Islamic Day – January 2024

Islamic Day – January 2024

The Foster Care Association of Victoria in partnership with Carer Kafe, Settlement Services Victoria and Project Us Foundation were delighted to run a Cultural training session at the Islamic Museum of Australia.

The guided tour of the museum provided invaluable insights and displayed rich information on Islamic culture, religion, and art. We were able to view art works by emerging and established Muslim artists.

We were also able to hear from Sheik Saeed Warsama – Iman at the Deer Park Mosque who spoke to us about helping children to link into their community via a mentoring program and community groups for young people. He also completed a question-and-answer session which provided information and insights into Islam Religion and Culture, to assist carers to better understand how to meet the needs of Muslim children coming into a foster care placement.

Within the museum is an enlarged game of chess as part of the museum and we discovered that although invented in India it was taken up by the Persians and then spread thru Muslim countries long before being picked up by European and English countries.

As we explored the Museum we gained an understanding of the pillars, morals and teachings underpinning Islamic faith which included quotes as above, videos and textiles.

Abdul Abdullah’s portrait of journalist Waleed Aly was shortlisted for the 2011 Archibald prize and proudly hangs in the gallery.

We also discovered this beautiful prayer mat and worry beads. The prayer mat represents a picture of Hajj, which in Islam is the pilgrimage to the Holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia which every adult Muslim must make at least once in his or her lifetime. The Hajj is the 5^th of the fundamental Muslim practises knows as the Five Pillars of Islam.