Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Today the Australian Muslim community is celebrating Eid al-Adha with Muslims around the world. Eid al-Adha describes events which are found in almost identical terms in the Quran, the Torah and the Bible of Ibrahim's—or Abraham's—faith having his son spared. It is an event which unites all the Abrahamic faiths.

There was a special sense of unity this year when all Muslims around the world celebrated on the same day as pilgrims gathered at Mount Arafat. Many Australians made the long journey to the cities of Mecca and Medina to join the Hajj pilgrimage and we wish them all a safe journey home.

There are many ways we see Eid al-Adha celebrated in the community, whether it be a haircut leading up to the day, a gift for a friend, sharing a meal, a new set of clothes or joining others in prayer. My electorate of Watson has communities from all around the world, including Muslims from around the world. Today they share in the importance of family and togetherness with the wider community.

In a multicultural society, we should always resist those who claim the way to show respect is by nobody celebrating anything for risk of offending. It is for this reason that, when I celebrate Christmas, I always prefer to wish people a happy Christmas rather than using terms such as 'happy holidays' or 'seasons greetings'. Modern multicultural Australia should give us the opportunity to celebrate every occasion with joy rather than avoid religious references out of fear. In this spirit, I take great pleasure in wishing everyone all the best for Eid al-Adha. Eid Mubarak!

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