to call on Australian Muslims to get tested. “Yet what’s interesting about Bachar is not so much the events in his life,” notes Aly, “but the way he responds to them.”
After a short meeting with some of those very kids online – Houli’s third Zoom of the day – he’s finally online with me, talking about “hub life”, which is repetitive and stifling but eased by having his family with him, including daughters Sarah, 6, and Maryam, 3, and baby boy Mohamed, who was born in July. Houli stayed in Melbourne for the birth, forgoing half the season to support Rouba, whom he married at 20, and says that time was a blessing, from daily family bike rides to Bunnings runs.
Yamama is much better now. After a frightening month, her health improved steadily and Houli rejoined his team in Queensland. He also used that moment. One of the shortcomings in Victoria’s pandemic management was reaching diverse language groups, so Houli broadcast a“Change your mindset about COVID-19,” he pleaded. “The reality is it is out there, and I’m experiencing it right now within my family. Please, I urge you, for the sake of Allah, to go get tested.
But they didn’t really have time to stop young Bachar. His dad, Malek, drove long hours in a taxi, and Yamama was focused on the meals needed for seven children. Houli doesn’t remember how he was introduced to football, only that when holding a new Sherrin he would sniff the leather, inhaling its sacred incense.He went to his first AFL game when he was 11. Carlton versus Collingwood at the MCG. He and a friend plunged into the middle of the infamous “Grog Squad” of Carlton supporters.
“I was just a young lad willing to do whatever it takes to play – I didn’t think about representing this large community. But as people remind you, you start realising you’re representing something greater than yourself. I tried to live in the moment. But I also tried to live everything I preached. If I was going to say, ‘I’m a Muslim and I pray five times a day,’ I had to do it.”
“Bachar can do for Muslim Australians what Michael Long did for Indigenous Australians. He’s that important.” A crowd gathered. Friends of the man apologised, and chastised him as a drunken fool. Others wanted to report him to security, or the league. “Stop, please, everyone. Just relax,” Houli said. “I’m going to be a different person. I’m going to teach you something. Islam is not a religion of destruction. Islam’s a religion of peace. A religion of tolerance.” He spoke for five minutes, answering questions, shaking hands.
Extremely well written. Well done Konrad.
He's a great footballer and from all I've seen of the man, a great Australian. I, like most don't give a rat's about his religion or any religion. Opinion - keep religion off the news, in this country religion is a personal preference.
Oh! Bullshit. He's played football. He's also following his faith. If that's somehow different to hundreds of thousands of other Muslims, feel free to explain how
I love Bachar he’s a credit to the game and his religion
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