A pioneering figure in Australia’s Muslim media landscape has been recognised with one of the nation’s highest civilian honours.
On Monday, June 8, 2026, Ziaul Islam Ahmad—widely known as Zia—became the first Muslim to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to journalism. The honour places him alongside his late father, Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad OAM, who received the same recognition in 2020, AMUST.com reported.
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For the Ahmad family, the achievement represents more than personal success. It reflects decades of dedicated service to community building, multicultural engagement, and public advocacy across generations.
Zia Ahmad, 73, is best known as the editor-in-chief of the Australasian Muslim Times (AMUST), Australia’s leading independent Muslim newspaper and news portal. Founded alongside his father in 1991, the publication has grown from a modest community newspaper into a multimedia platform covering Muslim and multicultural Australian life for audiences across the country.
“I accept this recognition with gratitude and humility,” Ahmad said.
“This honour belongs not only to me but to the many individuals, organizations, colleagues, volunteers, friends and family who have accompanied me on this journey – and to the communities I have had the privilege to serve over many years.”
“My most significant contribution to journalism has been founding the Australian Muslim Times with my father in 1991 and evolving it into the Australasian Muslim Times – AMUST – in 2014, today a print and digital publication supported by a multicultural online platform and an active social media presence.”
Family Legacy
Born into a family deeply committed to public service, Ahmad’s journey mirrors that of his father, who arrived in Australia in 1971 after leaving Kashmir.
Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad went on to earn a PhD from the University of Sydney and became a leading force behind numerous Islamic, interfaith, and community organizations. By the time he received his OAM shortly before his death, he had become one of Australia’s most respected Muslim community leaders.
Professionally trained as a biochemist, Zia Ahmad spent more than four decades working at the University of Sydney before retiring in 2013. Alongside his scientific career, he built a lasting legacy in journalism, multicultural advocacy, and interfaith engagement.
His contributions have been recognised through numerous awards, including the Premier’s Multicultural Communications Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021, which acknowledged nearly 50 years of work promoting multiculturalism, social cohesion, and unity.
He also received the panel’s Best Editorial Award in 2016 and Best Print Report Award in 2019, while other honours include an interfaith dialogue award, recognition from the Multicultural Communities Council of NSW, and appointment as an Ambassador of Peace by the Universal Peace Federation.
Today, Ahmad continues to serve on the Abraham Conference Organising Committee and the board of Western Grammar School.
“Drawing on both my Eastern heritage as an Australian of Indian Muslim background and more than five decades of lived experience here, I have come to appreciate the richness of diversity and the value of respectful engagement across cultures, faiths and viewpoints,” he said.
The OAM recognition also highlights the contributions of a family that has worked collectively to strengthen community institutions. His daughters, Rubinah and Mobinah Ahmad, have played key roles in the development of AMUST and broader multicultural initiatives, while his wife, Mehar Ahmad, has been recognised for her own community contributions.
“Zia’s recognition as the first Muslim to receive the OAM for services to journalism is a fitting tribute to his decades of dedication, integrity and service in this field,” Mehar said.
“Through his commitment to ethical journalism he has informed, educated and empowered communities, given voice to the underrepresented and helped build bridges across Australia’s diverse society.”
As independent multicultural media faces growing challenges, Ahmad sees the honour as recognition not only of his own work but also of the communities that supported it.
“We are a dawah family,” he says. “I have committed my life and involved my loving family into inviting all to see how grateful I am of the opportunity Australia has provided us with.”
The Order of Australia will be formally conferred at a ceremony in the coming months, marking another milestone in a family legacy defined by service, leadership, and community impact.