Media Release
17 September 2018
Young Indonesian Muslim leaders are encouraged from today to apply for a prestigious exchange program to experience how Islam and other religions are practiced in Australia.
Applications are open for the annual Australia-Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program, which will see participants travel to Australia in 2019, visiting Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra to meet with religious and community leaders, as well as people from Australia's indigenous communities.
Participants will be able to experience first-hand Australia’s cultural and religious diversity.
They will also visit some of Australia’s most impressive mosques, such as Carlton Mosque, the beautiful Turkish-style Auburn Gallipoli mosque and the architecturally innovative Newport Mosque.
Islam is the second most commonly practiced religion in Australia, after Christianity.
There are over 600,000 Muslims in Australia who come from a wide variety of backgrounds including the Middle East, South Asia, Eastern Europe and South East Asia.
Muslims are a valued part of the Australian community and bring different ideas, skills and talents that strengthen our multicultural society.
“In Australia, people of all cultures and religions are able to express their beliefs and practice their religion freely,” Australian Embassy Charge d’Affaires Allaster Cox said.
“Like Indonesia, Australia is proud of its religious diversity and vibrant multiculturalism and this program will succeed in bringing young people from our two countries closer together.”
As part of the exchange, a group of young Australian Muslim leaders will also undertake a similar program in Indonesia in 2019.
The Muslim Exchange Program is an Australian Government program through the Australia-Indonesia Institute.
Applications close on 15 October. Further information about the program and how to apply is available here: http://bit.ly/aimep2019.