The Australian Islamic Medical Association (AIMA) brought its focus and heart to Lakemba Mosque on Saturday 27 September, delivering its Lifesavers Program 2025 in partnership with the Lebanese Muslim Association and in alignment with the Federation of Islamic Medical Association’s (FIMA’s) International Lifesavers Global initiative.
The two-hour session after Dhuhur prayer drew well over 100 participants – families, youth and elders – who learned bystander CPR, how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and choking management – with clarity and confidence.
Grounded in the Qur’anic ethic—“whoever saves one life, it is as if he saved all of mankind” (5:32), the training was purpose-driven and practical.
This shot shows a mix of the Lifesavers Program’s facilitators and participants in Lakemba Mosque.
A concise presentation moved swiftly into live demonstrations and small‑group, hands‑on practice with mannequins.
Volunteer clinicians and trained facilitators kept the pace welcoming and precise, clearing space for questions and ensuring every attendee had meaningful practice time.
This mosque-based format, refined through AIMA’s recent national rollouts, showed why it works: simple, evidence-based steps, repeated well, in a trusted community setting.
With statistics showing that eight out of 10 every cardiac arrests in Australia occur in the home – and that immediate action is able to triple survival odds – the program turned onlookers into confident first responders.
Senior LMA representative Khaled Kamalmaz with NSW AIMA president Dr Elhassan Elabbas.
Participants left with stronger compressions, faster AED deployment and a clear checklist: call Triple-Zero, start chest compressions, apply the AED, manage choking safely.
Senior LMA representative Khaled Kamalmaz summed up the spirit of the day.
“Today showed what our community can achieve when faith and service come together,” Mr Kamalmaz told AMUST.
“Partnering with AIMA, who are a truly wonderful, professional organisation whom it was again a pleasure to work with, we gave families practical skills that can save lives at home.”
“And both AIMA and the LMA would like to sincerely thank St John Ambulance not only for their hands-on involvement with the training today and generously loaning their equipment; but also providing ten lucky draw winners with a free online training program in either CPR or first aid.”
A big shout out to community heroes St John Ambulance!
An enjoyable sausage sizzle at the conclusion of the event saw new learners comparing notes with facilitators, parents taking on board what their teens had mastered….and a very frequent question “when’s the next course?”
Ample proof that skills gained at such events can become sustained community momentum.
Lakemba Mosque was just one of a number of venues for the Lifesavers 2025 program on 27 September, with similar gatherings held at a number of other masjids and Islamic centres across Australia on the same date as part of the global FIMA initiative.
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