I was born in the city of Mansoorah in the Arab Republic of Egypt in an ordinary Christian family in which religion had not much significance. We did not go to Church except on festive and ceremonial occasions.
As far as we were concerned, religion did not mean anything more than rites which we observed, when necessary, even though we did not understand the language in which these rites were conducted. Despite our not grasping what they meant, the rest of my family was deep in the blind fanaticism of the ignorant, who fear the loss of a thing even though they do not know its value. As for myself I never had such feelings even for a single moment. I found the services so tedious that I never sat through them to their conclusion.
I was plagued by boredom and unease. I felt sure that I was not meant to be one of them. I felt a total stranger in this place full of pictures, icons and statues like the temples of the idolaters of yore. Then I turned to reading with inexhaustible greed and enthusiasm, which stimulated my faculties and sharpened my feelings.
Questions began to strike my mind like a spade striking virgin land to prepare it for the sowing of good seeds to bring forth delicious fruits. It was at this time that doubt arose within me about the religion to which I was born, violently and extensively shattering my frame of mind.
My heart rejected emotionally and my mind denied logically the idea that Almighty God could appear in the tangible form of a man and come down to the earth and permit sinners to beat him, to spit on his face, and ultimately to torture and crucify him (according to the Christian claim), even if it was to exonerate them from the fault of their father Adam, as the Christians argue.
As for the belief that God has three entities, this too I refused to admit as true, because God is one and only one and He has no compare. As for the doctrine of the trinity, it must ultimately lead to a division of the entity of God Himself, whose glory is far above such a misconception.
Such beliefs are the fundamentals of Christianity, viz., the divinity of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion as an atonement for humanity, and the Trinity—the Father, the Son and The Holy Ghost. I banished these beliefs totally from the domain of my thinking; expelled them from my mind; and struck them off the register of my beliefs and conviction. I thus discarded all false and misleading beliefs.
They say that it is not possible to acquire sound belief through wisdom, because it is too sublime to be within the reach of the human mind. I, on my part, am fully convinced that if we use our intellect rightly, refined of the turbidity of passion and pre-conceived, ready-made ideologies, we can surely find a wealth of firm and unshakable Faith in Allah and in His supreme might and ability, before Whose dazzling signs one has no alternative but to surrender in humility and helplessness. Thus did I cross over the mountains of doubt of firm belief: the true religion of Allah which is Islam.
REVEALED RELIGIONS
I studied the revealed religions as well as the non-revealed cults, like Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, etc. In some I found traces of high morals and philosophy of the sort to guide man to ideal conduct. But when it comes to formulating a definition of Allah, they go too far either by supposing many gods, each of them entrusted with the management of one specific department of the affairs of the world, or by presenting Allah in tangible form, resembling very closely the forms and shapes of earthly creatures. These gods indulge both in serious activities and in vengeful pranks, express anger, eat and drink, and generally behave as mortals do.
As for Islam, it is the religion of nature. Almighty Allah has purified it of all material and tangible forms, and raised it to the highest degree of spiritualism and purity. Islam confirms that Allah possesses, will, wisdom, discretion, knowledge and authority. According to Islam, Allah beautiful names are attributes which cannot be separated from His Being under any circumstances. It also emphasizes His oneness, which is not shared by anyone, and His existence for all eternity, as mentioned in Surah 112.
Say He is Allah the One and Only.Allah, the Absolute, the Eternal.He begot none, nor was He begotten. And no one is comparable to Him.
Thus did Islam attract me to its sublime and sacred fold—Islam the purest and most sublime of the revealed religions, unsullied by apostasy or the doctrine of incarnation.
ACCEPTANCE OF ISLAM
On the 8th of Ramadan I entered the mosque for the first time with two companions. My soul and conscience became purified in the melting pot of magnificent faith. I underwent that sweet, pleasant experience which opened to me the door of salvation. Every bit of my body pulsated with a pious soaring, high in the high heavens. Neither did I feel disgusted nor perplexed—No, never.
It was the radiation of brilliant light which shone outside and inside of me which acquainted me with who I really was. Soft, soothing, melodious inner voices whispered to me that from now onwards, till the end of my life, my path was Islam. In this moment which rose high above the summits of time, I stood before Allah, the One and Only, the Almighty, the Forgiving. His most High Spirit embraced me and asked me to resign myself to His care after the period of my prolonged loss and misfortune.
Immediately after concluding the prayer, I took the Holy Book at the gate of the Al-Husain mosque, and came back home imbibing enlightenment from the seas of its sacred verses and its eternal, clear wisdom by which I was thoroughly overwhelmed. This is the Book of God "about which there is no doubt.""Falsehood cannot come at it from before it or behind it." (41:32)
It shall remain preserved till the end of the world without distortion or change.
"We have without doubt, sent down the message; And we will assuredly guard it (from corruption)." (15:9)
In plunging into this Divine, copious and flowing bounty, I uttered the two Shahdatain (testimonies) and announced my Islam to Allah. So that the firmness of my faith might flourish and its impact on me might grow strong, I began to read books and works of contemporary Muslim thinkers who command influence in the Arab and other Muslim countries, Aqqad, a famous literary figure in Egypt, being one of them.
I hope in all humbleness that Allah may accept my Islam which I have embraced heart and soul as my last refuge. I have entered the fold of Islam in love of God, and His Prophet whose status is sublime and exalted and whose personality is unique and exceptional. I have always appreciate and honored him in the past and have an unflinching belief that he is the greatest of all personalities to leave an indelible mark on the annals of world history.
By Brother:Muhammad Nazeeh Khalid
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
All religions basically teach followers to do good deeds. Why should a person only follow Islam?
Major difference between Islam and most other religions All religions basically exhort mankind to be righteous and eschew evil. But Islam goes beyond that. It guides us towards practical ways of achieving righteousness and eliminating evil from our individual and collective lives. Islam takes into account human nature and the complexities of human society. Islam is guidance from the Creator Himself.
Therefore, Islam is also called the Deen-ul-Fitrah (the natural religion of Man). Islam commands us to shun robbery and also prescribes method of eliminating robbery
A. Islam prescribes method of eliminating robbery All major religions teach that theft is an evil act. Islam teaches the same.
So what is the difference between Islam and the other religions?
The difference lies in the fact that Islam, besides teaching that robbing is evil, shows a practical way of creating a social structure in which people will not rob.
B. Islam prescribes Zakat Islam prescribes a system of Zakat (obligatory annual charity). Islamic law prescribes that every person who has a saving that exceeds the nisab level i.e. more than 85 grams of gold, should give 2.5% of that saving every lunar year in charity. If every rich person in the world gave Zakat sincerely, poverty will be eradicated from this world. Not a single human being would die of hunger.
C. Chopping off the hands as punishment for robbery Islam prescribes chopping off the hands of the convicted robber. The Glorious Qur'an says in Surah Maidah: "As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands:a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power, full of wisdom." [ Al-Qur'an 5:38] The non-Muslim may say, "Chopping off the hands in this 20th century. Islam is a barbaric and ruthless religion!"
D. Results achieved when Islamic Shariah Implemented America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world. Unfortunately it also has one of the highest rates of crime, theft, and robbery. Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America i.e. every rich person gives Zakat ( 2.5% of his savings in charity above 85 grams of gold every lunar year), and every convicted robber has his or her hands chopped off as a punishment. Will the rate of theft and robbery in America increase, remain same or decrease? Naturally it will decrease.
Moreover the existence of such a stringent law would discourage many a potential robber. I agree that the amount of theft that takes place in the world today is so tremendous that if you chop off the hands of all the thieves, there will be tens of thousands of people whose hands will be chopped off.
The point here is that the moment you implement this law the rate of theft will decline immediately. The potential robber would give it a serious thought before jeopardizing his limbs. The mere thought of the punishment itself will discourage majority of the robbers. There will barely be a few who would rob. Hence only a few person's hands would be chopped off but millions would live peacefully without fear of being robbed.
Islamic Shariah is therefore practical, and achieves results.
Islam prohibits the molestation and rape of women. It enjoins hijab and prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist.
Islam prescribes method of eliminating molestation and rape All the major religions declare the molestation and rape of women as grave sins. Islam teaches the same. What then is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam does not merely preach respect for women, or abhor molestation and rape as serious crimes, but also gives clear guidance as to how society can eliminate such crimes.
Hijab for men Islam has a system of hijab. The Glorious Qur'an first mentions hijab for the men and then for the women. Hijab for the men is mentioned in the following verse: "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do." [Al-Qur'an 24:30] The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.
Hijab for women is mentioned in the following verse: "And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons...." [Al-Qur'an 24:31] The extent of hijab for a woman is that her complete body should be covered. The only part that can be seen, are the face and the hands up to the wrists. If they wish to cover, they can even cover these parts of the body. However some Islamic scholars insist that even the face should be covered.
Hijab prevents molestation The reason why Allah has prescribed Hijab for the women is given in the Qur'an in the folowing verse of Surah Al-Ahzab: "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women,that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful." [Al-Qur'an 33:59]
The Qur'an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women this would prevent them from being molested. e. Example of twin sisters Suppose two sisters who are twins and who are equally beautiful, walk down a street. One of them is wearing the Islamic Hijab i.e. the complete body is covered except for the face and the hands up to the wrists, and the other twin is wearing a mini skirt or shorts. Around the corner there is a hooligan who is waiting for an opportunity to tease a girl. Who will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the mini skirt or shorts?
Dresses that expose more than they conceal, are an indirect temptation to the opposite sex for teasing, molestation and rape. The Qur'an rightly says that the hijab prevents women from being molested.
Capital punishment for rapist The Islamic shariah prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist. The non-Muslim may be horrified at such a stringent punishment in this age. Many accuse Islam of being ruthless and barbaric. I have asked a common question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose God-forbid, some one rapes your wife, your mother or your sister and you are made the judge. The rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said, "we would put him to death." Some went to the extent of saying, "we would torture him to death", If your wife or your mother is raped you want the rapist to be put to death. But if someone else's wife or mother is raped, capital punishment is a barbaric law. Why the double standards?
U.S.A. has one of the highest rate of Rape The United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. An F.B.I report in the year 1990 says that 1,02,555 cases of rape were reported. It further says that only 16% of the cases of rapes are reported.
Thus, in order to know the actual number of rapes that took place in 1990, the reported figure should be multiplied by 6.25. We get a total of 6,40,968 rape cases that took place in the year 1990. If the total is divided by 365 the number of days in a year, we get an average of 1,756 rape incidents everyday. Later another report said that an average of 1900 cases of rape are committed in U.S.A every day.
According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics (U. S. Dept. of Justice) in 1996 alone 3,07,000 cases of rape were reported. Only 31% of the actual cases of rape were reported. Thus, 3,07,000 X 3.226 = 9,90,322 rapes took place in 1996. That is, an average of 2,713 cases of rape took place everyday in America in 1996. Every 32 seconds one rape is taking place in America. Maybe American rapists got bolder.
The FBI report of 1990 continues and says that out of the rape cases that were reported only 10% of the rapist were arrested, that is only 1.6% of the actual rapes committed. Out of those arrested, 50% were let free before the trial. This would mean that only 0.8% of the rapists faced a trial.
In other words if a person commits 125 rapes the chances that he will get a punishment for rape is only once. Many would consider this a good gamble. And the report says that of those people who faced trial 50% received sentences of less than a year's imprisonment though the American law says rape carries a seven year sentence of imprisonment.
For a rapist, the judge is lenient to first time offenders. Imagine a person commits 125 rapes and the chances of being convicted is only once, and 50% of the time the judge will grant leniency and give a sentence of less than a year!
If the Islamic Shariah is Implemented in America, Whenever a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic Hijab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrists. After this if any man commits rape, he gets capital punishment. The question is, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same or will it decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Islamic Shariah gets results.
Islam has Practical Solutions for the Problems of Mankind Islam is the best way of life because its teachings are not doctrinaire rhetoric but practical solutions for the problems of mankind. Islam achieves results both at the individual and collective levels.
Islam is the best way of life because it is a practical, universal religion not confined to any ethnic group or nationality.
Therefore, Islam is also called the Deen-ul-Fitrah (the natural religion of Man). Islam commands us to shun robbery and also prescribes method of eliminating robbery
A. Islam prescribes method of eliminating robbery All major religions teach that theft is an evil act. Islam teaches the same.
So what is the difference between Islam and the other religions?
The difference lies in the fact that Islam, besides teaching that robbing is evil, shows a practical way of creating a social structure in which people will not rob.
B. Islam prescribes Zakat Islam prescribes a system of Zakat (obligatory annual charity). Islamic law prescribes that every person who has a saving that exceeds the nisab level i.e. more than 85 grams of gold, should give 2.5% of that saving every lunar year in charity. If every rich person in the world gave Zakat sincerely, poverty will be eradicated from this world. Not a single human being would die of hunger.
C. Chopping off the hands as punishment for robbery Islam prescribes chopping off the hands of the convicted robber. The Glorious Qur'an says in Surah Maidah: "As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands:a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power, full of wisdom." [ Al-Qur'an 5:38] The non-Muslim may say, "Chopping off the hands in this 20th century. Islam is a barbaric and ruthless religion!"
D. Results achieved when Islamic Shariah Implemented America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world. Unfortunately it also has one of the highest rates of crime, theft, and robbery. Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America i.e. every rich person gives Zakat ( 2.5% of his savings in charity above 85 grams of gold every lunar year), and every convicted robber has his or her hands chopped off as a punishment. Will the rate of theft and robbery in America increase, remain same or decrease? Naturally it will decrease.
Moreover the existence of such a stringent law would discourage many a potential robber. I agree that the amount of theft that takes place in the world today is so tremendous that if you chop off the hands of all the thieves, there will be tens of thousands of people whose hands will be chopped off.
The point here is that the moment you implement this law the rate of theft will decline immediately. The potential robber would give it a serious thought before jeopardizing his limbs. The mere thought of the punishment itself will discourage majority of the robbers. There will barely be a few who would rob. Hence only a few person's hands would be chopped off but millions would live peacefully without fear of being robbed.
Islamic Shariah is therefore practical, and achieves results.
Islam prohibits the molestation and rape of women. It enjoins hijab and prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist.
Islam prescribes method of eliminating molestation and rape All the major religions declare the molestation and rape of women as grave sins. Islam teaches the same. What then is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam does not merely preach respect for women, or abhor molestation and rape as serious crimes, but also gives clear guidance as to how society can eliminate such crimes.
Hijab for men Islam has a system of hijab. The Glorious Qur'an first mentions hijab for the men and then for the women. Hijab for the men is mentioned in the following verse: "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do." [Al-Qur'an 24:30] The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.
Hijab for women is mentioned in the following verse: "And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons...." [Al-Qur'an 24:31] The extent of hijab for a woman is that her complete body should be covered. The only part that can be seen, are the face and the hands up to the wrists. If they wish to cover, they can even cover these parts of the body. However some Islamic scholars insist that even the face should be covered.
Hijab prevents molestation The reason why Allah has prescribed Hijab for the women is given in the Qur'an in the folowing verse of Surah Al-Ahzab: "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women,that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful." [Al-Qur'an 33:59]
The Qur'an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women this would prevent them from being molested. e. Example of twin sisters Suppose two sisters who are twins and who are equally beautiful, walk down a street. One of them is wearing the Islamic Hijab i.e. the complete body is covered except for the face and the hands up to the wrists, and the other twin is wearing a mini skirt or shorts. Around the corner there is a hooligan who is waiting for an opportunity to tease a girl. Who will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the mini skirt or shorts?
Dresses that expose more than they conceal, are an indirect temptation to the opposite sex for teasing, molestation and rape. The Qur'an rightly says that the hijab prevents women from being molested.
Capital punishment for rapist The Islamic shariah prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist. The non-Muslim may be horrified at such a stringent punishment in this age. Many accuse Islam of being ruthless and barbaric. I have asked a common question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose God-forbid, some one rapes your wife, your mother or your sister and you are made the judge. The rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said, "we would put him to death." Some went to the extent of saying, "we would torture him to death", If your wife or your mother is raped you want the rapist to be put to death. But if someone else's wife or mother is raped, capital punishment is a barbaric law. Why the double standards?
U.S.A. has one of the highest rate of Rape The United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. An F.B.I report in the year 1990 says that 1,02,555 cases of rape were reported. It further says that only 16% of the cases of rapes are reported.
Thus, in order to know the actual number of rapes that took place in 1990, the reported figure should be multiplied by 6.25. We get a total of 6,40,968 rape cases that took place in the year 1990. If the total is divided by 365 the number of days in a year, we get an average of 1,756 rape incidents everyday. Later another report said that an average of 1900 cases of rape are committed in U.S.A every day.
According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics (U. S. Dept. of Justice) in 1996 alone 3,07,000 cases of rape were reported. Only 31% of the actual cases of rape were reported. Thus, 3,07,000 X 3.226 = 9,90,322 rapes took place in 1996. That is, an average of 2,713 cases of rape took place everyday in America in 1996. Every 32 seconds one rape is taking place in America. Maybe American rapists got bolder.
The FBI report of 1990 continues and says that out of the rape cases that were reported only 10% of the rapist were arrested, that is only 1.6% of the actual rapes committed. Out of those arrested, 50% were let free before the trial. This would mean that only 0.8% of the rapists faced a trial.
In other words if a person commits 125 rapes the chances that he will get a punishment for rape is only once. Many would consider this a good gamble. And the report says that of those people who faced trial 50% received sentences of less than a year's imprisonment though the American law says rape carries a seven year sentence of imprisonment.
For a rapist, the judge is lenient to first time offenders. Imagine a person commits 125 rapes and the chances of being convicted is only once, and 50% of the time the judge will grant leniency and give a sentence of less than a year!
If the Islamic Shariah is Implemented in America, Whenever a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic Hijab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrists. After this if any man commits rape, he gets capital punishment. The question is, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same or will it decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Islamic Shariah gets results.
Islam has Practical Solutions for the Problems of Mankind Islam is the best way of life because its teachings are not doctrinaire rhetoric but practical solutions for the problems of mankind. Islam achieves results both at the individual and collective levels.
Islam is the best way of life because it is a practical, universal religion not confined to any ethnic group or nationality.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
A Muslim BANKER is about to become Australia's Top Postal Chief.
A BANKER is about to become the nation's top postie.
After running banks from Wall Street to Australia and most recently the Middle East, Ahmed Fahour has set his sights on the stamps and parcels business.
But that does not mean the new boss of Australia Post is about to apply for a banking licence when he takes charge in new boss of Australia Post .
A move to take on the big four banks was not on his priority list, Mr Fahour told the Herald.
"It takes a banker to know the risks of entering into the lending business and even very sophisticated banks that have been in the business for hundreds of years still lose money", he said.
One his first tasks will be to revive attempts to increase the price of stamps by 5 cents to 60 cents to restore profits in the loss-making letter delivery business. Australia Post's request was recently rejected by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
''I think you can expect there will be some discussions in 2010 on that,'' Mr Fahour said.
Mr Fahour, the son of Lebanese immigrants, rose to the role of one the nation's most powerful executives. After a stint on Wall Street with the US bank Citigroup, in 2004 National Australia Bank hired him to rebuild the bank's Australian business.
That move attracted immediate controversy, given that his sign-on package was worth up to $34 million over four years.
The pay scales at government-owned Australia Post are more modest than in banking. His package is expected to be in line with that of the outgoing boss, Graeme John, who took home $2.5 million last year.
Mr Fahour said it was not a stretch to go from running a retail bank that had hundreds of branches and thousands of ATMs and more than 25,000 staff to running Australia's postal delivery service.
''It's an iconic company with a strong brand. Like banking, it services a vast array of customers every day in locations all over Australia,'' he said.
But Mr Fahour comes to Australia Post when it is facing pressure on several fronts. The internet is eroding its core letter delivery business while profits for parcel delivery remain under pressure.
A one-time contender for the role of chief executive at NAB, Mr Fahour left the bank in February to become the interim head of the $4 billion government-backed Australian Business Investment Partnership.
But this did not get off the ground after the Senate rejected the so-called Ruddbank, aimed at stimulating commercial property lending.
Mr Fahour has just finished a short stint running investment bank Gulf Finance House, based in Bahrain. After only four months, he said the job he had set out to do was finished - well ahead of his initial 12-month target.
As Australia Post emerges from a period of strike action, the national secretary of the Finance Sector Union, Leon Carter, said during his time running NAB's Australian operation Mr Fahour had understood that unions had a legitimate role. ''He was accessible and open to ideas. It doesn't mean he agreed to things but at least he was prepared to sit down and listen''.
Mr Carter said that at NAB Mr Fahour had a strong record in workforce diversity, particularly supporting the promotion of women in the workplace.
After running banks from Wall Street to Australia and most recently the Middle East, Ahmed Fahour has set his sights on the stamps and parcels business.
But that does not mean the new boss of Australia Post is about to apply for a banking licence when he takes charge in new boss of Australia Post .
A move to take on the big four banks was not on his priority list, Mr Fahour told the Herald.
"It takes a banker to know the risks of entering into the lending business and even very sophisticated banks that have been in the business for hundreds of years still lose money", he said.
One his first tasks will be to revive attempts to increase the price of stamps by 5 cents to 60 cents to restore profits in the loss-making letter delivery business. Australia Post's request was recently rejected by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
''I think you can expect there will be some discussions in 2010 on that,'' Mr Fahour said.
Mr Fahour, the son of Lebanese immigrants, rose to the role of one the nation's most powerful executives. After a stint on Wall Street with the US bank Citigroup, in 2004 National Australia Bank hired him to rebuild the bank's Australian business.
That move attracted immediate controversy, given that his sign-on package was worth up to $34 million over four years.
The pay scales at government-owned Australia Post are more modest than in banking. His package is expected to be in line with that of the outgoing boss, Graeme John, who took home $2.5 million last year.
Mr Fahour said it was not a stretch to go from running a retail bank that had hundreds of branches and thousands of ATMs and more than 25,000 staff to running Australia's postal delivery service.
''It's an iconic company with a strong brand. Like banking, it services a vast array of customers every day in locations all over Australia,'' he said.
But Mr Fahour comes to Australia Post when it is facing pressure on several fronts. The internet is eroding its core letter delivery business while profits for parcel delivery remain under pressure.
A one-time contender for the role of chief executive at NAB, Mr Fahour left the bank in February to become the interim head of the $4 billion government-backed Australian Business Investment Partnership.
But this did not get off the ground after the Senate rejected the so-called Ruddbank, aimed at stimulating commercial property lending.
Mr Fahour has just finished a short stint running investment bank Gulf Finance House, based in Bahrain. After only four months, he said the job he had set out to do was finished - well ahead of his initial 12-month target.
As Australia Post emerges from a period of strike action, the national secretary of the Finance Sector Union, Leon Carter, said during his time running NAB's Australian operation Mr Fahour had understood that unions had a legitimate role. ''He was accessible and open to ideas. It doesn't mean he agreed to things but at least he was prepared to sit down and listen''.
Mr Carter said that at NAB Mr Fahour had a strong record in workforce diversity, particularly supporting the promotion of women in the workplace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
