Pride of Australia: Dr Jamal Rifi named as finalist in Fair Go medal
Bookmark thisIT’S not easy, being a voice of reason.
After publicly denouncing two Muslim-Australian terrorists, Islamic community spokesman Dr Jamal Rifi was forced to provide security for his family after threats were made against him on Twitter.
But he has not resiled from his public campaign to denounce and stop dangerous radicals, even announcing a plan to run for NSW parliament next year as an independent on an anti-radicalisation platform.
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Dr Rifi moved to Australia to study medicine in 1984. Ever since, he has worked hard to build bridges between the Muslim and non-Muslim communities, founding several organisations including Muslim Doctors Against Violence.
His moderate voice has been important over recent years as overseas and local conflicts have tested harmony between the two communities. In 2007, he was awarded a Human Rights Medal.
Dr Rifi’s community activism CV is vast. He has been president of Lakemba Sports Club. He trained young people from southwest Sydney to be pool guards and Muslims to be Cronulla lifesavers.
For his work, he has been nominated as a Fair Go medal finalist in the Pride of Australia awards.
“It means to me a great deal to be acknowledged by wider society and be supported with my endeavours in building bridges of understanding between components of society, in particular the Muslim community and the rest of society,” the Belmore GP said.
Originally published as Voice of Islamic moderation heard