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Mainul Haque

Mainul Haque

Canberra Times

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What the Socceroos taught us about belonging

What the Socceroos taught us about belonging

The World Cup has shown Australia that our national identity is about diversity not uniformity. The chatter in a café in the Canberra suburb of...

10.07.2026 10

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

In a Gungahlin cafe, I discovered what being Australian is all about

In a Gungahlin cafe, I discovered what being Australian is all about

The chatter in a café in the Canberra suburb of Harrison suddenly fell silent as the Socceroos prepared for the penalty shootout against Egypt. For a...

09.07.2026 20

Canberra Times

Mainul Haque

Football shows how belonging is built

The world game’s global appeal lies in its power to create belonging, shared experience and everyday social cohesion across cultures, reminding...

28.06.2026 10

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

Living well together despite our differences

A diverse nation is held together not by embracing monoculture but by building familiarity and then trust. There is a growing argument in parts of...

25.06.2026 20

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

Australia fixed one honours gap. Is another being overlooked?

Australia has improved women’s representation in the honours system, but culturally and linguistically diverse communities, particularly CALD women,...

15.06.2026 30

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

Belonging without assimilation: lessons from Prophet Muhammad’s life

Social cohesion is not built by erasing difference. As was demonstrated 1,400 years ago in the city of Medina, it is built by creating trust, justice...

15.06.2026 20

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

The prison system is failing at the point that matters most

Australia’s correctional system remains heavily focused on incarceration and punishment while failing to build a coordinated national framework to...

19.05.2026 30

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

Australia’s resilience is inseparable from Asia

05.05.2026 20

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

The Anzac story is bigger than we remember

24.04.2026 30

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

A mosque, a meal and the strength of Australian community

A shared Ramadan meal in Canberra shows how everyday encounters and neighbourly goodwill quietly build social cohesion in multicultural Australia. As...

11.03.2026 40

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

What it means to belong as a Muslim Australian

A life shaped by migration, public service and community leadership offers a quiet rebuttal to claims that Muslim Australians do not belong – and a...

26.02.2026 30

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

There's a lot wrong in the world but this Canberran event holds the solution

09.02.2026 20

Canberra Times

Mainul Haque

Female-only swimming saves lives: the overlooked gap in Australia’s drowning prevention

27.01.2026 20

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

Fear versus facts: why migrants strengthen Australia

04.12.2025 20

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

Why multicultural aged care is the key to meeting Australia’s ageing challenge

25.11.2025 20

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

The pearling past and the multicultural present: A story of connection and contribution

02.11.2025 20

Pearls and Irritations

Mainul Haque

The Barr government should be ashamed of this penny-pinching on our quiet heroes

11.07.2025 20

Canberra Times

Mainul Haque