Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Multicultural Eid Festival and Fair in the Fairfield Showground. It is an event which is held annually in my community to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The event, hosted by the Australian MEFF Consortium, provides a wonderful showcase of multiculturalism in Australia and a great display of diversity, peace and tolerance. It is an event which welcomes Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It was a delight to take part in this terrific event, a very festive occasion celebrated with fine food, entertainment and various cultural displays. It was a genuine family and community event.

This year's event marked 34 years that the Multicultural Eid Festival and Fair has been occurring. It is an event which was first celebrated in my community back in 1985. This festival is one of the first, largest and longest-running Eid festivals held in Australia, bringing together families and friends from over 35 different cultural communities. I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the commitment, dedication and hard work of the organising committee and the various volunteers who put this event on each and every year.

MEFF continues to grow and spread the word of peace and social harmony, whilst at the same time combining fun, family entertainment and celebration, which is very much the basis of our community. The festival also provides the opportunity for all Australians to join with those of the Islamic faith in celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of our culture and traditions, showing the benefits of our multiculturalism and encouraging interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural understanding.

In this regard, I congratulate the MEFF Consortium for its excellent community reputation, which comes from its extraordinary efforts and a dedicated team who work tirelessly throughout the year to encourage social inclusion throughout our local community. In particular, I would like to congratulate Mr Zia Ahmad and his wife, Mehar, for their ongoing commitment to MEFF and its services to my local community. I'm honoured to represent the most multicultural community of the whole of Australia, and it makes me proud to know that multiculturalism, our diversity and the vibrancy of our community in Western Sydney makes it one of the best in the country.