Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tomorrow I will be hosting a group of around 40 young delegates from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association of Australia. They are coming to Parliament House to participate in a non-partisan roundtable about how parliament works and how they, as young people, might contribute to Australia in future, perhaps even in public life. Other members of parliament who are here are welcome to come along, of course. It is going to be led Mr Mirza Ramzan Sharif, the national external affairs executive of the community.

I am proud to say I have had a long involvement with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, who are based in Marsden Park just outside of my electorate, but many of their community are indeed my constituents. The Rouse Hill Times headline from 11 March 2014 sums it up very well: 'Ahmadiyya Muslim Association prove their faith in community'. It goes on to say:

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association's regular community works are much a part of their faith as their commitment to improving life around them.

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They pride themselves in doing good in the community and their efforts in the recent Clean Up Australia Day underlines this facet of their faith: they held the top four spots Australia-wide for the highest numbers of volunteers for event and also topped NSW for donations.

These are exemplary young people. I participate regularly in their Australia Day celebrations. Their mottos, 'Love for all; hatred for none' and 'Love of God equals love of one's country', certainly stand as testaments to their faith in community. (Time expired)