Townsville holds Muslim Youth Symposium

In collaboration with NQ Ummah Care, Queensland Government and Townsville Islamic Society, AIMA participated in the Muslim Youth Symposium on Saturday 27 April 2024 at PCYC Townsville.

This inaugural event engaged the Muslim Youth community in Townsville with a lineup of guest talks on “What do I do if I face Islamophobia?”, “How to become the Ideal Muslim Youth?” and “Do other young Muslims face the problems that I am facing too?”

It also provided tips to Muslim youths on developing a leadership mindset and how to avoid a victim mentality.

Imam Moaaz opened the event with a prayer and spoke on the role of influential youth from the time of Prophet Muhammad (s).

Professor Usman Malabu, CEO/Director of NQ Ummah Care, introduced NQ Ummah Care as a charity that formed 5 years ago to assist homeless people and other disadvantaged members of the community, including migrants and refugees living in the Townsville regional area.

Dr Mushtaq Mohiuddin, President of Townsville Islamic Society, spoke about the 2024 Muslim Youth Program (MYP) and the registration of participants.

After Maghreb prayer and some light refreshments, the program continued with Anne Franzmann, Director of Community Engagement at the Queensland Human Rights Commission, who spoke about discrimination and what actions to take.

Shane Turner, Senior Sergeant at Queensland Police Service, talked about Islamophobia faced by youths and how to handle it.

Dr Omer Shareef, Vice President of AIMA, gave a talk on how a good Muslim is to be a good citizen of this world.

The final part of the formal program was a panel discussion and Q&A with the speakers. The event was well attended by 75 youths along with their parents and some from the local police department. It concluded with dinner, trivia, and open discussions.