In a series, The Age is exploring how Victoria’s religious communities are keeping the faith in an increasingly secular Australia.
The sky is dark, but inside her living room fairy lights and candles glow as she begins her day in quiet prayer with her parents by her side.
is exploring how Victoria’s religious communities are keeping the faith in an increasingly secular Australia. Among the faithful is Indian international student Laiba Khan, 21, who is wearing a fuchsia, yellow and black headscarf. The word Islam means “surrender”. There are more than 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, and for them, the prophet Muhammad is the most revered of all men.
But the 30-year-old, who is an academic mentor at the Islamic Sciences and Research Academy, says it can be hard being devout in an increasingly secular society. There has been a surge of migration from Australia’s closest neighbour, Indonesia, and a rise in Australian-born Muslims, reflecting the community’s higher birth rates.
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