EID of Respect And Love

By Our Reporter
0
1929

PAASA holds celebration to recognise contributions of Muslim Australians

Muslim Australians come from many different cultures and backgrounds and play an integral role in Australia’s shared heritage. The celebration of Eid provides an excellent opportunity to recognise the contributions that Muslims have made and continue to make to Australia’s free and prosperous society.

In Adelaide, Pakistani Australian Association of South Australia (PAASA), under the presidency of Mr Adeel Sadiq, celebrated Eid as it marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

From the PAASA committee, attendees including political leaders, community representatives and religious delegates appreciated a united message of Eid being a time of celebration and joy as an experience of a great sense of achievement and closeness to the Almighty—A time of happiness and joy of spiritual fulfillment.

The PAASA Eid Gala Dinner was a showcase of multiculturalism in South Australia, a good example of Muslim and Non-Muslin unity in diversity providing a platform for celebration, tolerance and peace on a grand scale. The evening witnessed Muslims and Non-Muslims from many backgrounds, ethnic communities and societies gathered together to display their colorful costumes, ethic foods, songs, folk dances and other cultural displays within the bounds of the Islamic way of life.

Hon David Pisoni MP, Minister for Innovation and Skills, offered his greetings to the community and joined in the special prayers. Professor Mohamad Abdalla, Director Centre for Islamic Thought and Education, in his speech described ‘Hope’ as one of the lessons we learn in Ramadan. He said Allah promised that He will answer those who ask Him with hope in their hearts, and that there are signs of hope everywhere.

The event was also attended by politicians and diplomats including, Hon Katrine Hildyard, Shadow Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Shadow Minister for Status of Women; Hon Zoe Bettison, Shadow Minister for Trade, Tourism & Investment; Mr. Shaun Osborn, Liberal Candidate for Federal Elections; Ms. Adriana Christopoulos, Board Member—SAMEAC; Miriam Cocking, Chairperson MCCSA; Mr Michael Coxon, Mayor of City of West Torrens; HE Babar Amin, High Commissioner of Pakistan; and Matthew Diglio, Community Programs Coordinator—Multicultural SANFL.

Delighted to join the celebration as multicultural community representatives were Director Multicultural Communities of Australia Deepak Bhardwaj; SANFL Multicultural Community Ambassador Saru Rana; President Indian Australian Association of South Australia (IAASA) Narayana Rai; Treasurer of Ferda Association Mansoor Hashimi; and President Guru Nanak Sikh Society SA Mahanbir Singh and Balbir Kaur.

Appreciating PAASA’s tireless efforts for the success of the evening, attendees wholeheartedly welcomed the special focus on distributing EIDI (Eid Gifts), which is one of the biggest ways to gradually introduce kids to the spirit of the celebration and to make EID stand out among youngsters. Eid gifts were nicely wrapped in order to make Eid exciting for all the kids present. For younger kids, gifts usually work best and the emphasis was best kept on the spirit of the gift giving, which is highly appreciated.

“I admired the gesture of respect towards family ties that are strengthened through the ritual of acknowledging the elder family members and then moving down the chain to younger relatives and finally friends and neighbours,” said Ms Rana, also CEO-SHAMSHIR & Director Multicultural Communities of Australia. “The PAASA Eid celebration gave all the opportunity to acknowledge and bond with older generations that laid the foundation of the association, which is highly commendable.”

 

Donate To The Indian Sun

Dear Reader,

The Indian Sun is an independent organisation committed to community journalism. We have, through the years, been able to reach a wide audience especially with the growth of social media, where we also have a strong presence. With platforms such as YouTube videos, we have been able to engage in different forms of storytelling. However, the past few years, like many media organisations around the world, it has not been an easy path. We have a greater challenge. We believe community journalism is very important for a multicultural country like Australia. We’re not able to do everything, but we aim for some of the most interesting stories and journalism of quality. We call upon readers like you to support us and make any contribution. Do make a DONATION NOW so we can continue with the volume and quality journalism that we are able to practice.

Thank you for your support.

Best wishes,
Team The Indian Sun

Comments