On the UN International Day of Peace, religious communities from across Sydney are joining forces in a rare interfaith service to wholeheartedly endorse the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Scheduled for Thursday, 21 September, between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm, the event will be hosted at Pitt St Uniting Church.
The initiative is a collaborative effort involving a variety of organisations and faiths. The Muslim Collective, Pitt St Uniting Church, Hindus for Human Rights (ANZ), Indian Crescent Society of Australia, and the Buddhist Council of NSW are some of the notable participants. Additionally, Australian Religious Response to Climate Change and community members from the Jewish faith are contributing to the event. Diverse multicultural groups, including Desis for Yes, Afghan Women on the Move, and We Australians Are Creative Inc., are also joining the gathering.
As part of the event, special guest speaker Charles Prouse, a Nyikina man hailing from the Kimberley region in Western Australia, will share his insights. Charles is a leading advocate for the ‘Yes’ campaign, which supports the call for a Voice to Parliament for Indigenous peoples. The programme will conclude with a Q&A session, enabling attendees to engage in thoughtful dialogue.
Fahimah Badrulhisham, Muslim Collective Co-President, expressed the collective sentiment behind the event, saying, “We are convening a diverse group from various faith communities to demonstrate unanimous support for the Uluru Statement, which advocates for Voice, Truth, and Treaty. For many, the experience of being unheard or sidelined in policy-making is all too familiar. We understand that better outcomes arise when those directly impacted by laws and policies have a meaningful say.”
To underline the universal commitment to peace, the International Day of Peace was chosen for the event, according to Pitt St Uniting Church Reverend Josephine Inkpin. She highlighted that “peace is the cornerstone of all spiritual traditions and unifies us as global citizens. We want to demonstrate our resolute commitment as an interfaith community to stride alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our collective quest for a more equitable Australia.”
Kokila De Silva, Muslim Collective member and Event Organiser, further elaborated on the intentions of the assembly: “We aim to deepen our connection to shared human values through this event. It’s an opportunity to affirm our allegiance to the Uluru Statement while acknowledging the profound spiritual wisdom of First Nations people who have resided in this land for thousands of years.”
The event will feature the Uluru Statement from the Heart being articulated in multiple languages, representing the broad array of faith and cultural traditions present. The congregation will then engage in collective prayer and reflective offerings, centred around the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum.
In a significant gesture, the event will conclude by consolidating the reflections shared during the service on a physical card. This card will be submitted to the NSW Parliament on 12 October, serving as a lasting testament to the interfaith community’s commitment to the Uluru Statement and the aspirations it embodies.
As societal discussions around the Uluru Statement and Indigenous recognition gain momentum, this gathering promises to be a pivotal moment in the dialogue, offering a unified voice from a variety of religious and cultural communities. With spokespersons available for media interviews, the event ensures that the resounding ‘Yes’ from Sydney’s religious communities will reverberate in the public sphere, echoing a call for unity, recognition, and change.
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Religious communities in Sydney, including Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, & others, gather on the UN International Day of Peace to endorse the #UluruStatement from the Heart, advocating for #Indigenous recognition. 🙏✌️🇦🇺 #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/nb337NeuKf
— The Indian Sun (@The_Indian_Sun) September 18, 2023
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