Photos: Courtesy Think Studio

Ninth Muslim national summit brought together representatives from every state and territory, adopting a common agenda on Islamophobia, Palestine, political advocacy, media engagement, Islamic identity and building professional community institutions.

Muslim leaders from across Australia have called for a new era of unity, professional advocacy and coordinated national action at the 9th Australian Muslim Community Leaders Summit held on Sunday 9 August at Waterview in Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park.

Convened by the Alliance of Australian Muslims (AAM) in collaboration with the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC), the six-hour summit brought together representatives from every state and territory to deliberate on some of the most pressing challenges facing Australian Muslims.

AAM now represents more than 260 grassroots mainstream Muslim organisations nationally, while the summit reaffirmed the complementary roles of the two national bodies: ANIC providing Islamic religious leadership and AAM coordinating political advocacy, government engagement, media representation, policy and community development.

The gathering adopted wide-ranging motions covering Muslim unity, Islamic identity, religious freedom and civil liberties, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, political and media engagement, Palestine, institutional capacity and empowerment of youth, women and new Muslims.

Unity must translate into action

Opening the summit, AAM Board Chairperson, Sheikh Shadi Alsuleiman welcomed the unprecedented breadth of national representation.

“There’s nothing that brings joy and happiness to our hearts than seeing the Muslim community coming together from diverse leadership,” he said.

“The primary spirit of today’s summit is for us to be united on our common good, maintain our unity.”

The summit affirmed a strong sense of belonging and equal citizenship: “Australia is our country and home. Australian Muslims are an integral part of this nation and are committed to its peace, social harmony, security, prosperity and future.”

AAM’s newly adopted national positions similarly affirm that Australian Muslims belong fully to the nation, with that commitment demonstrated through respect for the law, participation in public life, community service and contribution to the national interest.

The summit also rejected attempts to collectively blame Islam, Muslim leaders or Islamic institutions for criminal acts committed by individuals, while condemning violence and calling for equal protection, responsible political leadership and accurate media reporting.

From volunteers to professional institutions

A recurring message was that Australia’s Muslim community must develop the professional infrastructure necessary to match its growing size and maturity.

“We can’t continue relying on volunteers. We’re not going to progress on volunteers,” Sheikh Shadi said.

The AAM Board’s priorities for 2026–27 include employing full-time staff, professional government-relations support, establishing a national Muslim spokesperson register, expanding media monitoring and preparing for upcoming Victorian and NSW elections.

The Muslim Community Fund, a joint AAM-ANIC initiative, is intended to help make that transition by sustainably funding political and media advocacy, community and institutional development and preservation of Islamic identity.

Islamophobia reaches dangerous levels

Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, delivered a sobering assessment of escalating anti-Muslim hatred, particularly online.

“There’s so much online hate… It’s out of control,” he warned, outlining work including an Australian Muslim Poll, an Australian Islamophobia Index and education and public-sector initiatives.

The summit welcomed the Federal Government’s adoption of a number of recommendations from the Special Envoy’s report, while calling for implementation of all remaining recommendations with adequate funding, measurable outcomes and accountability.

Delegates were also urged to report incidents of Islamophobia, with data considered essential to advocacy, political engagement and law reform.

Media and political engagement

Muslim leaders were advised to become more confident and strategic in dealing with journalists, arguing that most journalists genuinely wanted to be accurate despite the pressures of modern newsrooms.

Political engagement was similarly identified as a major priority. Delegates were encouraged to establish relationships with candidates well before elections and develop agreed community positions rather than approaching governments with fragmented messages.

The adopted political engagement motion commits AAM to establishing a Government Relations and Engagement Group, coordinating federal and state delegations and developing evidence-based policy positions while maintaining political neutrality.

Bob Carr urges mobilisation for Palestine

Former NSW Premier and Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr delivered a passionate address on Gaza and urged Australian Muslims to organise disciplined grassroots political engagement.

“Stories win arguments and I would like to see this great community organise as never before to see that that story can be told.”

The summit reaffirmed support for Palestinian freedom, dignity, justice, self-determination and the right of return, while calling for stronger Australian diplomatic, economic, humanitarian and legal action and accountability.

It also expressed solidarity with people suffering conflict and persecution in Sudan and with Rohingya, Uyghur and other oppressed communities.

Faith, identity and future generations

Imam Ahmed Abdo addressed preservation of Islamic identity, warning that young Muslims’ disengagement from faith was often not simply a matter of theological arguments.

“What is it that causes some people to leave religion… is not necessarily a lack of theological arguments, but it’s a lack of connection, a lack of community,” he said.

The summit’s broader strategy calls for investment in Islamic education, youth and women’s leadership, locally trained Imams, Shaykhahs, chaplains and educators, while insisting young Muslims should never be forced to choose between being faithful Muslims and active Australians.

Delegates also raised oppression in Kashmir, domestic and family violence, child protection, exploitation of newly arrived migrants and international students, and the need to guide young Muslims into a wider range of professions and positions of influence.

The overriding message from the 9th summit was that Australian Muslim institutions must move beyond isolated and reactive efforts towards coordinated, sustainable national action.

As its final public statement declared: “The future of Australian Muslims will be shaped by the strength of our faith, the preservation of our Islamic identity, the unity of our institutions and our willingness to act collectively.”