Originally from Lebanon, Sheikh Haitham Al-Rifai is a prominent figure amongst the Muslim community in Melbourne, Australia. The Sheikh obtained his secondary education from Al-Azhar University in Lebanon in 1997. In 2001, he was granted a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sharia from the Faculty of Sharia at the Islamic University of Beirut. He also holds a master’s degree and a PHD in the Fundamentals of Religion from Al-Jinan University in Tripoli. Sheikh Haitham has taught at Al-Azhar University in Lebanon, the Faculty of Sharia, Akkar branch, and numerous Sharia institutes. He is a licensed Quran reciter in the narration of Hafs An Assim. He has been an Imam and preacher since 1998. At present, he is the Imam at the Australian Islamic Centre (Newport Mosque) in Melbourne, Australia.