True blue habibs

This time last year, Punchbowl Boys High School, in Sydneys south-west, were taking some heavy hits to an already tarnished reputation. The press went feral over some riotous behaviour at a Books Not Bombs rally in the City. A rally noted more for its pubescant fervour than any positive achievement. In the end the community leaders settled things down.

Well, a year on, good and responsible folk have made real efforts to instill some pride and respect into young Muslims out there. And encouraging results are available. A bunch of Punchbowl High students have just taken on the Kokoda Trail in New Guinea. An Australian sacred site.

One of the students, Mohammed, says they had a point to prove,

We was born here, not one of us was born overseas, we have Australian blood, we are Australian, our background is Lebanese.

I feel both embarrassed and jealous, having not done the Kokoda Trail myself. For I’ve long believed Kokoda has as much significance to our era, as Gallopoli has for our grandparents. Now we’re talking heroes.

Recently I picked up two civil engineers working on a road project over the New Guinean Highlands. They talked of 30 metre deep topsoil, on 40 degree inclines, with treacherous shifts after rain. The Trail from Hell.

Not a problem. The Punchie Boys did the Trail in 6 days flat. They took along a Camp Dare guide, natives related to the WW2 carriers, and a Vietnam Vet who cracked the whip by re-creating the history of the Trail. Without the hardware. Mohammed came out raving,

I didn't know anything about this before, I can now say I know it fully with passion

There has been more work and progress since the bad press of last year, which has brought renewed pride in wayward Muslim kids. Kids couldn’t get out of their own shadows. Or wouldn’t. Lots of Australian born Lebanese Muslim kids were between two cultures. Their parents often immersed in the secular society of Sydney and raising families, took their eye off the ball,

Aspiring to get an education, a car, a house or a job is not an anti-religious pursuit, of course. Most Muslims came to this country in search of those very things, not because they wanted to be better Muslims. The problem, though, their enlightened offspring will tell you, is that they worked so hard that they let their religious practice and the religious education of their children slip. The result is a community that, as one person put it to me, is "messed up big time".

Chakir is a scripture teacher of Muslim children whose parents work,

Most of these kids have both parents working, and know nothing of Islam, and their Islamic identity has been wiped. These kids are bored by religion.

Not a problem. Up steps ex-Punchie Boys student Shiek Shady,

Islam, he says, is the good life of every human being. Some of his contemporaries, he says, find themselves a long way from the good life. They're now in one of two places: the mosque or the lock-up. He laughs. He's a Punchbowl boy, after all.

The Shiek is talking the language of the kids he grew up with by pulling large gatherings at weekly scripture meetings. In English. Another leader, Ahmed Kilani a scripture teacher, is also a champion for western Sydney kids. He compares other Muslim cultures,

Most so-called Muslim countries are run by despots, dictators or military regimes which are unrepresentative of the people. I couldn't live in that environment because I couldn't enjoy the religious freedom I have here

Ahmed tells of his experience with kids at a western Sydney high-school,

I asked my class who here thought of themselves as Australian, and no one raised their hand. I asked them who here is Lebanese, and about three-quarters raised their hand. I asked who here is Turkish and the other quarter put their hand up. I asked them who has been to Lebanon – no one. I asked who had been to Turkey – one or two. I asked who could read or write Arabic – one or two. I asked who was born in Australia – just about all of them raised their hands.

I said to them: 'You are Australian and you are Muslim, whether you like it or not.' I try and tell these kids all the time that Islam is compatible with society here. We are not going anywhere.

May Sydneys secular Muslim society prosper and develop with its own Australian uniqueness.

Comments

[rema]

that was the best thing ever serious l liked it l have reseacrhed looked everywhere to know about it but when are uses gan put it on tv

[adrian]

Rema, Get in touch with Channel 7's Today Tonight program, via my second link - 'Mohammed'.

[hunin]

iz der guna ba a time were dey r gunna repeat the kokoda trail cuz i wanna c da punchbowl guyz try der best to atleast achieve sumfing lol but dats fine ny wayz can any1 send me fotoes to my eamil of the PUNCHBOWL BOYZ not the kokoda trail cuz i wanna c dem tanx mmuuwaaahhh!!!!!!!

[hunin]

iz der guna ba a time were dey r gunna repeat the kokoda trail cuz i wanna c da punchbowl guyz try der best to atleast achieve sumfing lol but dats fine ny wayz can any1 send me fotoes to my email of the PUNCHBOWL BOYZ not the kokoda trail cuz i wanna c dem tanx mmuuwaaahhh!!!!!!!p.s my bruda IS a punchbowl boy student

[Jazmin]

Who was the Western-Samoan guy who also went on the Kokoda trail from Punchbowl High?

[aLBi]

i was watching camp dare on tv...

its amazing i was so interested that i went looking all over the internet about the boys...

if you could email me more info...and pictures i would apptretiate it...specialy of bilal...i was amazed at the amount of effort they put in and how proud and how far they wanted to go...

[adrian]

albi, unfortunately I don't have any further info than what is posted. All sourced via Google. Good luck.

[layla]

hi its layla i love punchbowl boys dere so hot

[blocker]

pbhs 4 life

[-[ zZiiGGy ]-]

shuuu punchbowl warri0rz 4 lyff cuzinz
lekk i luvv u melo

[dumbc...]

and now...the yak...EEEEEEE EEEEEEEE

[-[ Jess ]-]

fuuckk ziggyz hott :P
and davidd likees the yakk doodlesss hahahah

MISHAAZ A SEXCII BITCHH MWWWWAAAAZZZZZZZ