First Imam in the Royal Australian Air Force

Flight Lieutenant Abdul Kader is the Royal Australian Air Force’s first ever Imam (chaplain of the Muslim faith), providing support to all ADF personnel as well as international military partners.

CAPTION: Royal Australian Air Force Chaplain Flight Lieutenant Abdul Kader stands outside the Sultan Omar Saifuddin Mosque during Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2024 in Brunei. Story by Captain Diana Jennings. Photos by Corporal Lisa Sherman. 

The experience he provides to the ADF since joining in 2022 is immense.

Growing up in Bangladesh, Imam Kader completed university in Egypt before pursuing a master’s degree in the United Kingdom, where he also lectured for two years, and moved on to gain a second master’s degree in Malaysia.

While Australia was not initially at the top of his geographic list, an opportunity arose to be an Imam at the Darwin Islamic Society Mosque where he served for four years before moving with his family to Toowoomba, Queensland.

In a twist of fate, their home in Toowoomba was just down the road from a Defence Force Recruiting centre.

He remembered watching their activities regularly, but it was one of Imam Kader’s congressional members that made him realise the strong shared values between his faith and the ADF.

“An army member in my congregation highlighted the Defence values and principles to me and I thought straight away these are very similar to Islamic values,” Imam Kader said.

He had always had an interest in serving in the military, recalling seeing his grandfather in uniform in Bangladesh, but thought his studies in religion would not make him well suited for a career as a military officer.

After his family moved to their dream location of Melbourne, Imam Kader noticed the Royal Australian Air Force was seeking an Imam to join their chaplaincy and, after family consultation, he decided to sign up.

“I called all of the family together, including my four children (now five children), and asked for their opinion” he said.

“I told them they would miss their dad because I would have to go away, but they all supported me and said I should join.”

His time in Toowoomba, serving for many years with the Toowoomba Interfaith Working Group alongside leaders from different religions, prepared him well for life as an air force Imam.

“I gained a lot of experience in the multi-faith space, which is very useful in Defence chaplaincy – we support people from all religions and of no faith as well,” Imam Kader said.

In September, Imam Kader participated in Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE24) as part of the faith-based program in Brunei where both nations conducted a range of workshops, physical training and spiritual activities.

This built on Imam Kader’s previous visit to Brunei in April 2024, where he represented the ADF for Anzac Day in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Acting Director of Religious Directorate of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Lieutenant Colonel Ariffin bin Amit said the program was an opportunity to deepen defence ties with Australia and focus on sharing and exchanging religious perspectives within the armed forces.

“We have gained invaluable insights from these discussions, with both parties sharing best practices aimed at uplifting the spiritual and moral wellbeing of our personnel,” Lieutenant Colonel Ariffin bin Amit said.

“IPE24 has elevated the Religious Directorate’s standard, and we eagerly anticipate our next endeavours in religious training and exercises.”

Looking back on the program, Imam Kader said there was significant benefit in the sessions that focused on how best to support the mental health of defence personnel.

“They were very open to learning about how religious leaders in Australia conduct training to support mental health and how this could allow them to better serve their personnel,” Imam Kader said.

“This was an opportunity for Australia to share our knowledge and lead with our mental health practices to teach young chaplains here in Brunei, because they will be the heads of religious practice one day.”

Underpinning the success of the IPE24 faith-based engagement, in only its second year, is the development of trust and unity between both nations, which was displayed as Imam Kader received the honour of leading the Friday congressional prayer.

CAPTION: Royal Australian Air Force Chaplain Flight Lieutenant Abdul Kader and members of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces participate in a faith-based engagement as part of Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2024 – Brunei.

“Being asked to lead prayer was an important reputational piece for me and a big step forward,” he said.

“To trust another nation’s Muslim scholar is really sensitive – it showed there is a strong relationship and a foundation of cooperation, which is now ready for further development.”

Undertaking a whirlwind first two years in the role, with IPE24 being his third international engagement, Imam Kader looks back on his time as an ADF chaplain with pride and sees the value in his position to support mankind.

“It is a privilege being RAAF’s first Imam, to be used as a subject-matter expert in planning for cultural and religious sensitivities and to be given so many opportunities to travel and represent the ADF,” he said.

“To me it shows Australia as a nation that is welcoming, and I think we can be a world leader in that aspect, because when culture is strong no power can damage that.

“It is simplistic, but what I am doing aligns with the ideal that we should support and protect each other to live in peace and harmony in this world.”

 

 

CONTACT believes RAAF is deliberately dropping ‘Royal Australian’ from its name – despite Defence assuring us it isn’t true. Campaigning against this name-change-by-stealth, CONTACT has appropriately ‘repaired’ this official story. See here for more details

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