AUSTRALIA

Mustapha Kara-Ali is a 29-year-old representative on the Prime Minister's Muslim Community Reference Group (MCRG). He represents second generation Australian Muslims. The Bulletin Magazine recently profiled him as "an active mentor and educator within the Australian Muslim youth community since 1995", and last month he was introduced on the ABC's Religion Report as "an agent for change". Kara-Ali has been an outspoken critic of some ethnic leaders in the community for what he says is their failure to address the concerns of an emerging community of homegrown Muslim youth in Australia. He believes that sections of the Muslim community can be too defensive and fail to articulate issues in which they believe strongly.

Mr. Kara-Ali has a Masters degree in Engineering from UNSW and has worked as a consultant for Sydney University and CSC. He is a NAATI accredited translator in Arabic, and has a graduate diploma in media studies. Mustapha has appeared on the Channel 9 Sunday Program, Channel 7 Today Tonight, SBS Insight, ABC Religion Report and other media fronts. He has authored opinion pieces in metropolitan newspapers on Muslim issues such as Muslim integration in the West, identity struggles and immigrant marginalization. In talking politics, Mustapha's approach is informed by the conviction that Muslims in the west are part of the solution, not the problem.

City: Sydney

Wassim Dabboussi is a Scout Leader for Muslim Scouts Australia in Liverpool and Bankstown, Sydney, a non-profit organization that has been established since 1993. The aim of the organization is to bring the Muslim youth together teaching them teamwork and leadership skills building a bridge between the Muslim and non-Muslim community; teaching harmony and multiculturalism. The Muslim Scouts have participated in a number of scouting activities that allow for integration and education amongst both Muslims and non-Muslims. Wassim has participated in the Community Relations Commission program for Arabic speaking youth. He was a member of the Youth Liaison Teams that were formed to help prevent youth crime in Sydney's hot spots. Wassim has appeared on Four Corners in an episode filmed at Parramatta Westfields highlighting the need for the Youth Liaison Teams. His most recent appearance was on 60 Minutes on a forum about cross-cultural relations in Australia. Wassim has lectured postgraduate university students about Islam and the Western world. Before graduating, he began his professional career as an IT consultant at ABC Ultimo, upon graduating with a Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology moved to the University of Sydney. Following the university Wassim worked as a secondary school teacher for two years in a private Islamic College. He has recently established his own Marketing consultancy firm which is in a process of growth and prosperity. In addition to his professional career, Wassim has committed himself to teaching the religion of Islam to young children and adults around Australia. He regularly visits cities around Australia. Born in Tripoli, Lebanon Wassim migrated to Australia as a young boy and adapted to the Australian society.

City: Sydney