The Emir of Dubai
Well that’s not a headline you see everyday.
But that’s exactly what one Australian has been doing.
The story is a complicated one, made more complicated by the passing of time and a long history of legal maneuvering.
But it begins spectacularly against, as suits the leader of Dubai, a backdrop of spectacular wealth.
An Arabic expression “Daba Dubai” means, “they came with a lot of money”.
The then Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktoum, was in Australia in late 2005, arriving on the Gold Coast in eastern Queensland on December 28th to attend the world-renowned yearling sale dubbed “Magic Millions”.
He arrived in his personal Boeing 747-400 and was staying at the luxury Palazzo Versace hotel. He passed away on the 4th of January, 2006.
It was at this point local Muslim leaders in Queensland suggested that as a token of respect, and to satisfy the community needs of the expanding Islamic community, two schools be constructed, one on the Gold Coast to be named after the deceased, and one in Brisbane, to be named in honour of the current leader of Dubai.
Imam Abdul Quddoos Azhari, one of the most senior leaders of the Queensland Sunni Muslim community, was the originator of the proposal.
To have their children attend Islamic schools rather than state public schools is of major significance to Australia’s Muslim community.
Traditional Muslim families do not appreciate the state system’s lack of adherence to to traditional Muslim concerns. “They are bringing their children to be educated in an Islamic environment, where they pray and read the Koran, at the same time as satisfying and excelling in the Australian curriculum,” the Imam says.
The problem arises from the Imam’s belief that he had been assured by the Emir’s representative that the money to establish the schools, some $AUS 20 million, would be forthcoming.
Fast forward to 2020, and the money never arrived. The application to sue the Emir of Dubai, the Maktoum Foundation, one of the largest charities in the world and the Emir’s personal secretary has already been caught up in years of expensive litigation. It is now moving to the next step.
/Public Release.
