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Meeting Muslims in Melbourne

1:40am Monday, 3rd October 2011

Sophie Gyles
Hundreds of people have been attending Muslim-Christian dialogues during two months of concentrated outreach in Melbourne.
Bernie Power, from the Islamic Centre at the Melbourne School of Theology, and seasoned debater Sam Green, who works with AFES Tasmania, have been speaking alongside Islamic scholars at university campuses and churches.
Close to 140 people turned up to the first debate, at which Bernie says Muslim students were heard lamenting that their speaker had been thoroughly defeated. However the debate at Melbourne University saw the two sides more even, with students declaring victory on an online Islamic forum.
This month, Bernie will address up to 200 Muslim preachers, who are learning how to spread the message of Islam in Australia, about the Christian concept of God. Later in October he’ll be back debating Jesus’ identity with Waseem Rizvi at Melbourne University.
“The debates have been a real blessing, bringing together Muslim and Christian students, often for the first time, and opening up discussions about the differences between Islam and Christianity,” Bernie said.
“We’ve had a great turnout at these public debates, with between 120 and 200 students. There were around 50% Muslim and Christians.
“The debates have opened up questions and opportunities for discussion for many students from Muslim countries who have never before been allowed to ask such questions.”
You can meet Bernie Power at MST: Open Day, Sat Oct 8 or CSIOF’s 911 Symposium, 2pm Sat Nov 5. Tickets 03 9881 7802