The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) was formed in 2006 during a meeting of more than 80 Sunni imams which had gathered to discuss the crisis created by comments made by Taj El-Din Hilaly.[3][4] In 2011, they requested that the Darulfatwa-supported Muslim Community Radio Incorporated not have its licence renewed due to ties with Al-Ahbash and because of its promotion of "sectarian fringe views".[5]
| Formation | November 14, 2006; 17 years ago (2006-11-14) |
|---|---|
| Registration no. | (ABN) 66 122 669 318[1] |
| Purpose | To unite the Imams of Australia under one umbrella body |
| Headquarters | Lakemba, New South Wales |
| Coordinates | 33°55′21″S 151°04′43″E / 33.922514°S 151.078617°E / -33.922514; 151.078617 |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | ANIC Halal Authority[2] |
Membership | 200 Imams |
President | Shady Alsuleiman |
| Affiliations | Sunni based |
| Website | www |
The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) is a Muslim body that represents imams and Muslims in Australia, with over 200 member imams from all states and territories and major Australian cities.
The ANIC is one of two Australian Muslim organisations that appoint a Grand Mufti of Australia. The current Grand Mufti appointed by ANIC is Dr. Ibrahim Abu Mohamed.[6] [7][8] The current Grand Mufti of Australia appointed by AFICisAbdul Quddoos Al-Azhari. There has been controversy about the appointment of two Muftis in Australia, and despite the mostly symbolic and ceremonial nature of the position, ANIC has fought hard to prevent anyone from claiming to represent Australian Muslims as a Mufti.[9][10][11][12]
In 2014, the ANIC expressed concerns regarding a bill in the Australian parliament that would broaden the offence of advocating terrorism.[13] ANIC argued that the legislation would have chilling effectsonfree speech.[13] It also said that any religious community referring to violent passages in the Qur'anorBible could face sanction under this law.[14] Other Australian Muslim groups, including the Islamic Council of Victoria and Muslim Legal Network, also expressed concerns regarding the legislation.[13]
In February 2015 the Grand Mufti said the Australian Government should not ban Hizb ut-Tahrir, saying the group is "actually pro-freedom of speech".[15] The Prime Minister responded by saying the comments were "unhelpful".[16]
In 2016, Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman was elected president of ANIC.[citation needed] and then re-elected for a second term in 2019.
ANIC executive committee consists of 20 imams elected from different states.