Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Cities and Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast, marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and will be marked from early tomorrow morning. I extend all my best wishes to everyone for whom this is a special time. This year's Ramadan has already been very different to last year's, and I hope the same can be said of Eid—that people can gather together. I look forward, next year, I hope, to taking up the member for Watson's invitation to visit him and the community in Lakemba that he is so proud to represent.

This is an important time for Muslims around the world and for Muslim Australians—a time of prayer, charity, forgiveness and celebration. I've been thinking about all these things as I've had the opportunity to reconnect with many Muslim Australians through the holy month of Ramadan, to share iftars and to reflect and better appreciate the wonderful diversity of the Australian Muslim community and its extraordinary contribution to our multicultural society. With that in mind, I'd like to thank the Islamic Council of Victoria, Al Siraat College, the Australian Intercultural Society, the Moreland Turkish Association and the Eritrean-Djibouti community for their generosity and friendship. More importantly, I'd like to say to everyone in the Australian Muslim community, knowing, as the member for Watson reflected on, that there are very difficult times for people overseas: Eid Mubarak, my friend. Have a blessed Eid.