Greg Hearn is the Country Director for the Centre for the Study of Political Islam International (CSPII) and Goodwill Ambassador for the Centre for World Understanding (C4WU), covering Australia and Southeast Asia. His work centres on non-governmental diplomacy around Political Islam, engaging with religious organisations, social clubs and community platforms across the region to build understanding of an area he believes is poorly taught and widely misunderstood.
Greg's areas of expertise span the doctrine of Political Islam, drawing on the Koran, the Sira (Mohammed's biography) and the Hadith (Mohammed's traditions), along with the dualistic language often used within Political Islam, where the same terms can carry very different meanings depending on audience and context. His work also looks closely at Islamic doctrine as it relates to women, including veiling, marriage and legal status, as well as the use of mosques, Islamic finance and law, and the broader impact of Political Islam on interfaith dialogue between Islamic and non-Islamic communities.
A Career Before the Cause
Before moving into this field, Greg spent over two decades in financial services. He founded and ran GF Hearn Financial Services Pty Ltd as CEO and owner from 1989 to 2012, having started out as a financial advisor with MLC Australia from 1983. He holds a Diploma in Financial Planning through the Financial Planning Association of Australia and is a Certified Financial Planner.
Speaking and Advocacy
Since 2021, Greg has represented CSPII and C4WU as a speaker across Australia and Southeast Asia, addressing religious organisations, social clubs and community groups on the realities of Political Islam. His international engagements include a lecture on Political Islam and Islamic veiling at Nakhon Sawan Rajabhat University in Thailand in October 2022, and an online address to the Czech Parliament in September 2021 on Political Islam in the context of national security.
He has also presented at the National Scientific Conference at the Faculty of Political and Security Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland, as part of the 10th Winter Methodological School. Greg is a contributor to Quadrant Magazine and has appeared on US radio through The Tennessee Informer on 88.9 WYN FM, alongside podcast and video work for CSPII.
A Life of Service
Alongside his advocacy work, Greg has taught English as a volunteer in Thailand's Kaem Pheng Phet province, and has contributed to the Climate Awareness Program through the Moreland Energy Foundation. Closer to home, he's given his time to administrative support and coaching at the Pascoe Vale, NSFC and St Francis De Salle sports clubs.
Greg's travel and engagement across Asia and Africa, including Israel, France, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei and Egypt, has given him firsthand insight into the communities and cultures he speaks about. He brings this depth of experience to the Siege of Malta Dinner, where his words promise to inform, challenge and inspire.
