In a time when traditional religious affiliations are declining, a group of young Australians is turning to various faiths, forging new paths and identities within their communities. Soaliha Iqbal, Dane Cousins, Evan Forrest, and Rajas Satija are particularly exceptional among a great batch. They each come with their own special blend of experiences and ideologies. What their journeys show, above all, is how personal experiences and relationships direct them along their religious paths. This points to a distinctive development within the overall Australia-wide trend of organized religion’s decline.
Soaliha Iqbal, 26, shares her experience growing up in an Australian-Muslim family. Raised by parents who immigrated from Pakistan, she studied in a Muslim school until the age of ten. It was in university that she started her own family when she met and married her husband, an important turning point in her life. Their colorful wedding The couple’s traditional wedding is filled with colorful red and gold attire, representing their rich Indian heritage. Detailed jewelry enhances the pageantry, gorgeously portraying their collective religion.
Likewise, former Nationalist Dane Cousins, now 24, went through an equally radical change to his worldview. Once conversion to Islam and then a staunch atheist, he started feeling a spiritual opening and exploring other religions, eventually converting to Eastern Orthodoxy. He intends to live out this commitment of faith for the rest of his days. Those personal revelations radically altered his understanding of spirituality and continue to fuel Alok’s passion.
For Evan Forrest, it all started on a trip to India when he was 20. A pilgrimage to the Taj Mahal initiated an overriding shift in his understanding of faith. When he returned to Australia, he was hollowed out. These experiences caused his soul to burn with desire for more life, more love and a truer spirituality.
“I’d tried everything else, and it was time to try God,” – Evan Forrest.
At only 19 years old, Rajas Satija started the Dharma Down Under group. This initiative seeks to prioritize honest, open, and creative exploration of people’s spiritual identities. Raised by progressive Hindu parents, Rajas believes that everyone should critically examine their beliefs.
“Dharma is essentially all traditions that exist within India… Loosely translated, it means duty, or that which sustains,” – Rajas Satija.
Rajas holds that each Indian tradition—Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism—contributes special angles of vision. He believes these perspectives hold the power to significantly deepen modern conversations about spirituality.
Irrespective of personal belief, the stories of these young Australians point to the importance of relationality in ongoing faith engagement. According to Dr. Anna Halafoff, an expert in religious studies, it can be attractive for youth looking for identity during those formative years. These important connections can encourage people to visit or attend religious spaces.
“Often people get involved in religious groups through significant relationships, whether that’s with peers or through a romantic relationship,” – Dr. Anna Halafoff.
This trend is most acute among younger generations who are dealing with pressures never before experienced by previous generations. The COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Halafoff continues, has exacerbated young people’s thirst to be in community and build community beyond these traditional siloed spaces.
“COVID kind of exacerbated this trend of young people looking for third spaces,” – Rajas Satija.
Dane Cousins’ story shows the difference that looking for true worship instead of the latest production can make. He laments the state of modern worship that has made us more fun than faithful.
“All of a sudden, I felt that something external was speaking to me, something from above,” – Dane Cousins.
He pushes on this desire for authenticity into worship spaces, flipping the idea of religion as an entertainment circus on its head.
“I’m in the house of God. I’m not here because I want to be comfortable … to be catered to or entertained. I’m here because I’m here to worship,” – Dane Cousins.
As these individuals navigate their spiritual journeys, they are contributing to a larger conversation about faith and identity among young Australians. Their stories, in turn, upend received wisdom about religious decline and show that the spirit of personal exploration is very much alive.
