Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The holy month of Ramadan concluded last week, but I wanted to acknowledge my thanks to the local community. I had the privilege of being invited into the home of Zak, Fisun, Mirza, Shavaal and her friend Palma for iftar. Thank you for so generously opening your home for my husband, Luke, and I to share food and have meaningful conversations. It was deeply special. It reminded me of the values that I was raised with. My dad always instilled in me the importance of welcoming others in and making space for people to feel they belong, and, importantly, around the good food of our family's heritage. Today, as it happens, it's my dad's birthday, so it feels especially meaningful to reflect on that and to say: happy birthday, Vincenzo!

I also want to acknowledge Ahmet and the Australian Intercultural Society in celebrating the heritage and culture of Australian Muslims and bringing us together. The work that you do to create connection and to stand against Islamophobia is so important. Unquestionably, this has been a challenging time for our diverse communities particularly as we mark Harmony Week and the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. For me, these are not just days on the calendar; they are days that ask something of us. They ask something of all of us. They remind us of the work that we can all do in fighting racism and that it is not someone else's problem. Let us all think about what this means for all of us in here as leaders—to show leadership. Let us all lead. Let us all act to stamp out racism in our communities wherever we see it and wherever we find it and to build trust, respect and community. Diversity is our strength, and those who've brought their cultures here from other countries have enriched all of us in ways that we should all be really proud of.