Muslim fighting and defending Australia started with their loyalty, patriotism and then contribution. Muslim loyalty is a love for the country, Australia. By migrating, living, and working in Australia, Muslims progressively built their attachment to Australia. The Australian military was an opportunity to build positive life experiences and prosperity in Australia, despite encounters with bias, denials, and discrimination in public life due to the impact of the White Australia Policy associated with the Immigration Restriction Act and with their quest for their naturalisation. Thus writes Dr Dzavid Haveric, historian, author and researcher into Muslim presence and participation in Australia.
Dr Dzavid Haveric, a historian, researcher, and the author of the forthcoming book A History of Muslims in the Australian Military: Loyalty, Patriotism, Contribution (2024)
For the first time in history of Australia and the world, Dr Haveric’s research/ book project on a history of Muslims in the Australian military has unearthed important historical facts, archival data, incredible stories, and precious testimonies contradicting many stereotypes. Muslims were among other minority groups of many different ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds within much broader military personnel in the Australian military. His book project was supported by Charles Sturt University and the Australian Army History Unit, Department of Defence and Melbourne Museum.
Proud to be the first historian who did this project as part of much broader Australian military history, Dr Haveric recalls that he started his research in 2018 when he published an academic article “ANZAC Muslims: An Untold Story.” (Australian Journal of Islamic Studies 3, Iss 3 (2018): 78-102)
His new completed book project on a history of Muslims in the Australian military includes numerous field trips in Australia searching for Muslim migrants and their descendants serving in the Australian military. During 2019, 2020, and 2021, he visited local Muslim communities and mosques, meeting descendants of the Muslim soldiers and representatives of Returned Services’ Leagues (RSLs), holding discussions with scholars in related fields, as well as consulting the National Archives of Australia, the Victorian Archives Centre and libraries, including the National Library of Australia, the Australian War Memorial, local war memorials and cemeteries, army museums and historical societies. He collected relevant photos, diaries, postcards, letters, booklets, images of plaques and headstones as well as unique stories that continue to be handed down from one generation to the next.
Muslim fighting and defending Australia started with their loyalty, patriotism and then contribution. Muslim loyalty is a love for the country, Australia. By migrating, living, and working in Australia, Muslims progressively built their attachment to Australia. The Australian military was an opportunity to build positive life experiences and prosperity in Australia, despite encounters with bias, denials, and discrimination in public life due to the impact of the White Australia Policy associated with the Immigration Restriction Act and with their quest for their naturalisation.
In the Australian Army there wasn’t colour line. Muslims and their descendants willingly accepted the call, were treated equally, and they took their roles proudly – and they ‘did their bit’. They fought in the Great War and the Second World War with other Australian brothers-in arms against their common enemies, above any potential ‘complicating ties’ in the Muslim world. Indeed, they put Australia ahead of any individual considerations. Muslim families gave husbands, fathers, brothers and sisters to the Australian military forces.
The extraordinary data going deep in social military history reveals Muslims involvement in the Australian Army in battlefields in Gallipoli and on the Western Front. During World War II, Muslims served in the Australian military in considerably larger numbers. They fought in many theatres of war against the Axis powers in the Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Merchant Navy (MN).
The plane Sergent ‘Bob’ Howsan piloted was shot down in aerial combat over France and he was killed. Before the plane crashed, Sergeant Howsan steered the stricken aircraft away from the French village of Marly-le-Roi, near Versailles, to avoid falling on the village and causing civilian casualties. (Haveric 2018: 91) Captain Flight Sergeant Bob Howsan displayed the utmost fortitude, heroism and devotion to duty, making the noble sacrifice. He was buried with full military honours. A Muslim woman civilian pilot, Muriel, a sister of Sergeant Moheddeen ‘Bob’ Howsan, wrote the following patriotic lines:
Here’s to the chaps who fought because,
they loved Australia.
They fought this war to end all wars,
And saved Australia.
We honour them, we shout hooray,
They have done their job, they won the day,
So join with us and let all say
God bless Australia.
“The social virtues of Muslim ‘loyalty, patriotism, and contribution’ which I found in my research and are in the book’s title are in many respects interconnected, and certainly they are an integral part of Australian social cohesion.” (CSU News, 23. 4. 2024) These values also contribute to intercultural and interfaith cooperation and solidarity. Australian Muslims are part of the Australian multicultural landscape. Recent Anzac Day was a great opportunity to honour all Australian Anzac soldiers, including Australian Muslim military personnel – Lest we forget!
Dr Dzavid Haveric, Adjunct Research Fellow at Charles Sturt University, Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation, He is also a Research Associate at Museum Victoria. He has worked at the Parliament of the World’s Religions within the Victorian Multicultural Commission as well as at Victoria University. He is a leading expert on history of Islam and Muslim in Australia. He is the author of thirteen books.
