Open Letter

Malek Fahd Islamic School: AFIC does not represent Australian Muslims

The recent Administrative Affairs Tribunal (AAT) decision to uphold the

Education Department’s withdrawal of funding to Malek Fahd Islamic School
(MFIS) comes as a heavy blow to the Australian Muslim community.

Only weeks before the school year begins, over 2000 students, their families and
hardworking teachers and school administrative staff face grave uncertainty as
the future of their school looks increasingly grim.

The Australian Muslim community is united with the broader community in its
outrage over the gross financial mismanagement, governance failings and long
history of financial self-interest on the part of the Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils (AFIC) which prompted the funding withdrawal.

We, the undersigned, demand that AFIC acts in the interests of the school, the
Muslim community and the Australian public by immediately:

 terminating the uncommercial lease agreements that are crippling the

current MFIS Board’s ability to secure the future of the school;
 returning all advanced rental payments for school-occupied land;
 returning the $1.42 million borrowed from the school for land purchases;
 and turning school-occupied land over to an independently managed
school trust.

We agree with the AAT’s assessment of the competence of Miriam Silva and
fellow MFIS Board members to manage the school in accordance with relevant
laws and policies.

It is our strongly held opinion that AFIC is continuing to operate as an

undemocratic boys’ club with flagrant disregard for the wellbeing of Australian
Muslims. AFIC does not represent us.

Name Occupation
Galila Abdelsalam Director & Founder of Islamic women
Association of QLD
Ibrahim Abdo Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner
Ahmed Abouzaid President, Islamophobia Watch Australia
Amina Ahmed Forensic Psychologist
Souha Alameddine International Events Co-ordinator
Imam Afroz Ali Founder, Al-Ghazzali Centre
Dania Allouch Store Manager
Dalya Ayoub Director, Life Academy
Dr Ziad Basyouny Medical Practitioner
Tarek Chamki PhD Candidate, ANU
Almir Colan Director, AUSCIF
David Drennan Academic
Hanan Dover Clinical and Forensic Psychologist
Kaled Elhassan Network Engineer
Nazeer Gassiep Business Owner
Wisam Hajaj Secondary Education Teacher
Brice Hamack Lawyer
Sarah Hamdan Pharmacist
Nasreen Hanifi President, Mission of Hope
Dr Sara Hasan Medical Practitioner
Najwa Hussein Educational & Developmental Psychologist
Dr Shakira Hussein Academic and author
Farhan Khan IT Infrastructure Support Engineer
Rabea Khan Lawyer
Yasmin Khan Director
Ghaith Krayem Management Consultant & Community
Advocate
Sherene Hassan Muslim Community Leader
Silma Ihram President, Islamic Women’s Association of
Australia
Ola Issa Deputy Head, Unity Grammar
Sheikh Jehad Ismail Cleric
Mouna Umm Jamal Islamic Educator
Anisa Khan CEO, Director Dar Al Ihsan
Aisha Meguid NPL Trainer/Program Facilitator
Velid Mujala Operations Director
Yusra Metwally Lawyer
Maha Najjarine Lawyer
Leila Osmani Psychologist
Cindy Rahal Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Founder of
Sydney Cycling Sisters
Sadi Saifuddin Economic Statistics Analyst
Tareck El Sankari Loss Prevention Assistant
Feroz Satter Community Advocate
Monique Toohey Psychologist & Cultural Intelligence Advisor
Mariam Veiszadeh Lawyer & President of Islamophobia Register
Australia
Nasim Zreika Primary School Teacher