It’s just like any other Australian school, but with some noticeable differences.
The students are Muslim, a majority of the staff are Muslim, religious studies and prayer are crucial. The curriculum, like everyone there, is also Australian.
I’m at Al Amanah College, an Islamic school in Sydney’s south-west. I have been granted exclusive access as part of my work with SBS to see how the 650 pupil-strong campus – one of four in Sydney and Melbourne – is responding to recent terror events and escalating racial divides.
And so here I am, resigned to the last remaining desk at the back of a classroom, hastily scribbling notes as I sit in on a lesson which is addressing those exceedingly important issues.
Infants and primary students at Al Amanah College sing the national anthem. Source: SBS News
I raise my head midway through the latest point I’ve jotted down and notice something peculiar. I’m the only one trying to keep up.
I scan the room from left to right: two dozen Year 11 and 12 students, an even mix of boys and girls, are listening intently, but focused on their messenger. No notes, no need. Most are nodding their heads. They’ve heard all this before.
But they are not bothered, rather the opposite. It’s a welcoming look on the faces I can see; almost as if the students have asked to hear the lecture again.
I put my pen down, a difficult task for me while I’m on a story, and now turn my complete attention to our teacher. He is a young man, dressed in a long navy robe and a traditional Islamic cap. His beard is very thick.
This man is the religious studies teacher, and he’s denouncing extremism to a group of young Muslims.
“We live in Australia as Muslims, we are not allowed to harm one another. We are to love each other, Muslim and non-Muslim alike," he tells the room as he stands next to a slide from his presentation.
He then does something which takes me even further by surprise: he smiles.
An extremely strong yet positive message, from a man some Australians may have judged without bothering to speak to.
“Ignorance leads to a person being vulnerable, then he is obviously easily deceived, and this will obviously explain what happened in Parramatta,” he continues.
It becomes quickly apparent that this one classroom is inadvertently breaking stereotypes and multiple misconceptions left, right and centre.
It’s been a long and testing year for Muslim and non-Muslim Australians.
From the fatal shooting of a NSW Police employee by a 15 year old radicalised boy, to the tragic events in Paris, tensions are at an all time high.
Questions are being raised by certain factions of the Australian community. Among those, the most striking include “do Muslims belong here?” and “how can we trust them?”
Some local Islamic community leaders are in many ways failing to quell these small-minded ideologies. Others are quietly succeeding, but they are being drowned out by the much-publicised failures.
Al Amanah College, for example, initiated a programme more than 12 months ago to teach its students that being Australian and being a Muslim are inextricably linked.
Sessions where the principles of Islam are dissected, like the one I just sat in on, run two to three times a week. That’s all years, K-12.
"Being Muslims in Australia, we are Australians and we work for a big cause; to make sure that we are living in harmony with everybody,” Principal Ayman Alman explains. “We are all Australians."
The programmes are also run to give students a chance to ask questions about their faith and, in light of recent terror acts, a chance to distance themselves from the so-called ‘Islamist Groups’.
The Principal of Al Amanah College in Liverpool, Ayman Alwan, says he is a proud Australian Muslim. Source: SBS News
Year 12 student Sibal Chams says the discussions don’t just happen during those classes, but any time a young mind is feeling distressed.
"Our teachers, we bombarded them with questions. We asked them questions like, ‘you know who are these people doing this?’, ‘what are the motives behind why they're doing it?’; and ‘how do they justify it?’" she explains.
“It helps because when you talk about it more, when you express the situations happening, more people are being aware in order to stay away from these devious groups,” adds fellow classmate Hussam El Dana.
“That way we can protect the ones we love and the Australian community,” agrees Ms Chams.
As I walk around the playground while my cameraman Ben shoots some lunchtime overlay, much to the delight of the children, I begin to think of all the anti-Islamic comments I’ve heard in the past. One in particular stood out: “Muslims in this country don’t even sing our national anthem”, a statement most often declared in a manner which offered no chance for one to clarify with the truth.
“Question”, I ask Principal Alman as I turn in his direction. “Does the school sing the national anthem?”
The Principal furrows his eyes like I’ve asked an absurdly obvious question. “Of course, we sing it at the start of every assembly. Would you like to film it?”
Standing on the flanks of that school hall, watching 350 young Australian Muslims sing ‘Advance Australia Fair’ in their various vocal capabilities, was a uniquely humbling experience.
What is common practice for these kids – like any other school nationwide – could prove to be the greatest reminder yet that we are all in this together. Regardless of race, religion, or misconception.
As I’ve been repeatedly told today, we are all Australians. Unity, ultimately, is the most important lesson for us all.
