Dervish

For those of us who have a rather glum view of the situation of Muslims living as minorities, it is encouraging that Victoria has now enacted a Charter of Human Rights.  It is also encouraging that the Islamic Council of Victoria got involved in the consultation for having such a charter.  From the ICV bulletin:

In early August 2006, the Islamic Council of Victoria assisted the Victorian Government in enacting a Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act. Through coordinating community consultations and actively participating in other consultations, the ICV was the only Muslim organization to actively support the Charter.

The Charter, which will predominantly come into force on the 1^st of January 2007, speaks to the Muslim community directly.  On freedom of religion, the Charter states “People have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This includes the freedom to choose a religion or belief, and the freedom to demonstrate the religion individually or as part of a community and in public and private. A person must not be coerced or restrained in a way that limits his or her freedom to choose a religion or to demonstrate the religion.”

This enshrines in law the right of Muslims to wear religious clothing in Victoria in government institutions such as public schools. The consultation paper on the Charter made direct reference to the ICV’s submission that the religious dress must be protected and we asked that this be expressly included.

The ICV plans to make further contributions to ongoing policy discussions and to the public conversation in the interests of creating a more cohesive, harmonious, community where Muslims and people of all faiths are able to practice their religions freely.  If you are interested in getting involved please email admin@icv.org.au

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