Writer-Publisher

Haset Sali

LLB. B. JURISPRUDENCE

President, Inspiration Foundation Ltd.

Writer-Publisher, "The Holy Quran Simply: a simple English translation"

Haset Sali, is the writer and publisher of the "The Holy Quran Simply: A simple English translation", former Senior Honorary Legal Advisor to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) for over 35-years. Haset Sali also served as President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Societies forerunner of AFIC in 1972-73. Haset also worked as a Commercial Lawyer and Strategic Planner for over 30 years and made a 'hands-on’ contribution to a wide range of community activities, business commerce and industry throughout his career.

Today, Haset Sali is the President and Founder of the Inspiration Foundation, a not-for profit organization based in Australia, which seeks to promote the peaceful messages and meanings of Islam while contributing to and helping worthy causes.

Pre-World War Two, Haset's late parents were humble, non-political, free migrants from Albania to Australia who never lost their Faith in God and His Divine principles. His parents managed to establish a family farm of their own in Victoria initially producing vegetables and later they established an orchard.

Australian by birth and Albanian by heritage, Haset Sali was born in Shepparton, Victoria in 1943. He grew up with two extremes in thinking that dominated the last half of the 20th century: firstly, 'Democracy' and freedom experienced while living and growing up in Australia; and secondly, 'Communism' and growing up with worry and concern about the welfare of his beloved family members overseas who were oppressed by the Russian Stalinist Communist regime in Albania.

As a child, Haset attended the Grahamvale Primary School, and as a teenager Haset attended the Shepparton High School in Victoria where he excelled and became Head Prefect and School Captain. Haset explained he was never a consistent 'A-grade' student because he never had the time while helping his family on the farm. Working on the farm, however, taught him a lot about life. 

Haset then went on to Monash University, Melbourne, completing a Bachelor of Laws Degree and a Bachelor of Jurisprudence Degree with studies in history, international law, political philosophy and economics.

Back in Albania the 'Iron Fist' control of Stalinist Communism made freedom of religion, freedom of communication, freedom to learn and freedom of movement only a dream. Thegovernment dealt harshly with its critics and to publicly or persistently advocate belief in God meant certain prison if not much worse consequences. Sadly, the rest of the world remainedsilent and did nothing about it.

Haset's Mother and Father walked a tightrope when writing to their family back home in Albania. For over 50 years absolutely no telephone communication was permitted by Albania’s Stalinist leader and letters were opened and read by government officials.

Haset recalls how his Dad would take up to two or three days to write a half page letter to his mum, his brothers and family in Albania knowing full-well that the letter would be opened and read by a government official. "Despite this tragic situation our family has always loved Albania, loved its people and would do anything we could to help them," Haset says. "Australia's love of freedom, though coupled with obligations, continually strengthened my parent’s eternal optimism, positive spirit and their faith in God. Thankfully, they lived to see the end of communism in Albania. Sadly, most of their loved ones in Albania died before 1990-91 and they did not get to see them or share memories."

"I never saw or spoke with my grandparents." 

"My Mum cried for months on end when she received a letter saying her Father had died. As a little boy, I sincerely pleaded with her not to cry or be sad. She slowly responded and it made me realise how cruel leaders can be and how powerful even the kind words of a child can be," Haset explains.

"The new era of freedom for Albanians is a great challenge since the USA and Britain in 1999-2000 led the United Nations in preventing Serbia's program of exterminating Albanians. This also helped me realise how much hurt and suffering is inflicted on innocent people when brutal totalitarian leaders are suspicious and lack compassion and constantly use harsh actions and words... Like all mankind-created things, Communism shall ultimately perish."

This background explains some of the reasons why Haset has chosen to comment on specific social matters. It would also spur part of his motivation to ultimately seek to publish a simplified English translation of the Quran years later.

Snapshots of Haset's professional career include his role from 1977 -1990 as Director and Executive Chairman of SPC Ltd [SPC] the food and fruit corporation at Shepparton. Today, SPC Ardmona is Australia's premier fruit and vegetable processing company.

From 1982-1990, Haset was instrumental in leading SPC out of its "Tree Pull" era and oversaw its reduction of old corporate debt from $120 million down to $65 million. Sales were increased from $75 million to $170 million with a bottom-line, pre-interest profit of $13 million in 1989. About 50% of product was exported to 72 countries. By 1990 over 2000 families relied on SPC for their livelihood.

From 1986-1991, Haset served as the Honorary Chairman of National Transport Federation, Australia. Since 1990 I have continued to work with a select group of clients in  with significant and growing success. NTF was established by Haset and Goulburn Valley Transport operators to ensure transport employers of all sizes were properly represented in the industrial arena and with governments (Cw. and state). The charter was to nationally provide better service, increased productivity, fair pay and much better safety in the work place and on the roads.

Haset's achievements while with NTF include: introduction of speed limiters (100kph) on all articulated vehicles throughout Australia; a National system of driver registration and accreditation; and notorious "Black Spot” elimination a top priority roads.

In the decade that followed from 1990 to 2000, Haset continued his enterprising and legal career consulting for a select group of clients in the areas of corporate restructuring, strategic planning, high tech industries and asset management. In 2000, Haset was appointed to the Board of Directors of Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Pty. Ltd. and elected Deputy Chairman of Directors. This very successful family company is based in Bundaberg and is renouned for owning one of Australia's most well-known Brands for Ginger-Beer drinks, which has now embarked on an exciting era of innovation and global growth.

Behind the scenes of his professional career, in 1993, Haset reached a major personal turning point in his life. He made the move to Queensland and decided to step up his efforts to finish a translation of the Holy Quran in English - a personal project he had been working on for a number of years. In the time after Haset's parents migrated to Australia, all his relatives back home in Albania knew was the suppression of their freedom, suppression of their religion, and suppression of their ability to move, think and speak about what they wanted. By contrast, in Australia, Haset grew up in a country where individual freedom was a natural expectation of all people. This caused his family to love and cherish Australia. Australia offered “freedom of religion” as well as freedom of movement, freedom to learn, think and speak. This freedom coupled his family's ability to maintain their Faith in God continually strengthened his family's eternal optimism, and helped get them through those difficult years. 

However, while his family's Muslim beliefs helped them manage and cope with their ordeals, over the years Haset noticed that Islam had received much unjustified and unfair criticism and was seriously misunderstood in the Western world. He felt that English speaking people were at a serious disadvantage in trying to understand God's Message in the Holy Quran because their very few English translations available. He knew that the true Divine Message promoted in the Holy Quran was in fact 'peace, honesty, civility, sanity, charity and Love'. A new vision and challenge opened up in his life desiring to cast a new truthful light about The Book to many thinking English speaking people around the World.

"Almighty God expects us to fulfil our trusteeship on Earth by: treating all other humans with Love, forgiveness, respect and by pursuing worthy conduct, peace, prosperity and charity in The Spirit of His Divine Principles," explains Haset Sali. "This Freedom and Obligation common to the three of the One God religions: Judaism, Christainity and Islam."

Haset's life has been met by many challenges of a new family migrating to Australia in the hope of making better start, while facing the background struggle of lost family left behind back in their homeland of Albania who were suppressed on their religious beliefs and who had lost their freedoms. This background is why Haset has taken a keen interest in law and political systems, and why he has ultimately sort to be an active social speaker publicly. Passion, belief and devotion to the Divine Messages of the Holy Quran helped his family pull through difficult times, and through his translation of the Holy Quran in English he has been able to honor his family's Faith in God and obligations share the Truth and messages of 'peace, honesty, civility, sanity, charity and Love' in Islam by virtual and appreciation of the religious and democratics freedoms in Australia.

"All this has helped me realise the belief of the great majority of families in Australia is very similar, we deeply and sincerely love Australia and want peace and prosperity to thrive here and globally." Haset Sali.