Join Dr Yassir Morsi of La Trobe University and the 2017 Visiting Scholar of the Centre for Global Migrations as he discusses how Muslims re-build and 'become Western' in a free public lecture at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

In western states, today's debate about Muslims is commonly about whether they possess the right cultural or democratic qualities. Many use a white liberal (often poorly expressed) standard to decide this. They use it to determine whether society should see Muslims as rightful members of our nation or whether Islam's lack of these qualities make Muslims a threat and an outsider within.

Dr Morsi asks what happens if we shift the discussion. What takes its place if we move away from a debate that does not begin with the question on whether Muslims 'belong'? What happens if it turns into a conversation on how (and in what ways) Muslims re-build, re-orient, sustain and 'become' (and help define what is) 'western'?

This approach will allow us to move away from notions that immigrants are hindered by their foreignness and of threats of the outsider within.

Dr Morsi is a lecturer at La Trobe University's Politics and Philosophy Department and is author of Radical Skin, Moderate Masks.