri

Lanka and Somalia and speaking more than seven

different languages.

The program helped the imams improve their

knowledge in a variety of areas, including:

· The Australian Legal System and

Government

· Governance of Community Organisations

· Consumer Law

· Food Safety Requirements and Ritual

Slaughter

· Housing and Charities Law

· Family Law

· Arbitration and Alternative Dispute

Resolution

The program included a number of outreach visits. A

highlight was a visit to State Parliament, where the

imams were welcomed and applauded in the

Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly. Similarly,

the visit to the Family Court was embraced by the

judges–information was shared in both directions with

court representatives also expressing an eagerness to

do more to increase the Court's knowledge of the

principles of Islamic marriage and divorce.

The Women's training commenced on 20 July with an

induction that included a “walk in her shoes” guide to

submitting an intervention order at the Magistrates

Court before meeting with Judge Chambers, the

President of the Children's Court.

The training then intensified with a 2-day camp in Mt

Eliza, where the twenty participating women were

involved in a number of activities and workshops,

including:

· Media training – with the Hon. Nicola

Roxon.

· The Australian Legal System

· Family Law

· Family Violence and the Law

· Marriage and Divorce

The camp was a great success as the women were able

to expand their knowledge, get to know and trust each

other, and outline plans for how they are going to share

their learning and skills through their communities.

The group returns to us for 3 evening sessions starting

on Tuesday 15 August and concludes with a visit to the

Family Court and a joint meeting between the women

and some of the imams who completed the Legal

Workshops for Imams at the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre.

Muslim Women's Training Program

KEY EVENTS

The ICV in partnership with the Victoria University Sir Zelman Cowen Centre initiated the first certified Legal Training Program

for Imams and Female Muslim Leaders in Principles of Australian Law.

ICV Staff and Volunteer Recognition Dinner

The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) acknowledged up

its immediate and extended family at a dinner on

Tuesday, December 15 to celebrate its success in

2015.

The team-building dinner took a trip down memory

lane - as it reflected on the importance of ICV's

unifying community work.

ICV Executive Director Nail Aykan gave a snapshot of

ICV's projects and initiatives over the past 12-months,

as more than 50 ICV staff and volunteers nodded

proudly at how far the peak body had come in

servicing the community.

"This is a time to reflect on our achievements, a time

to think about where we can focus and grow even

further," he said.

ICV President Bayram Aktepe said the tireless efforts

of staff and volunteers don't get acknowledged

enough.

“We just can't thank each and every one of you

enough. All your work is greatly appreciated.”

ICV staff and volunteers were presented with awards

of achievement and appreciation on the night.

Governance and Compliance Workshop

The ICV hosted a Member Societies Workshop on

Sunday 21st February on improving 'Governance and

Compliance', conducted by ICV VP Br. Mohamed

Mohideen and Prof. Joe Camilleri.

The full-day workshop covered several-sessions;

Constitutional reform as per the Consumer Affairs

Victoria Act of 2012

Registering with the Australian Charities and Not for

Profit Commission (ACNC) to gain Charitable status

Role of the Office Bearers in particular the Secretary

Submission of Annual Report and Financial

Statements to Consumer Affairs of Victoria

How to grow membership

Effective meetings and the role of the chair

Br Mohamed advised that “one of ICV's primary goals

is to ensure we have strong and vibrant member

societies that would continue to support the Muslim

community and that good governance and active

participation were important components of it”.

The workshop was well attended with over 20

representatives from 14 member societies with lots

of positive feedback.

The ICV plans in hosting a series of such events to

help members.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The first ever ICV Media panel discussion was held in

August 2015. Notable award winnings Journalist from a

wider range of Media outlets including the ABC, the

Guardian, the Age, and the Sun Herald were invited for an

open frank discussion.

The event was hosted by ICV board members Junaid

Cheema and Kuranda Seyit and the message was drilled

home to the media, that the current style of reporting and

political narrative encourages extremism and is making life

very difficult for the Muslim community.

Media Panel Discussion

Following the disruptive actions the Freedom Party against

peaceful Gosford Church goers, the ICV vowed to show it's

solidarity with Father Rod Bower and his tireless efforts in

combating racism and championing Human rights.

A multi-faith church service was held and attended by

notables from a number of religions including the Grand

Mufti of Australia as well as ICV President Bayram Aketpe

and Vice President Junaid Cheema.

Father Rod Bower made the point that we must find

solidarity in diversity and it is our 'religious freedoms that

protect our secular democracy and our secular democracy

protects our religious freedoms'.

The Grand Mufti of Australia in the beautiful tradition of

our beloved prophet inspired the congregation with

messages of Authentic Islam. "The highest value is the

value of the human", "God is love and who hasn't loved

does not believe in God', "If you don't love, you can't believe

and you can't love if you don't spread peace between

people", "spreading peace and love are a condition to

paradise".

In times of extreme hatred and division the tiny church or

Gosford under the impeccable moral leadership of Father

Rod Bower has set a giant example for the rest of Australia.

Visit to Gosford Parish

Public Lecture Series - Redefining 'Us' Vs 'Them'

The ICV kicked off its 'Public Lecture Series' with acclaimed

public intellectual and international speaker Andrew MacLeod.

The topic of the segment was Re-defining the concept of 'Us vs

Them' in the war on terror and featured talks from both Junaid

Cheema and Andrew Macleod followed by an intensive

question and a sad session.

It was highlighted that since inception of the war on terror,

deaths from terrorism have increased by over 4,500%, (in the

Middle East alone) and there seems to be no end in sight to the

conflict. It was highlighted that radicals from both sides want

to draw us into a conflict which will result in a Global

catastrophe and those who truly believe in the authentic

values of Islam and the west must work together to achieve

harmony for this world.

Board of Imams MOU

The ICV and Board of Imams signed a Memorandum

of Understanding to improve the process of

authorising marriage celebrants.

The MoU will ensure that only qualified imams of

standing and experience are registered to perform

marriages in accordance with the Marriage Act.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

International Hijri Calendar

Unity Congress

The ICV organised Australia's representation at the

“International Hijri Calendar Unity Congress” in

Istanbul on 28 – 30 May 2016, hosted by the

Diyanet (Ministry of Religious Affairs of Turkey).

Sheikh Abdinur Weli (ICV Head Imam) representing

the Board of Imams Victoria and Sheikh Mohamed

Khamis (Newcastle Mosque Imam) representing

the ANIC attended the 3 day Congress with 140

M u s l i m s c h o l a r s a n d d e l e g a t e s f r o m

approximately 70 countries.

The aim of the Congress was to establish unity

among Muslims on determining the start of the

month of Ramadan as well as determining the

start of the religious festivities like Eid and

contributing to the unity of the Hijri Calendar. Prof

Mehmet Gormez, president of the Diyanet,

launched the Congress and emphasised on the

crucial obligation of unity amongst Muslim leaders

on a matter which divides the Ummah every year.

Diyanet Delegates Visit ICV

Prof Recep Gulluoglu and Assoc. Prof Salih Argun of

the I s tanbul Univers i ty School Theology,

international guests from the Diyanet (Ministry of

Religious Affairs of Turkey) visited the ICV and were

hosted for Dinner on Saturday 30th April 2016.

Kerim Birinci, Religious Affairs Attaché of the Turkish

Consulate, in partnership with the ICV organises the

Study Tours to Turkey which began in 2014 with an

Imams Delegation followed by a Sisters group in

2015. Later this year two groups will be hosted the

Diyanet in Istanbul; Islamic Colleges Principals and

Convert Sisters.

In October 2015 a special delegation from Australia

attended the “1st Asia & Pacific Countries Muslim

Religious Leaders' Summit”; Ghaith Krayem (former

ICV President), Sheikh Abdul Azim (ANIC Vice

President) and Nail Aykan (ICV Executive Director)

represented Victoria.

ICV Food Program

The ICV food program in partnership

with the Halal Food bank has had a

productive year distributing food to

asylum seekers and the needy. In total

the ICV Food Program has managed to

distribute 500 packets of food to over

800 people from over 20 different

countries.

Rising housing costs coupled with a

downturn in the employment means

access to healthy halal food is no longer

a given for some. It is in these times that

community needs to band together

and support those that are doing it

tough and that is the ethos that

continues to drive the food program.

This year the team was also able to

supply fresh Qurban meat to over 20

deserving households for Eid ul-Adha.

During Ramadan the ICV again teamed

up with the Community Care Network

to help assist them with their feeding

the homeless program in 2016.

The community care network has been

providing hot meals to the needy and

homeless on the streets of Melbourne

for the past few years. The ICV is a

strong advocate of the program and

lent a hand by assisting in providing 20

meals a night on weekends over the 4

weeks of Ramadan.

Syrian Refugee Volunteers Information

The ICV's Refugee Assist Services hosted an Information

Session on Sunday 1st May 2016, for Volunteers who had

expressed an interest in supporting the arrival and

settlement of the special intake of 12,000 Syrian Refugees.

ICV Volunteers Co-ordinator Sr Sarah Charmand and ICV

Executive Director Nail Aykan hosted around 40 people

who registered as Volunteers and were prepared to be

trained in readiness for the arrivals.

The ICV has partnered with AMES (Adult Migrant Education

Services) who are contracted by the Federal Government to

settle migrant groups to better prepare and resource our

efforts. Margaret Smith, Volunteers Manager, attended on

the day and presented about AMES 'Tutoring Program' and

how it can greatly assist many new refugees settling with

greater ease.

The tutoring program involves teaching current migrant

families English in there homes to give them the confidence

they need to communicate for a job, buying groceries, and

every day things they may do, and especially in emergency

situations. Reflecting on the session Sr. Sarah Charmand

remarked that "We are all emotional about the refugee

crises, and it's not easy, but let's focus on things that we can

do to help now. This language program that will help the

current refugees settle, and the future ones arriving too."

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Ararat Islamic Centre Fundraiser

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

SMCT Dinner – Bunnurong

Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust hosted the its second

South Eastern Islamic Forum Community Dinner with Muslim

religious and community leaders of the Sth Eastern suburbs of

Melbourne on Tuesday, 12 April 2016 at the newly opened

Bunnurong Memorial Cemetery in Dandenong South.

Around 40 local Muslim community leaders, representatives

and funeral service operators attended and was presented by

senior management of the SMCT on the new facilities at

Bunurong, further considerations and better understandings

to best accommodate Muslim burial needs and the

introduction of the two new Muslim areas named “Garden of

Mercy (Rahman)” and “Garden of Peace (Salam)” consisting of

899 new grave sites.

Michele Blyth, General Manager of Engagement and Partner

Development, once again hosted the dinner with

presentations from her team; William Babingtom, Terry King

and Marnie Smith. The evening was MC'ed by Helen Heath of

the Interfaith Network of Dandenong along with ICV Vice

President Mohamed Mohideen and ICV Imam Sheikh Magidih.

South Eastern Islamic Forum 'Consultation Dinner'

The ICV in partnership with the SMCT – Southern Metropolitan

Cemeteries Trust hosted the first South Eastern Islamic Forum

'Consultation Dinner' with Muslim religious and community

leaders of the Sth Eastern suburbs of Melbourne on Tuesday,

23rd February 2016 at the Springvale Botanical Cemetery.

30 leading community members attended and became aware

of SMCT's vision and future planning and contributed to

valuable discussions regarding Muslim burial needs and

practices.

Michele Blyth, General Manager Engagement and

Partnerships hosted the dinner and shared SMCT plans and

opportunities for the Muslim communities. Michelle says “I am

really looking forward to going on the journey with the Islamic

Council of Victoria and all of the Muslim communities”.

ICV Vice President Mohamed Mohideen, ICV Imam Sheikh

Magidih Essa and Dandenong Interfaith Network's Helen

Heath all presented and felt the evening to be very insightful

with a very wide representation of the diverse Muslim

communities and groups.

The ICV proudly supported and sponsored the Ararat Mosque

Fundraising Dinner on Saturday 16th April 2016

The evening was attended by over 300 people from various

communities including the local Ararat Christian communities

who raised and donated $7000.

Prof Akhtar Kalam was the entertaining Fundraiser who raised

over $120,000 via donations and auction of goods.

Br Junaid Cheema, ICV VP, MC'ed the evening which hosted

speeches from AIWA oresident Altaf Hussein, Sheikh Abdul

Azim, ICV president Bayram Aktepe, Inga Peulich MLC –

Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Louise Staley, State

MP for Ripon, Fr. Andrew Hayes from Ararat Catholic Church,

Cr. Fay Hull of Ararat Rural City Council.

The total estimated cost for the completion of the project is

around $360,000. We pray the local community of Ararat can

realise the opening of their Mosque very soon. May Allah (swt)

reward all those who have contributed and supported this

most important project.

Mosque Visits

The ICV regularly hosts students and groups for tours of the

city mosque. This can range from the observation of

Jumu'ah (Friday) prayer to hour long introductory session

on the basics of Islam. It is an informal and engaging way of

learning about Islam from an Australian context. The

picture for this story is attached and labelled as Mosque

tours

Iftar@ICV City Mosque 2016

The ICV hosted its annual Iftar@ICV City Mosque – 66 Jeffcott St

West Melbourne, where it offered a complimentary iftar meal

open to the public, Approx 250 Muslims (brothers & sisters)

attended the City Mosque to the breaking of fast every night

for 30 consecutive nights during the month of Ramadan. It was

open to all with no reservations required.

Eid Prayers at Flagstaff Gardens

The Islamic Council of Victoria hosted its annual Eid Al-Adha

prayers in the centre of the Melbourne CBD on Thursday,

September 24. More than 1500 brothers and sisters attended

the congregational prayer service at Flagstaff Gardens. Sheikh

Magidi Essa led the prayer service.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Our Say – Interview with

Phillip Ruddock

OurSay is a social enterprise established in 2010 dedicated to

encouraging increased participation in public debate. They

run online (and face-to-face) forums in which community

members can ask and vote on questions they want to put to a

panel of respondents (e.g. community leaders, political

candidates, etc).

From the 15th of October till the 13th of November, 2015 the

ICV hosted an online forum with The Hon Phillip Ruddock, the

PM's Special Envoy for Citizenship and Community

Engagement in which young Muslims were asked to put their

most pressing questions to the Government in light of recent

changes to anti-terror laws and the Reclaim Australia rallies.

This project is ongoing and we are looking forward to using the

platform to engage a wide variety of people in 2016.

Blood Donations

The ICV has partnered with CCN to donate blood on a regular

basis. We started off with staff and management which then

moved onto our member societies. We have to date now had

over 50 people donate blood in the last 6 months.

The blood drive was a great way for communities, and other

charity organisation to network for on a quarterly basis to roll

up there sleeves and give blood. Only 1 in 30 donate, while 1 in

3 need it. This is an ongoing initiative we plan to keep

encouraging, and growing the number of blood donations

each quarter. We also appreciate the consistency of giving this

program involves.

Somali Orphanage Project

The ICV proudly partnered with the ALF - Australian Light

Foundation in sponsoring a 40ft container for the orphans

of FIIQ, an initiative of the ESDCA- Ethiopian Somali

Diaspora Community of Australia. The container was

shipped over on Tuesday 8th March 2016 and successfully

reach its destination.

The ICV co-partnered and presented at the the Victorian

Drug & Alcohol Association (VAADA) forum 'Crossing the

Cultural Divide', on Monday, November 30 2015.

A crowd of over the 140 people including CALD liaison

workers and community leaders from 5 CALD groups,

including the Arabic speaking Muslim, Vietnamese,

African,Pacific Islander & Maori and Afghan Hazara

communities. Br Ramzi Elsayed, Sheikh Moustapha

Sarakibi and Ben Gresham, ICV project officers, were

panellists in the discussions.

Since early 2015 the ICV has been working with the

Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) on a two-

year initiative which aims to improve outcomes for

individuals and families from culturally and linguistically

diverse (CALD) communities who are affected by harmful

alcohol and other drug (AOD) use.

It recognises that individuals and family members from

CALD backgrounds often find it difficult to access culturally

appropriate AOD information, support and treatment. In

the second half of the project (from January 2015 onwards)

VAADA has been operating in five locations across the state,

targeting specific CALD communities in each site (including

African, Afghan Hazara, Arabic speaking Muslim, Pacific

Islander & Maori and Vietnamese communities) to assess

the sorts of challenges these communities have been

experiencing in relation to AOD use.

Forum overview: Following on from a series of activities

undertaken across Victoria it is our intention that this

forum will build on what has already been achieved, and

further strengthen the ties between CALD communities,

AOD and allied health service providers, the Department of

Health and Human Services and government.

This forum brings together stakeholders from across the

five catchments as well as other interested parties, with a

view to:

Reviewing the project's findings and raising awareness of

CALD AOD issues.

Showcasing examples of best practice currently in place

Formally launching consumer and worker resources

Promoting networking and information sharing within and

across CALD and AOD sectors

VAADA Forum: Crossing the Cultural Divide

ICV Charity – Friday Collections

The Geelong Mosque was sadly burnt down in July 2016.

The ICV raised monies for its rebuilding. The ICV also

assisted and visited the Geelong Islamic Society in its time

of hardship.

Geelong Mosque

The ICV supports numerous causes of the year with funds

raised via our City Mosque Friday Collections; ranging from

international humanitarian aid to local mosque projects.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

INTERFAITH

ICV Annual Interfaith Iftar 2016

The ICV held its second annual Interfaith Iftar at

Melbourne Docklands on Saturday 11th June with

a 150 person guest attendance representing

diverse groups and community sectors.

Br Mohammed Mohideen, ICV VP, was the MC of

the program with presentations from ICV

pres ident Bayram Aktepe , Min is ter for

Multicultural Affairs the Hon. Robin Scott, the

Shadow Minister Inga Peulich and Urfa Masood,

Victoria's first female Muslim magistrate.

A highlight of the evening was presentation from

members of the recent Interfaith activity 'Joint

Journey to Jerusalem' trip which had 12 members

of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths all

undertake a unique travel to Jerusalem who briefly

shared their experiences with inspirational

reflections.

Interfaith engagement is an important and core

feature of the ICV and such occasions provide the

perfect opportunity to break bread with fellow

colleagues of the Interfaith communities and

members of our diverse community. And go a long

way to strengthen the ties and understandings

with Victoria's Muslim communities.

AMF - Australian Multicultural Foundation

ANIC - Australian National Imams Council

BOIV - Victorian Board of Imams

Diyanet - Turkish Ministry of Religious Affairs

Emergency Ministry (VCC)

Faith Leaders Group

Prison Chaplaincy

ECCV - Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria

FCCV – Faith Communities Council of Victoria

JCCV – Jewish Communities Council of Victoria

JCMA - Jews Christians Muslims Association

MAG – Multifaith Advisory Group

Melbourne Uni - Chaplaincy

OMAC - Office of Multiculturalism & Citizenship

SHV - Spiritual Health Victoria

Uniting Church

VCC – Victorian Council of Churches

Victoria Police Multifaith Council

VMC - Victorian Multicultural Commission

Victoria University – Sir Zelman Cowen Centre

Strategic Interfaith Partners

National Mosque Open Day Story

Curious every-day Australians and slithering reptiles

attended the Islamic Council of Victoria's Jeffcott St

premises on Saturday, October 31 as part of National

Mosque Open Day. ICV opened its doors to both people and

reptiles - playing host to more than 80 guests on the day.

Attendees were given a tour of the mosque and presented

with information about Islam. ICV's National Mosque Open

Day coordinator and ICV executive assistant Liyana

Schroeder said there were people who attended "not

knowing what to expect.”

"It was a great eye-opening initiative for all those who came.

The reptiles were a hit - snakes, lizards and frogs. Guests

were wondering what they were doing there. We just

wanted to show everybody that Islam taught its followers to

treat everybody and animals with kindness and utmost care

and mercy.”

ICV President Bayram Aktepe said it was important for

mosques to open their doors to the general public and let

them observe what goes on inside. ICV's Sheikh Majidih

Essa addressed the crowed and explained the importance

of being hospitable in Islam. ICV's Rahil Khan said people

from all walks of life attended the mosque. ICV Executive

Director Nail Aykan stood proudly at the entry of the

mosque greeting guests.

"This event showed us that the general public is interested

in the local Muslims, their beliefs and practices and do want

to learn more about the real Islam and meet every day

Muslims.”

One attendee said they loved the aura of the mosque and

found it to be "serene and tranquil.”

National Mosque Open Day is an initiative by the Lebanese

Muslim Association (LMA) and proudly supported by the

Department of Social Services that endeavours to facilitate

a greater understanding of Islam and Muslims in Australia

by opening up the mosque, the centre of the Muslim

community, to the wider Australian public.

The event saw a number of mosques around the country

opening their doors to the wider Australian public, in an

attempt to go some of the way to improving social cohesion

and breaking down various misconceptions and

misunderstandings.

Eid Breakfast with Father Rod Bower

The Islamic Council of Victoria hosted its first Eid

Breakfast in Melbourne on Monday 19th September

2016.

Fr Bower of the Anglican Parish of Gosford surveyed

Muslim-Christian relations in Australia and spoke out

against the treatment of children in detention. “How

many more reports must we have before we come to

terms with the truth that we are actively and

intentionally harming children for own political comfort,”

he said. “The question needs to be asked of senior

government ministers how long they've known about

abuse against children and why haven't they acted?

Clearly they have known for a very long time and done

nothing.”

Fr Bower also highlighted that many of these children

currently arriving in detention, and subsequently being

subject to abuse, are Muslim. He harshly chided Pauline

Hanson claiming that she “represents a form of

radicalised Christianity that is willing to sacrifice Muslim

children on the altar of her own political ambitions.”

Sparing none, Fr Bower also pressed journalists to act

more ethically by noting the purposeful way in which the

media energise divisive narratives at the expense of

positive ones. He described how the media fare of the

far-right nationalist group storming his Church in

Gosford on the NSW Central Coast last month eclipsed

the much more meaningful and positive narrative of the

Grand Mufti of Australia's - Ibrahim Abu Mohamed - visit

and sermon at his parish the following week. Fr Bower

then called on all politicians and journalists to embody

the moral leadership that should be invested in their

position.

During Fr Bower's stay in Melbourne he also visited the

Islamic Museum of Australia and the Catholic

Archdiocese of Melbourne with representatives from the

Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia ( JCMA).

INTERFAITH

INTERFAITH

‘ll Dine With You’ - Interfaith Dinner

The ICV joined 17 organisation to support an inaugral

#IllDineWithYou event. The event took place to celebrate the

2016 UN World Interfaith Harmony Week on Monday 29

February 2016. It was held in Melbourne's city centre and

provided Melbournians with an intercultural open air dinner

with beautiful music and great conversations! The setup was of

an 80 metre table, with 350 people, over 80 ethnicities, more

language backgrounds, vegetarian Indian and Vietnamese

cuisine - and a picture perfect Melbourne summer evening.

The event was interfaith and intercultural open-air dining

experience and actively supported Melbourne's vibrant,

diverse communities. Guests from all walks of life enjoyed an

inspirational evening along a spectacular eighty metre dining

table in the heart of Melbourne. People were able to connect

through great conversation alongside an excellent three

course vegetarian meal.

People of different faiths and backgrounds gathered together

last Sunday in a show of friendship and solidarity towards each

other for the Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia

( JCMA) Friendship walk. For the ICV, one of the peak bodies that

sits within the JCMA, this was an important show of unity across

faiths particularly in light of the anti-mosque protests in

Bendigo the day before.

Beginning at the church of Easter Hill where Bishop Huggins

(JCMA President) spoke warmly about the inspiration for the

walk; namely spring, which is often seen as a season of

renewal, and it was in this spirit that the walk was organised.

This was followed by a short speech by the Hon. Minister for

Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott who touched on the

importance of a multicultural society and finished with Father

Hugh Kempster who delivered a small prayer for peace in the

Anglican tradition.

Inspired by the prayer, the group then moved across the road

to the Synagogue in which they were welcomes by the strings

of the violin. Rabbi Ralph Genende was the main speaker,

"Many people say the greatest problem of the world today is

religion. As people of diverse faiths, we say, the solution is

religion. May the capacity of like-minded people of all religions,

who believe in the ways of tolerance imbue all our endeavours

as we demonstrate this message of tolerance to wider society."

JCMA Friendship Walk

The ICV hosted a group of Defence Force students for a tour of

2 mosques. The students taking language classes in Arabic and

Urdu were interested in learning about the different aspects of

Islam and it's influence on language and culture.

The tour started off at the Virgin Mary Mosque in Werribee a

Sunni Mosque, where Sheikh Rachid Chaar, one of the imams

of the mosque welcomed them with a salutation of peace. The

Sheikh guided the students around the Mosque touching on

the basics of the Islam including the 5 pillars, prophets and the

importance of the Mosque to the community. The Sheikh

finished with a beautiful recitation from the Qu'ran to end the

first leg of the tour.

The group then continued on to Preston to Masjid Ahlilbait a

Shia Mosque where they were able to observe the midday

(duhr) prayer and then were welcomed by the Imam and local

community leaders on a discussion around Shi'ism. The imam

spoke about the various differences between the 2 branches of

Islam touching on the lineage of Imam Ali & his successors &

the differences in prayer.

Interfaith Mosque Visits

The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) & the Jewish Communities

Council of Victoria ( JCCV) held the first Jewish - Muslim

Communities Iftar on Sunday 19th June 2016.

80 people representing of our diverse and multicultural

communities came together to break bread.

ICV Executive Director Nail Aykan and JCCV Executive Director

David Marlow co-hosted the dinner. ICV President Bayram

Aktepe and JCCV President Jennifer Huppert spoke of how such

“pioneering events goes a long way to strengthening the ties

and understandings amongst many to ensure we are a

stronger and more united Victorian community”.

The Victorian Legal Year 2016 began on 1st February at a

special ceremony with the Interfaith blessings at the

Government House. Religious leaders from all walks of faith

and members of the legal fraternity came together this

morning for the second multi-faith opening of the Victorian

legal year. Initiated by the former Governor of Victoria the

occasion brought diverse faith communities together to

celebrate the Victorian legal year.

Mohammed Mohideen and Samar Mougharbel represented

the Islamic Council of Victoria in a procession before Mohamed

joined other faith leaders on stage to share readings and

prayers from their own faith traditions. Reciting a verse from

the Holy Qu'ran "Our Lord! grant us the power and ability that

we may be grateful for your favours which you have bestowed

on us...O Allah, You are Peace and from you is peace. Blessed

are you, O Majestic and generous".

The opening of the legal year has been held by all leading

religious faiths in Victoria since 1946, and dates back to the

14th century in England, when judges would have a religious

celebration at the start of each year prior their administering

justice to the community.

INTERFAITH

The JCMA hosted its winter conference over 2 days which

began on the 31st of July.

The conference was set in the Don Bosco Retreat Centre in

p ic turesque Lysterfield and brought together 29

representatives from the Abrahamic faith ( Judaism,

Christianity & Islam) to break bread and share complex

conversations around faith. The theme of the conference was

"Let's Talk: The Important of Interfaith Dialogue" a particularly

apt theme when considering some of the events occurring

around the world.

Participants were challenged both intellectually and

emotionally with dedicated sessions around the scripture

study from the different faiths, rewards and challenge of

interfaith dialogue and life experiences and personal faith

journeys. Each session was book-ended by an observation of

each faith groups prayer.

One of the biggest highlights was the conversations had

around the dinner table. The informal gathering allowed a

deeper introspection and examination of one's own faith and

an interesting exchange of ideas.

Vice President of the ICV and Interfaith head Br.Mohamed

Mohideen led one of the input sessions on the important of

interfaith dialogue regaling the crowd with stories from his

recent Journey to Jerusalem with a similar but smaller group

and speaking about the importance of diversity.

JCMA Winter Conference

Victorian Legal Year 2016

Jewish - Muslim Community Iftar

INTERFAITH

The Palm Sunday March in Melbourne held on Sunday the 19th

of March 2016 calling for Justice and a Fair go for the refugees

and Asylum seekers was attended by nearly 15.000 people

from many communities, faiths and organisations. The march

started at the State Library to Alexandra gardens.

Many speakers requested for a change in polices with regard to

off-shore detention centres and a more humane treatment of

refugees and Asylum seekers. Speakers included members of

different faiths, former refugees, politicians. Daniel Webb from

the Human Rights Law Centre stated that the doctors refusing

to discharge baby Asha from the Lady Cilento Hospitals,

Brisbane is just one example of the change of in public opinion

about offshore detention policy. He also stated that every

single state premier, support calls for Malcolm Turnbull to

show some compassion.

The Muslim communities were well represented at this years

march the ICV Executive Vice President Mohamed Mohideen as

a speaker called for:

. the Federal Government to change its current policies and

seek to close down off-shore detention facilities.

. all children and their families together should be removed

from all detention centres and allowed into society

. Australia to take a lead on a humane and practical approach to

supporting those who are vulnerable and in need irrespective

of race or religion.

Palm Sunday Refugee March

People's Climate March

On a balmy Friday afternoon interfaith leaders gathered for a

very special vigil/funeral. Farewell to coal and the promise of a

brighter renewable future.

Organised by the Uniting Church to coincide with the major

climate talks in Paris. Multi-faith leaders gathered in front of a

large banner that read "Care for the Sacred Earth" the ICV was

well represented by Sheikh Muammar, an ICV prison chaplain

and champion of interfaith. He joined Revered Alexander

Sangster & Rabbi Jonathon Keren-Black on a makeshift stage to

perform a mock eulogy to coal.

Before the group marched forth to join the people's march for

climate a 50,000 strong crowd all collectively demanding action

before it is too late.

Sheikh Muammar was delighted with the turn-out and spoke

about Islam and the responsibility to nurture our environment.

"It was a great gathering and very important for us to lend our

voice to the global consciousness that seeks to protect the

Earth"

The Islamic Council of Victoria in conjunction with the

Gippsland Australian Muslim Community (GAMCI) hosted a

luncheon together in Churchill, East Gippsland. An event aimed

at bringing different communities together.

Supported by the Victorian Multicultural Commission the

luncheon was an opportunity to meet with many members of

t h e G i p p s l a n d c o m m u n i t y a n d c e l e b r a t e t h e i r

accomplishments. Close to 100 people attended from all parts

of Gippsland including local councillors, interfaith groups and

MP’s who all enjoyed a delicious lunch in picturesque

surroundings.

The event showcased many of the achievements & services

provided by GAMCI & its sister organisation the United Muslim

Sisters of the Latrobe Valley (UMSLV) a very active sisters group

in the region. Activities included Jumuah & Eid prayers,

Ramadan programs, youth activities & interfaith activities to

name a few.

The program was filled with many inspirational speakers

including Sr. Sherene Hassan, IMA Director who spoke about

her own faith journey and helpful advice for aspiring leaders

along the way.

GAMCI Luncheon

HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY

We Care

witha Prayer

HospitalChaplains

The ICV’s Hospital Chaplaincy Team proudly raised

$20,000 for the 2016 annual Royal Children Hospital’s

Good Friday Appeal, on Friday 25th March under the

#TeamHammoud campaign.

The ICV last year also raised $20,000 via its member

societies and this year chose to raise the funds under

the name of a 7 year old boy who is suffering from

Down Syndrome and advanced stage leukaemia. We

make Dua for little brother and may Allah (swt) grant

shifa all the other children his mercy.

Sr Lina Ayoubi, Hospital Chaplaincy Co-ordinator

championed the cause of little Br Hammoud and raised

funds via online.

Sr Lina says “we are most humbled by the opportunity

to contribute, to serve all and in particular raise to the

awareness the plight of children suffering from Down

Syndrome – our heart goes out to all our children”

The ICV Hospital Chaplaincy team presented a large

presentation cheque to the CEO of the Children’s

Hospital.

Dr Aladin Zayegh, chair of the Hospital Chaplaincy

services said "this was a great community effort. A

tribute of the Muslim communities contributing

towards important causes that serves the whole of

society”.

Br Saban Han, veteran chaplain volunteer said “may

Allah (swt) reward all efforts and bless everyone for

attending to the needs of our sick and in particular our

children. A very humbling day for us all”.

According the ABS Census data 29% of the Muslim

population is under the age of 14 hence equating to

around 60,000 Muslim kids in Victoria, who at some

time and some capacity would have visited the

Children’s Hospital.

Royal Children Hospital’s Good Friday Appeal

The full two-day training on 13-14 of August 2016, was

packed with not only information and advice but also

reflective segments to rediscover the self and one's

ability to listen attentively not through curiosity prism

but rather with body and soul in a quest for attaining,

Empathy rather than sympathy.

Sr Nizra Haniffa from Hallam (leader of the HODA sisters

group) along with Pastoral Care Coordinator Ray Higgs

of Dandenong Hospital initiated the program with the

goal of recruiting as many volunteers as possible to

serve our ever growing Muslim community in the South

Eastern hospitals.

Training in South East

PRISON CHAPLAINCY

The Second Annual Victorian Prison Chaplaincy

Conference took place on June the 1st in Darebin.

Pr ison chapla ins from al l fa i th groups and

denominations working across the 14 Victorian prisons

attended the one-day event funded by Corrections

Victoria and organised by the Chaplains' Advisory

Committee, representing eight faith traditions.

This included the 9 Muslim Chaplains that are active

across the state. Broadly speaking Muslims make up

about 2.8% of the population while there is around 9%

of the population in Prison. That is over 3 times the

general population and a growing concern for the

community. The chaplains perform an vital function by

providing much needed spiritual support on a regular

basis to those that are incarcerated and their families.

The conference featured representatives from the

Victorian government & Corrections Victoria who

touched on the value that chaplains bring to prison

system through their spiritual duties. It also featured a

session of reflection from chaplains highlighting

personal stories that have touched them along the way.

ICV Senior Prison Chaplain reflecting on the conference

remarked that "It was a good opportunity to share

mutual experiences and network with one another".

According the ABS Census data 29% of the Muslim

population is under the age of 14 hence equating to

around 60,000 Muslim kids in Victoria, who at some

time and some capacity would have visited the

Children’s Hospital.

2nd AnnualPrison Chaplaincy Conference

PRISONCHAPLAINCYSERVICES

HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY

The hospital chaplaincy team gathered at the new

Board of Imam's office in Coburg for a special

celebration honouring some the unsung heroes of the

community: The Volunteers!

The ICV Hospital Chaplaincy program stretches across

the state and has more than 30 dedicated volunteers

visiting the sick and the elderly on a regular basis.

Under the guidance of the Hospital Chaplaincy

Coordinator Lina Ayoubi. The team has achieved some

significant milestones including the provision of

religious spaces in most major hospital & fund raising

for the Royal Childrens Hospital Appeals.

Sr. Lina Ayoubi opened proceedings by reflecting on

some of inspiring personal stories before ending with

with a beautiful rendition of the Adhan in the

Grampians.

The afternoon program featured guest speakers: Prof

Aladin Zayegh who spoke about the importance and

meaning of Ramadan which was followed by Hammad

Guler who looked at Art as a way of reflection and

healing for patients.

The day was a chance to recognise and reflect on the

achievements of the volunteers with each being

awarded with a certificate of recognition and a small

gift as a small token of appreciation. Volunteering

forms a core part of the community and we are all

indebted to their countless hours of sacrifice &

goodwill.

Celebrating YOU -

Hospital Chaplaincy Volunteers

OFFICE FOR WOMEN

The Islamic Council of Victoria hosted a

welcoming and inspir ing plat form for

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o m e n ' s D a y - S w e e t

Conversations. Sweet Conversations was an

event aimed to strengthen the bond between

sisters, and to provide a supportive social and

networking platform for all guests who

attended. Around 200 women attended this

event.

A t t e n d e e s e n j o y e d a n a f t e r n o o n o f

conversation with exceptional and inspirational

speakers, delicious food, free entertainment,

gifts for all, and fantastic stalls.

The event connected sisters entering Islam, new

arrivals to Australia, and sisters who live locally,

with a social network and a connection to

businesses and services supporting women.

Our amazing guest speakers were: Mariam Issa,

Hana Assafiri, Maha Sukkar and Haloom Rafehi.

The speakers inspired and moved guests by

describing their journey, achievements, and

quest to make change along the way. Guests

were most impressed by the diversity of the

speakers and the unique charisma, energy and

dedication reflected through each of their roles.

Entertainment was by: Anam Javed (spoken

word) and Nur al Huda, female nasheed group.

Anam's powerful and deep poem, alongside Nur

al Huda's soft and heart-warming nasheeds,

provided guests with a fantastic range of quality

performers.

Sweet Conversations

The Islamic Council of Victoria organised a

Sister2Sister Brunch at a detention centre in

Melbourne on Sunday 6th March, 2016 with a

group of sisters in commemoration of

International Women's Day. The aim of the visit

was to show solidarity and the spirit of

sisterhood to women living in detention.

14 volunteers attended the event and prepared

food and sweets to share with the sisters in the

centre - who in turn shared their stories and

experiences. The volunteers were very touched

and moved by the discussion resolving to share

their experiences to the wider community and

visit on a more frequent basis.

The Sister2Sister Brunch event manager, Nada

Kalam, said "It is very important that we raise

awareness of institutions like the Detention

Centre in Broadmeadows, for others to also

acknowledge that our brothers and sisters are in

imprisonment just up the road from many of

us."

Carol Groves, Serco Program and Activities

Officer, said "On behalf of everyone at MITA we

would like to thank you and all the ladies and ICV

for organising such a lovely event for our ladies

on Sunday morning. It went very well and the

feedback from everyone was extremely

positive."

Sister 2 Sister

PROJECT MOSAIC

Project Mosaic was created as a means of

providing guidance, support and funding

to small organisations and groups

comprising of change-makers who are

passionate about current social issues

such as women's empowerment, youth

leadership, and mental health awareness

and so on. The selected candidates

c r e a t e a g r o u n d - b r e a k i n g

event/workshop/program that fulfils the

following criteria:

1. Innovative

2. Needs-based

3. Long-term impact

So far, the following events were

successfully completed as part of the

Project Mosaic program:

1.Al- Ehsan Youth

Focused on creating a relaxed and

welcoming atmosphere for young people

to feel like they belong, a number of

activities were provided for the 70-80

attendees to participate in and the

networking opportunities presented

were taken on board quite well.

2.Lighting the Darkness

The ICV CBD office was transformed into a

unique space where 60 women from

diverse ethnic backgrounds and age

groups congregated to experience a

program centred on mental and physical

wellbeing. Sue Najjarine and her team of

presenters provided valuable insights

into healthy and mindful living, along with

shattering the taboos surrounding

mental health.

3.Musl im Women's Forum with

Victoria Police

The forum piloted by Louise Baring

sought feedback from Muslim women on

how they are represented in the media,

their experiences with police, feeling safe

in the community and reporting crime,

and solutions to share the messages

discussed on the day. Representatives

f rom the V i c tor ia Po l i ce Mus l im

Association (VPMA) attended. Senior

Sergeant Geraldine Porter, the Station

Commander at Craigieburn attended and

contributed as well, along with Inspector

Anthony Brown.

4.AAFRO Community Engagement

with Schools Forum

This was aimed at enabling parents from

the local African community to realise the

value of education and regular school

attendance. The event was attended by

90 community members, along with the

Principal of Flemington Primary School

Mrs. Lesley McCarthy. Also present as a

keynote speaker was Honourable Adam

Bandt, the local Federal Member of

P a r l i a m e n t , w h o ex p l a i n e d h ow

fundamental a child's early learning is to

kick-start their academic career.

5.Australian Syrian Association

Victoria Fundraiser

This event allowed for key fund-raising

activities given the socio-political events

encompassing Syria and the surrounding

regions. It was a means of creating

awareness and seeking much-needed

support from the community.

6.GriffinSpeak

A special spoken-word event showcasing

all that is diverse and wonderful in the

Melbourne spoken word scene, based on

the idea of the Griffin: a mythological

creature made up of power and majesty

of the kings of both land and sky,

GriffinSpeak is a celebration of artists of

diverse backgrounds and styles with a

focus on creating space for their stories as

they would have them told. The idea was

to create a space that was safe and open

and diverse, with the hope to open this

space many a time to experience the

beauty of spoken word and its true

impact.

7. Allambee Youth Camp

The youth camp provided all participants

with the opportunity to learn key skills

such as team-building, while providing

arenas for the development of leadership

and communication skills. The impact

was long-lasting and has helped shape

the future leaders of our community.

8. Indonesian Islamic Conference

“The Muktamar" the 1st Indonesian

Islamic Convention 2016 in Australia,

aims to bring the Indonesian Muslim

Community in Australia and New Zealand

together to highlight how Islam and

Indonesian Muslims can play a positive

role in the Australia and New Zealand

society. More than 400 people and

representatives attended this event from

New South Wales, South Australia,

Q u e e n s l a n d , We s t e r n A u s t ra l i a ,

Austral ian Capital Territories and

Auckland, New Zealand. This event also

s u p p o r t e d a n d a t t e n d e d by t h e

Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia

for Australia, Consulate General of the

Republic of Indonesia in Melbourne,

Islamic Council of Victoria (“ICV”),

Victorian Multicultural Commission, and a

member of Victorian Parliament.

ICV PROJECTM SAIC

EMERGENCY ASSIST MUSLIM CONNECT

ICV Emergency Assist aims to help develop a

more resilient Muslim community in Victoria. We

help the community prepare for emergencies

where we may be called upon to assist affected

communities when they need it.

In March, the ICV Emergency Assist Response

team held a training scenario workshop to

identify how we would respond to a significant

emergency in a Muslim community centre.

We train and coordinate Personal Support

volunteers to apply psychological first aid and

spiritual care to people affected by disasters.

With community members' help, we also share

important safety messages via our Facebook

page and ICV newsletter so you can be prepared

for emergencies. In 2016, ICV Emergency Assist

shared over 30 safety messages to our networks.

This September, ICV Emergency Assist facilitated

a safety and risk workshop with community

leaders. We asked them what risks they were

concerned about and how well prepared they

were against them. With representatives from

VicPol and Darebin Council, we discussed what

further action community organisations could

take to prepare for or respond to an emergency

involving Muslims in their care.

Many prisoners experience significant challenges in

reintegrating after their release from prison. These

chal lenges can be compounded by socia l

disadvantage and complex needs related to drug

and alcohol abuse, mental illness, acquired brain

injury, homelessness and unemployment.

Muslim Connect is a pre-release program responsive

to each prisoner's transitional needs on entry to

prison, throughout their prison sentence and to

assist with returning to the community.

Program Co-ordinator Mukhtar Mohammed and

project officer Bakri Shanino visits and prepares

Muslim prisoners who have 6 months pending for

release and then actively engages whilst in the

community.

The team currently case-manage over 50 brothers,

who have varying needs for support, eg) financial,

employment, housing, family, legal, health etc.

however the most important aspect is to help re-

integrate them back into society and our

communities and prevent recidivism (returning back

inside).

Mukhtar says "community love and attention is vital

for our brothers rehabilitation. We all have a duty of

care and responsibility to make our recently-

released brothers feeling the sense of belonging and

part of our everyday activities. Reaching out and

engagement is the key".

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

On April 12, The ICV Youth Engagement team hosted the first of

a series of round-table discussions with service providers,

NGOs and government representatives from a range of

departments to discuss ICV's new Youth Portfolio.

The round-table, held at the Islamic Council of Victoria in West

Melbourne, was attended by 20 representatives from

organisations such as The Red Cross, Centre for Multicultural

Youth, the AFL, the Victorian Drug and Alcohol Association, as

well as the Office for Multicultural Affairs and a representative

of the federal Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs.

Attendees were presented with an overview of ICV's new Youth

Portfolio and a summary of the main issues affecting Muslim

Youth across Victoria, including mental health and well-being,

barriers to participation in mainstream institutions, difficulty

finding employment, and over-representation in the criminal

justice system despite comparatively high levels of education.

ICV's Youth engagement officers discussed a number of

current youth-led initiatives in the community including a

presentation on ICV's youth committee, ACTIVATE, and their

current areas of interest.

The second half of the session involved more intensive

networking between attendees as well as discussions around

potential future partnerships with ICV to foster youth

participation and belonging such as volunteering initiatives.

The response to the session was overwhelmingly positive and

we look forward to hosting similar events with more

stakeholders regularly in the future.

Youth Engagement Roundtable

Provided cultural awareness training from an employment,

health and community services perspective to improve sector

capabilities, understanding and cater for the needs of Muslim

youth.

Youth Employment Roundtable

The second ICV Youth Engagement Stakeholders Roundtable

Discussion started off having young Muslims on a panel

discussing their experiences in the workplace. The stories

varied from facing discrimination, barriers to workforce

participation, the need for greater diversity, successful small

businesses as well as benefits of supportive environments.

The Department of Employment discussed the youth labour

market conditions as well as current and new initiatives to

support youth employment. Professor Robert Wood shared

his insights and reflections on unconscious bias in society at

both an individual and institutional level.

Kashif Bouns highlighted the leadership role of AFL's

SportsReady & Bachar Houli Traineeship Program and the

pioneering effort made to provide employment opportunities

nationally. Positive feedback was received with over 35

attendees from 15 different organisations. Through

engagement and open dialogue we can begin to pave the way

for young people.

ICV Youth Engagement Officer Maryum Chaudhry said 'Youth

are looking for support and service providers have an

important role to play to create pathways, access and

opportunities towards meaningful employment."

Cultural Awareness Training

ICV ACTIVATE

ICV Activate ran 'Racism & Resilience,' an emergency youth

mental health forum, at Jeffcott St.

Facilitated by Sr Monique Toohey who has a long history of

work and advocacy for both Muslims and non-Muslims in the

mental health space, the forum aimed to equip young people

with tools for dealing with the current political climate.

Monique also provided practical frameworks for analysing and

dealing with future incidents when Muslims find themselves

the targets of unfavourable public commentary.

'Racism and Resilience' Emergency Forum

Muslim Youth Mental Health ForumICV Activate held a landmark mental health event for Muslim

Youth from around Victoria. The event brought together

youth, mental health and community workers for a day of

workshops, panels and keynote speeches discussing mental

health and wellbeing.

The event addressed common stigmas around mental health,

traditional spiritual responses to mental and psychological

difficulties, as well as practical steps for identifying and

supporting those with mental health issues. This was a historic

event that showcased some of the brightest upcoming

community workers as well as some of the most experienced

minds in the Muslim mental health space.

Inside the Law

ICV Activate Youth hosted a one-day series of tours, talks and

networking events for young Muslims interested or already

participating in the legal profession. The program was held in

conjunction with Muslim Student Associations Victoria and the

Muslim Legal Network. Attendees came from legal as well as

humanities and finance backgrounds and were given a tour of

the Children's Court as well as a private discussion with long

time Children's Court Magistrate Jennifer Bowles.

This was followed by a panel at the Law Institute of Victoria with

legal professionals from a range of different backgrounds

discussing faith in the workplace, graduate job tips, legal

networking and volunteering.

Visiting Scholar: Aftab Malik Visiting Scholar: Ustadh Amjad Tarsin

QardHassanVictoria

ZAKAT NILS

Since its inception in 2010 the ICV Zakat Fund has

distributed $320,000 to over 700 families in

Victoria. These include but are not limited to

Asylum Seekers/Refugees, Victims of domestic

violence, families of prisoners, the destitute and

homeless and those suffering major financial debt.

The team works closely with other welfare

agencies such as AMES, Red Cross, Asylum Seeker

Resource Centre and countless others to identify

people in need and give them a hand up.

Did you know?

70% of recipients are asylum seekers/refugees

The Zakat Fund has worked with over 20 different

social & welfare service agencies to provide aid

35% of recipients are victims of family violence

45% are homeless or at risk of homelessness

75% needed some form of rental or housing

assistance

65% of approved applicants were female.

The Qard Hassan No interest loan Scheme (QH NILS) is

committed to achieving a more just and equitable society

for people living on low income by promoting economic

and social participation in a market which has resulted in

structural and financial forms of exclusion. This is

embodied through the provision of safe, fair and

affordable credit for the purchase of essential items and

service without interest or fees, where other financial

assistance is unavailable.

NILS provides a holistic response to the need of people

living on low income by connecting individuals to other

consumer and financial assistance, providing support to

improve financial capabilities and enhancing community

participation through the recycling of funds into

additional loans for other community members. This is

achieved through a process which enhances the dignity

and respect of the individual whilst helping them gain

some form of financial control and empowerment in

their lives.

A snapshot of NILS for the financial year 2015/16:

A total of 91 loans were written with total loan book value

of $95,887.

Single women are the primary borrowers (60%).

Most of the borrower age ranges between 35 to 44 years

The average loan amount was $1000 and the main items

purchased continue to be white goods including washing

machine, dishwasher and fridges. However, the loans

are now, increasingly being accessed for other items

such as car registration, lounge suites, medical expenses,

beds and mattresses, personal computers and other

house hold items.

“The loan from the Qard Hassan NILS scheme enabled me to

purchase two household appliances which have greatly

enhanced the quality of my day-to-day life as they support

my health and well-being and also reduce my electricity and

water bills”

QH NILS Borrower, 2016

CISP

PROJECT HAYAT

This year marked another successful year of client

engagement and service growth for the Community

Integration Support Program.

Client Engagement

In the last twelve months, the CISP team continued to

work with Muslim men in the community and in

custody. It also started delivering outreach services to

its community-based clients. This means that our

team is working more closely with its clients and their

families and in their own homes and local Mosques.

Overall, the program hopes to become more

accessible to clients and to deliver its services in a way

that is more meaningful and responsive.

Service Growth

This year, the CISP welcomed Social Worker, Esref Avda

and Senior Clinician, Ahu Kocak, to the team. Already,

they have both contributed new processes and

services. Their roles are important in being able to

meet the needs of CISP clients and developing our own

processes.

One of CISP's most significant achievements in

2015/16 was the implementation of a new case

management process. The work will continue through

the next year as well. The program's goal is to improve

the way it welcomes and plans and cares for of its

clients. The operational team has worked hard to

welcome a more effective way of working with our

clients.

Finally, the CISP Imams continue to dedicate

themselves to their clients both in the community and

custody. Their work means that clients are engaging

sincerely – and the results are visible. Most excitingly,

through regular CISP professional development

sessions, we have had more opportunities to see and

them talk and share information about how they work

with clients. The CISP teams thanks them for their

continued dedication and expertise.

The Project Hayat team has been busy conducting

seminars about Organ and Tissue Donation within the

Urdu and Hindi speaking Muslim communities. The

program is aimed at educating women about organ and

tissue donation and its permissibility in Islam.

Most recently the last information session was hosted at

UMMA Centre in Doncaster where attendees were

treated to a presentation from medical and religious

experts responding to misconceptions and difficult

questions around organ donation.

The pilot project is an extension of the program last year

which targeted the Arabic and Turkish speaking

communities and was a huge success with over a dozen

information session reaching hundreds of people.

The team expects to match and improve upon the

success of the previous project with several more

sessions planned for the rest of the year.

Did you know?

One organ and tissue donor can transform the lives of 10

or more people.

Australia is a world leader for successful transplant

outcomes.

In 2015, 435 organ donors gave 1,241 Australians a new

chance in life

ACTIVITIES OF 2015-16

ACTIVITIES OF 2015-16

TREASURER'S REPORT 2015/16

With the Grace and Mercy of Almighty Allah (SWT) it is with great

pleasure that I present this report. The year in retrospective has

been an extremely busy one for the organisation and its

management. There was a change in the leadership at the AGM

and I took over from Brother Mohamed Mohideen as the

Treasurer at the SGM held in November 2015.

We continued to operate as the finance committee and manage

the finances of the organisation with the aim of cost effective

and sustainability in the short and long term. The Finance

Committee comprised of the Vice President Brother Mohamed

Mohideen (chair), Executive Director Brother Nail Aykan and I as

treasurer.

The key goals of the finance committee were the following:

a) Improve transparency and accountability;

b) Set budgets for the year with aim cost effectiveness

and sustainability;

c) ICV Financial independence on both a short term

and long term plan;

d) Contingency Funding and long term goal;

e) Corporate sponsorship.

ICV External Accountants Mr Ali Abou-Eid from Taxline Group Pty

Ltd and External Auditors Mr John Petridis from Kidmans

Partners were appointed. Meetings were held with both the new

accountant and the new auditors to comply with corporate

governance, accountabil ity, integrity and regulatory

requirements and compliance.

The committee met several times during the year and conducted

a review of accounts and examined the sustainability, growth

strategies and financial independence of the ICV. At present

approximately 79% of the total gross income of ICV is dependent

on Federal and State Government grants. The ICV is strategically

planning to generate income from different sources and

become self-sufficient with the aim of sustainable growth.

One such strategy that we envisage is to create a two tier

structure where ICV has a corporate arm that looks at Corporate

sponsorship to support ICV directed initiatives. Another strategy

is setting up a DGR status arm of ICV and its services.

With regard to the finances for 2015/16, we are happy to

announce a profit of over AUD $251,000. The total revenue for

the year was AUD $1,591,000 and total expenditure

AUD$1,338,000. Our nett asset as on 30 June 2016 is

AUD$1,219,700. As part of contingency plan we have invested

AUD$500,000 with MCCA. This investment will be start of that

building block with the aim of the ICV acquiring its own premises

in the near future.

The detail accounts highlight where the various grants have

been spent on each of the service areas that ICV is involved in.

We emphasise that Islamic principles have been applied so that

that no revenue of ICV has accrued any interests and no bad

debts have been written off.

Another key area that we have examined is human resources

issues whilst ensuring Islamic principles are adhered to.

Employees of the ICV are remunerated according to Fair Work

Australia requirements and job descriptions. ICV is compliant

with all employer obligations such as tax and superannuation

obligations. Thus, ICV administrative costs have gone up and as

of 1st July 2016 we will be charging an administrative fee of 15%

instead of the 12% which we have been doing last year.

ICV formulate strategies to implement and work within formal

budget structures to maintain cost effective approach and

sustainability. To this extent budgets and timelines are been

drawn up and in the coming year this will be put to effect.

All of these would not be possible without the support and

dedication of the ICV staff and management. I would like to place

on record my sincere thanks to Sister Sumeyya Kutlu for all the

hard work, time and effort. I would extend my gratitude to all

staff members who have been instrumental in the finance and

treasury area.

Today ICV prides itself on its sound financial position. This is a

result of comprehensive and effective strategic policies,

planning, budgeting and astute management skills with a focus

on cost effective spending strategies. This while focusing and

ensuring that most issues that affect the Muslim Ummah of

Victoria have been addressed. To Brother Nail Aykan our

Executive Director, he has upheld the values of professionalism

and integrity. His role, contributions and efforts has been pivotal

to the success of all our activities. May Allah reward him for all his

great work.

I would also like take this opportunity to thank all the member

organisations for their continued contribution and

participation. Without your involvement ICV cannot be the

success it is today.

Finally I would like to thank my fellow board members for their

support and cooperation in reaching our goals. I am grateful to

Almighty ALLAH (SWT) for allowing me the opportunity to serve

on the board of the ICV and work for the Ummah.

Wassalam

Nazeh Baarini

Treasurer

AUDITOR’s REPORT 2015/16

AUDITOR’s REPORT 2015/16

NOTES

66-68 Jeffcott St West Melbourne VIC 3003 (03) 9328 2067 admin@icv.org.au www.icv.org.au

ISLAMIC COUNCIL OF VICTORIA