By Eleanor Wilson
Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Berwick Chapter were a welcome addition to Berwick’s Anzac Day parade and service on Tuesday morning, 25 April.
More than a dozen association members, young and old, attended the Berwick Cenotaph service in solidarity with Australia’s fallen soldiers.
“We wanted to showcase our support and show that Muslims are always there for the country and the community,” external affairs coordinator Tariq Butt said.
Mr Butt said the response to their attendance had been positive.
“People are asking why we’re here today, they’re curious and it’s good to interact with people,” he said.
The members also brought with them stories of the surprising and largely undocumented history of the Great War’s Muslim soldiers.
“There is a village in Pakistan called Dulmial and some of the village people fought in the War with the Australians,” Mr Butt said.
At the time of World War I, Pakistan, a largely Muslim nation, was a territory of British India, meaning several Muslim men fought in the war alongside the Allies.
It is understood that Dulmial sent 460 of its men to fight in the British Army, the largest single participation of any village in Asia. Nine gave their lives.
The warriors of Dulmial were dispatched all over the world: from the Western Front to Tehran to Basra in present-day Iraq.
Mr Butt said the association hopes to hold an exhibition next year to educate the community on the Muslim fighters from Dulmial.
“We want more inclusion in society and to showcase to people that Muslims are not separate, they are ones who fought the war with Australia as well,” he said.
“We just want more inclusion in the community.”
