Yasi Naji is a rare breed of Muslim man; born and raised in Australia. He is thirty-six years old and was a staff medic in the Air Force before turning to a life of Islam. He has a strong national identity, which is apparent in his desire to work as a social worker in the community in Western Sydney. While much of Yasi’s focus is on his spirituality, he also has a strong sense of community work that draws him to jobs with men, for example, in an Islamic halfway house in Parramatta.
In late 2021 Yasi Naji began a relationship without Uygun, a thirty four-year-old indigenous from Indonesian whom he had met while serving in the navy. In April, they got married and six months later Yasi was given a multicultural visa and moved into a multicultural housing unit in Kingsford, New South Wales. Although he identifies as a Muslim, he has not undergone any Muslim rituals such as the customary face washing or wearing of the head scarf. He worked in the local store with the white-skinned boy, where he metoya.
After two and a half years in the multicultural centre, Yasi realised that he wanted to start a family. He went to Mangere, where he found a partner in a Chinese woman called Hua Zhi Hui. Three children were born to them, aged three, five and seven. He feels very proud of his national background and Australian citizenship and considered his marriage to be valid under the national legislation. Although he has not brought his partner into the religion of Islam, he describes himself as a very spiritual person who follows his own path in his private life.