Islamic Museum of Australia founder Moustafa Fahour launches book on his ‘journey’

MOUSTAFA Fahour’s new book reveals the motivation and plans behind the construction of Australia’s first Islamic museum in Thornbury.

Moustafa Fahour, director and founder of the new Islamic Museum of Australia in Melbourne Picture: Geraghty David

MOUSTAFA Fahour was a banker with no background in museums, curation or building design but he wasn’t going to let that get in the way of his dream.

The former Preston resident, now living in Dubai, founded Australia’s first Islamic museum, which opened a year ago in Thornbury and has written a book titled The Journey, to be launched today, about bringing the ambitious project to fruition.

He said the museum had become a blueprint for others, which could soon be rolled out interstate with offers of land to build one in Sydney and other approaches from around Australia.

“The most energy was involved in coming up with the blueprint, replicating and rolling it out elsewhere won’t take as much energy,” Mr Fahour said.

He and his wife Maysaa began dreaming of a museum to educate the public about their religion in 2009 after seeing television news programs linking Islam to terrorism and oppression.

“This television portrayal was factually incorrect,” he said.

“Terrorism has no religion — this is not Islam.”

The couple began gathering support, forming an executive committee in 2010 and embarking on the mammoth job of raising $10 million.

They originally planned to build the museum in Moreland, Muslim heartland.

“One afternoon I was driving home and for some reason took a side street (Anderson Rd) and saw a for sale sign on an old warehouse backing onto the Merri Creek,” Mr Fahour said.

“I knew then and there that this was the perfect site.”

Mr Fahour said he thought the site was in Moreland but later realised it was in neighbouring Thornbury.

“Terrorism has no religion — this is not Islam.” - Moustafa Fahour, founder of the Islamic Museum of Australia

In the book, Mr Fahour pays tribute to his brother, museum patron and Australia Post chief executive Ahmed Fahour who donated literally millions of dollars to get the project off the ground.

Mr Fahour said the book outlines the considerable sacrifices he and his family made.

“I had a successful job as a banker but quit overnight because I needed to put the time into raising money for the museum,” he said.

“I worked with the building team for two years while the museum was being built, sacrificing a wage.

“It was very difficult but Maysaa always saw the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Mr Fahour said he also sacrificed spending as much time with his young family as he would have liked during the past four years but as well as sacrifices there were plenty of good times along the way and happy coincidences.

He said as building the museum neared completion, his sister Samira El Khafir was chosen to compete in MasterChef and she became a top three finalist, helping to build her profile.

She runs the cafe at the museum, providing contemporary middle eastern cuisine for visitors to enjoy.

Moustafa Fahour, who recently received an Order of Australia Medal for his work on the museum, is launching The Journey tonight, February 20, at 7pm, at the Islamic Museum of Australia, 15A Anderson Rd, Thornbury. Free event with museum entry.

The book is available at the museum or online for $24.95 (plus postage).