Sherene Hassan

Presenter/Workshop Leader

Sherene Hassan is the vice-president of the Islamic Council of Victoria. She is heavily involved in interfaith dialogue and is one of the media spokespeople for the Islamic Council of Victoria.

Presentation

Reclaiming Islam: The vision of today’s progressive Muslims and the challenges that lie 
ahead.

We are currently living through a veritable silent revolution in Muslim communities in the West: more and more young people and intellectuals are actively seeking a way to live in harmony with their faith while fully participating in society. This does not mean an abandonment of Islamic principles is required. Far from it!  Muslims the world over are calling for a revival of Islamic teachings that underpin universal values such as gender equality and reconciliation. These Muslims offer a striking vision of a new Muslim identity, one that rejects once and for all the idea that Islam must be defined in opposition to the West.

This session will explore the work done by progressive Muslims in countries such as Malaysia, Jordan and the US in the fields of human rights and social justice advocacy as well as interfaith dialogue. It will also focus on the challenges that lie ahead for Australia's local Muslim community.

About Sherene Hassan

Sherene Hassan is the vice-president of the Islamic Council of Victoria. To this date she has conducted over  500 information sessions on Islam to diverse audiences ranging from the Flying Fruit Fly Circus School to the Australian Federal Police.  She is heavily involved in interfaith dialogue and is one of the media spokespeople for the Islamic Council of Victoria. 

In 2005 she was elected chairperson of the Jewish Christian Muslim Association Conference Committee. 

In February 2007, she was the recipient of an award for excellence in community service; presented by FaCSIA ( Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) and in December  2007, Sherene was selected by the Age newspaper as one of Melbourne’s100 Most Influential People. 

Formerly a chemistry and physics teacher, Sherene is married with four children.