But thanks to an adjunct research fellow at the Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation at Charles Sturt University, this narrative is becoming clearer.
Dr Dzavid Haveric has made a name for himself as a research pioneer on the historical involvement of Australian Muslims of different ethnic backgrounds in the Australian Defence Force.
In 2018, he released what was a first in Australian history — an academic article on the untold story of Anzac Muslims in both world wars.
This research launched him into five years of further research into the topic, which will soon be published in a book.
His book focuses on the broader history of Australian Muslims and their descendants’ involvement in the ADF, expanding on his initial research article.
It marks the first time Australian Muslim soldiers’ role in the defence force has been publicly documented.
Dr Haveric is proud to be at the forefront of this research, and said it was a part of history he felt needed to be told.
“It’s an unknown part of history and has contributed not just to Western ambiguity of Muslim soldiers but also Muslim ignorance,” Dr Haveric said.
“Muslims in particular need to read this because they’ve forgotten Muslim military history in Australia and their contribution.”
He spent years researching and travelling around the country, collecting information and stories about these unsung heroes.
Researching: Dr Dzavid Haveric with the Simpson and his Donkey statue at the Australian War Memorial.
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One of the places he visited was Shepparton.
“In Victoria, there were a number of Albanian Muslim soldiers and several of them were in Shepparton,” Dr Haveric said.
“Like other soldiers, many of them received medals for their service.”
The importance of Dr Haveric’s research goes beyond being just a first in its field — it also highlights the significance of Australian Muslim involvement in a time when prejudice and racism were highly prevalent.
“The White Australia policy really denied the rights of minority groups at the time and Muslims were one of the minority groups in Australia,” he said.
“They were mostly excluded from social life and they were denied their ethnic background, languages and culture.
“However, when they joined the army, they found different experiences.
“They were embraced like family members and found a sense of equality, respect, co-operation and mateship.
“After the war, they became more integrated into a broader society — the spirit of Australianess during the war contributed to integration into society.”
Dr Haveric emphasised that despite the various reasons for these men enlisting — it all came down to one thing.
“Many took part because of their loyalty and patriotism, which should be emphasised — it was in the spirit of Australia,” he said.
Dr Haveric’s book will be released in the coming months. For more information about his work, read his initial research paper, ‘ANZAC Muslims: An Untold Story’, on the Charles Sturt University website.
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