AZIZA'S STORY                                                                                 

Aziza Abdel Halim’s reputation precedes her. Put her name into Google and countless articles will champion her as the ‘most prominent Islamic woman in Australia’. As I wait for her in an ornate Turkish cafe of her choice I mentally list her achievements in preparation for the interview:

Aziza is the President of the Muslim Women’s National Network of Australia (MWNNA), a devoted academic, well-respected teacher and accomplished public speaker. Her contribution to the Australian community has not gone unrecognised. She is a very proud recipient of the Order of Australia Medal and in 2005 she was chosen to be a member of the Prime Minister’s Muslim Community Reference Group.

In person she is vivacious and charming and on this day she arrives in a bright blue hijab, seemingly unperturbed by the 40-degree heat western Sydney has become accustomed to.

Since her arrival Aziza’s relationship with Australia has been one of mutual appreciation. It is clear that she has given a lot back to the country that gave her sanctuary when she left a politically unstable Egypt in 1979. She had however fallen in love with the Australian way of life long before it became her own.

As a young Egyptian School girl in the 1950s, Aziza Abdel Halim had already traveled deep into Australia. She did this, however without leaving her classroom in the multicultural city of Alexandria. Aziza was transported to the Outback through the pages of Nevil Shute’s famous novel; ‘A town like Alice’.

“I loved the story and the way the people related to each other. They really cared for the under dog. So when I had to leave Egypt I remembered this. I wanted to go to the land of the sunshine and of the ‘fair go’”

Arriving in Sydney a young mother of two, Aziza found that in a nation emerging from many decades of culturally narrow politics, the ‘fair go’ she had dreamt of was some what the worse for wear.

“Soon after I arrived I was in Kingscross talking to my daughters in Arabic, and a man verbally abused me in the street for not speaking English. It was rather funny as I had been Head teacher at the English Girl’s College in Alexandria for several years, and now worked at Auburn Girl’s High School where Australian teachers often asked me how to spell words” said Aziza through a chuckle.

Undeterred by this hostility Aziza began to devote her time to improving the lives of fellow immigrants and eroding the ignorance which divided sections of the Australian community. The Muslim Women’s National Network of Australia (MWNNA) began as a community centre where Aziza and her husband taught Arabic and English lessons. These days the MWNNA still sponsors language classes, however it also provides support and sisterhood between Australian Muslim women of all ethnic backgrounds. This has become increasingly important to women who feel demonized in the current political climate.

Despite the negativity surrounding Muslims in Australia and Worldwide following September 11, the MWNNA has flourished in the face of conflict. The network has taken on the important role of representing the views of Muslim women to the media, federal, state and local government. Aziza and other members of the network also regularly organise cross cultural and interfaith events to educate the wider community about Islamic issues and break down the barriers to social harmony.

"I felt it was very important after September 11 for the network to talk to the Australian community. Women are such great communicators and we have a responsibility to use this. During the Lebanon - Israeli conflict the MWNNA met with women from the Jewish community. Some people were nervous about the meeting but it was great we all just had a good chat" Aziza said.

Aziza believes in the power of education. "Islam encourages open questioning not blind belief. I think Muslims have a duty to actively question everything. In Islam knowledge is of great importance"

Aziza will soon be publishing a book called 'Did you know?' which will aim to dispel the damaging myths which shroud Islam and the role of women within the Faith.

Critics have praised Aziza's favorite Australian novel 'A town like Alice' as a tale of the strength of the individual to change the world around them. In Aziza's case this sentiment is not so far from reality.