Australia

(MARRAKESH, 27 January 2016) — At the invitation of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, 250 of the world’s eminent Islamic leaders convened to discuss the rights of religious minorities and the obligation to protect them in Muslim majority states.

This position has historic roots dating to the time of Prophet Mohammed and the Medina Charter. Today’s Declaration was issued at a time of heightened social hostility fueled by violent extremism, widespread Islamophobia and the denial of rights, sometimes justified by misrepresentations of Islamic teachings.

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OPPONENTS of Bendigo’s first mosque have been dealt a blow after being ordered to pay $55,000 in legal costs. Last month, Victoria’s top court rejected an application by a 16-strong group, led by Bendigo women Julie Hoskin and Kathleen Howard, for leave to appeal against two ­decisions of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

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The government’s anti-money laundering watchdog Austrac has told a Senate inquiry there is no link between halal certification and terrorism financing.

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Understanding the factors that underpin social cohesion is crucial to maintaining a functional society and positive future outlook. Since 2007, the Scanlon Foundation has supported Australia’s largest study, monitoring the nation’s attitudes on the issues influencing our cohesion. The Scanlon Foundation has released a discussion paper on Citizenship in order that we might address the concerns about social cohesion.

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Launched during Refugee Week, Schools and Families in Partnership: A Desktop Guide to Engaging Families from Refugee Backgrounds in their Children’s Learning, gives schools vital information about ways that families and schools can collaborate to meet the needs of students and their families from refugee backgrounds.

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The Australian Council of Christians and Jews will conduct a Conference seeking to answer “What are the ‘Walls’ and ‘Bridges’ for interfaith dialogue in Australia in 2015, October 25-28, at Temple Beth Israel in St Kilda.

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Religious communities know that persons and communities are inseparable. This means that true sustainable development must engage both persons and their communities. We ignore this profound reciprocity at our peril. To nourish and strengthen vital communities, religions advance social virtues like trust, seeking the common good and an abiding sense of responsibility for others animated by unrestricted Love and Compassion. Again, these social virtues help generate what economist have begun to call the “social capital” essential for development, William F. Vendley said at the UN Special Event on World Interfaith Harmony: Multi-religious Partnership for Sustainable Development.

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The interfaith movement is a rich mosaic of efforts, ranging from theological discourse to practical coalitions. Some interreligious harmony work is built on ethereal, ethical, and theological foundations. And some is grounded in an earthy, urgent common interest or in response to a crisis or threat, said Katherine Marshall to the UN Special Event on World Interfaith Harmony: Multi-religious Partnership for Sustainable Development.

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It may not be something we like to think about but new government data reveals what our leading causes of death are.

For people over 45 years it remains chronic disease, but suicide is the biggest killer of Australians aged between 15 and 44.

Lifeline says the stigma around suicide remains the biggest challenge for support services.

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