An Islamic scholar has said that Muslim students who walked out of assembly during the Australian national anthem out of respect for Muharram could have stayed.
“I think it was not a big deal to stay or not there, because it’s the national anthem,” Musa Naqvi, president of the oldest Shia Muslim group in the state Panjtan Society, told Daily Mail Australia.
Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School was criticised last week for allowing Muslim students to leave the assembly hall before the national anthem was sung, out of respect for Muharram. Parents and politicians had termed the school’s decision ‘disgusting’ and had said all Australians should be ‘proud’ to sing the anthem.
However, Principal Cheryl Irving had clarified that students were only allowed to walk out because of Muharram which is a month of mourning. The school had allowed the children to opt out of singing or listening to the anthem.
Naqvi continued that he understood that parents had taken a stand on their own behalf because it was a mourning time for Shias. “It’s an emotional thing, a lot of emotions are involved because of the martyrdom.”
However, he maintained that if parents had asked a religious scholar, they would have been told that it was all right to stay for the anthem. “If they would have consulted a religious scholar they would have told them it’s the national anthem, it doesn’t matter.”
Naqvi further added that a religious scholar had recently performed lectures at the Panjtam Group and had imparted the same message. “He discussed this issue, he said the same thing I’m telling you – it was not a big deal because it’s the national anthem.”
Moreover, he commended the parents for approaching the school first for permission to leave. ”If they had walked out without telling them, that case would have been different. When someone gets their permission, the person understands their problem… then making a fuss – I don’t think that’s fair.”
He also clarified that Muslims were not against the Australian anthem. “We are not saying we are against the national anthem. They just said ‘alright, in these mourning times, just give us an excuse for these mourning times’.”
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott had supported the school’s decision and said, “Schools often cater to the beliefs of religious and non-religious students as part of normal practice. We are aware that this is a time of religious observance and singing the anthem has never been an issue for these students before.”
However, many parents and guardians of other students had taken exception to this practice with one Lorraine McCurdy, who has two grandchildren at the school, saying she ‘saw red’ when the Muslim pupils got up and left the assembly.
