The Maronite Catholic Society Inc.

Warmly invite you to a solemn Mass celebrated by His Excellency Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay

On the 27th November 2016 at 11.15AM at St Charbel’s Church Punchbowl In memory of our deceased members of The Maronite Catholic Society in Australia:  May they rest in peace

Note: Mass will be followed by refreshments, coffee and tea.

We are very proud to publish some pictures of the gala dinner organized by the Australian Egyptian Council forum on Saturday 29 October 2016 honoring the best cop serve NSW even the most prestigious organisations throughout the world for last 36 years namely Mr. Nick Kaldas.

Dr. Safwat Riad

On the weekend the ALP State Conference carried a motion supporting recognition of Palestine.

It was carried unanimously.

Convenor of Labor Friends of Palestine in Queensland Ms Wendy Turner, who moved the motion, said this maintained the momentum of recent state ALP conferences and the last national conference.

“Each conference has declared that recognition of Palestine sends an essential message to Palestinians that there is hope for a peaceful path to nationhood.

“It also sends a message to the Israeli cabinet that the world notices what is going on with the spread of settlements and continued blocking of Palestinian statehood.

“The Queensland resolution lists all the reasons support for a Palestinian state is urgent.

“These include the fact the current Israeli government is the most chauvinist and hard-line in the country’s history.

“And it highlights the continue spread of settlements, all of which are illegal under international law.”

The resolution is attached.

The conference also carried a motion asserting that Labor MPs who take subsidised travel to Israel should spend equal time in Palestine.
The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane MLC.
Opposition Whip
Parliament of New South Wales
Parliament House
Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
( 02 9230 2526 || � 02 9230 2722
S.moselmane@parliament.nsw.gov.au
http://www.shaoquettmoselmane.com.au

By Dr. Safwat Riad -

The Australian Egyptian Council Forum celebrates the 43rd anniversary of the Victory day of 6th October 1973 by a seminar in RSL Club of Petersham where three Egyptians who were in the army during this war gave talks about their memories and they were awarded  by the Forum a certificates of recognition  of their presentation during this seminar namely: 

Brigeder Eng. Tadrous Aziz , Eng. Khalil Khalil and Eng. Nour El Khouly.

The seminar was  chaired by Prof. Refaat Obeid and Dr. Magdy Shehata with the presence of H.E. Ambassador Mr. Youssef Shawaki.

Also the seminar was attended by some Iraqi and Lebanese friends mainly Dr. Bahia Abou Hamad with her Labanese army uniform.

For the first time ever, three Egyptians won seats in Australian parliaments.

The Hon. Dr. Anne Aly MP, for Federal seat of Cowan in WA

The Hon. Peter Khalil MP, for Federal seat of Wills in VIC

The Hon. Edmond Atalla MP, for NSW seat of Mount Druitt

You are cordially invited to the Egyptian Gala Dinner to honour them and celebrate this milestone in the history of the Egyptian community in Australia.

 Details:

Date: Sunday 27 November 2016

Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Venue: Doltone House

Address: 223 Belgrave Esplanade | Sylvania Waters NSW 2224

Parking: Free on site

Dinner: 3 Course incl. soft drinks, coffee and tea

* An alternate seafood/ fasting (all 3 course) will be offered for the fasting Copts (as Christmas fast starts on 25/11/2016).

Please advise of any special dietary requirement.

Dress: Formal

Cost: $90 pp or $850 for a table of 10

《The event is not for profit. Any proceeds after covering the expenses will be donated to a charity》

Bookings:

All attendees MUST register and book through the event organiser website SimpleTix as the barcode printed on the E-Ticket will be scanned at the entry of the venue.

www.aussie-egyptians.simpletix.com

1. Credit card: Through the link above for SimpleTix (using Visa, Mastercard or Amex).

Booking & credit card processing fee is $2.99 (at cost).

2. Direct deposit: to the following bank account (after registering on this event site first):

BSB: 012397

Acc.: 574753933

Ref.: Your full name - MPs dinner

Please email the transfer remittance notice to: aussie.egyptians@gmail.com

RSVP: Friday 11 November 2016

No refund for cancellations made after RSVP date

For more information or sponsorship enquiries, please contact me on:

Mobile: 0400 44 66 11

Email: aussie.egyptians@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AussieEgyptians

Looking forward to seeing you there : )

Many thanks.

Kind regards,

Sam Mansour

www.facebook.com/AussieEgyptians

By Dr. Safwat Riad

With thanks to H.E. Mr. Youssef Shawki and staff of Egyptian Consulate in Sydney for organizing this informative successful meeting on 11 October 2016 with Egyptian community of Sydney during the visit of Egyptian Minister of Immigration H.E. Mrs. Nabila Makram.

 Translated by Nizar Sartawi

 
You strutted down, a nightingale wet with my sunset
!prancing with my high-heeled dream
You flapped the wings of my abandoned ether
.and I took you in my arms, a gazelle of fog I carved with the awl of my fate

To a spacious weariness in the heights of imagination
the boats of my fiery life led me
And you.. have never ceased to live like a canopy
!on the bank of my ivory time

We are the ones overtaken by idiotic road-bends
Our falling life
runs fast
?!How could we salvage what’s been left of our pine’s footsteps
A handful of answers from senile needles
groping for the paths of mumblings towards you
with a smile
that takes off me my body and the spells of my apprehensions
dresses me in celibate violets
enclosed by amulets from your eyes
eternalizing me
nesting my virgin mornings
!on the throne of your chastity

I am he who embraced the twin paradises of your eyes
You alone.. can set me free from the memory of oblivion
You alone
;demand from my soul her blind night
during the phases of the dawn
and the ends of my ancient insomnia
and we... o v e r f l o w
!as a prayer of silence
,O evening guitar; be glorified
..shake like an earthquake, rejoice
turn the bosom of my sky into turquoise with a full moon’s whisper
that beseeches you
grant abundance to my heart’s river with a tattoo of joy
that dyes me with your forgiveness

From the balconies of dawn
get birds of reunion to chirp
to crack the fence of the mist
to turn me into a Lote tree with the prayers of your angels

;On the right of the throne is your Lote tree of the utmost boundary
Made so tender by your celibate breaths
!studded with the whiteness of your faithfulness

قِيَثارَةُ اْلمَسَاءِ/ آمال عوّاد رضوان
بُلْبُلاً مُبَلَّلاً بِغُرُوبِي تهادَيتِ
تَتَقَمَّزِينَ بِكَعْبِ حُلمِي العْالِي!
رَفْرَفْتِ بِجَناحَيْ أَثِيرِي المْهْجُورِ
واحْتَضَنْتكِ رِيمَ ضَبَابٍ؛ نحَتَهُ مِخْرَزُ قَدَرِي.

إِلى وَهَنٍ فَسِيحٍ مِنْ ذُرَى الخْيَالِ؛
سَاقَتْنِي مَرَاكِبُ حَيَاتِي النَّارِيَّةِ
وَأَنْتِ.. مَا انْفَكَكْتِ تحْيَيْنَ صُفّةً
عَلى ضِفَّةِ دَهْرِي العَاجِيِّ!

نحْنُ مَنْ تدْرِكُنا المُنْعَطَفاتُ البَلْهاءُ
يُهَرْوِلُ عُمْرُناَ
الهَاوِي
أَنّى نتَدارَكُ ما تبَقّى لنَا مِنْ خُطَى صَنَوْبَرِناَ؟!
حَفْنَةُ أَجْوِبَةٍ مِنْ إِبَرٍ هَاذِيَةٍ؛
تَتَلَمَّسُ دُرُوبَ التَّمْتَماتِ إِليْكِ
بِبَسْمَةٍ
تَخْلَعُ عَنّي جَسَدِي وَتعَاوِيذَ هَواجِسِي
تُلْبِسُني بَنَفْسَجًا عُذْرِيًّا
تَحُفُّهُ تمائِمُ عَيْنَيْكِ
تُؤَبِّدُنِي
وَتغَلْغِلُ.. صَبَاحَاتِي البِكْرَ
عَلَى عَرْشِ طُهْرِكِ!

أَناَ مَنِ اعْتَنَقْتُ فِرْدَوْسَيْ عَيْنَيْكِ
وَحْدكِ .. مَنْ يعْتِقُنِي مِنْ ذَاكِرَةِ النِّسْيَانِ
وَحْدكِ
مَنْ ترَاوِدِينَ نفسِيَ عَنْ ليْلِهَا الضَّرِيرِ؛
آناَءَ فَجْرِكِ
وَأَطْرَافَ سُهْدِي العَتِيقِ
وَ... نَ فِ ي ضُ
صَلاَةَ صَمْتٍ!
أيا قيثارَةَ المَساءِ؛ تجَلَّلي
تَزَلزَلي.. تهَلَّلي
فَيْرِزِي صَدْرَ سَمَائيِ بِوَشْوَشَةِ بَدْرٍ
يَتَضَرّعُ إِليْكِ
كَوْثِرِي نهَرَ قَلْبِي بِوَشْمَةِ بَهْجَةٍ
تُخضّبُنِي بِعَفْوِكِ

مِنْ شُرُفَاتِ الفَجْرِ؛
شَقْشِقِي عَصَافِيرَ لقَاءٍ
تُشقِّق سياجَ السّديم
تُسَدِّرُنيِ بِدَعْواتِ مَلائكَتِكِ

عَنْ يَمينِ العَرْشِ سِدْرَةُ مُنْتَهَاكِ؛
تُهَفْهِفُهَا أَنْفَاسُكِ البَتولُ
مُطَعَّمَةً بِبَيَاضِ وَفَائِكِ!

**

ترجمة نزار سرطاوي

-----------------------------

* A Palestinian poet, writer and journalist

By The Hon. SHAOQUETT MOSELMANE

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his Attorney-General sought to make changes to the Racial Discrimination Act, specifically to repeal section 18C. Section 18C states that we cannot offend, assault, humiliate or intimidate any other person or a group of people because of their race, colour, national or ethnic origin. The Abbott Government wanted to get rid of this section by arguing that it restricts "free speech". Attorney-General George Brandis went further by stating that "People have a right to be bigots." We have a new Federal Government, a new Senate and, alarmingly, a cohort of Senators who are intent on revisiting this issue. Rather than show leadership, the response of Prime Minister Turnbull was astonishing, describing the call to repeal section 18C as having "worthy arguments" in favour of softening the Racial Discrimination Act but that the issue is not a current "priority" for his Government. This is nothing less than outrageous.

Adopting the proposed changes to section 18C would be a disaster for us as a nation and more so for religious minorities. In fact, the Racial Discrimination Act and Anti-Discrimination Act in New South Wales fails to address the sufferings that religious minorities face on a daily basis. There are more than 500,000 people in the Australian Islamic community and they need the protection of the law against persistent religious abuse. The abuse is so prevalent that it has become persecution on a collective scale. This collective punishment of the Australian Islamic community must stop. According to a 2015 human rights report, Muslim Australians experience discrimination, vilification and abuse on a daily basis. In an article in the Sydney Morning Herald on 5 November 2015, Judith Ireland and Beau Donelly stated:

During consultations with more than 130 community, legal, university and government groups this year, discrimination against Muslims was "consistently raised as a significant concern. Many participants labelled anti-Muslim discrimination a daily or regular occurrence"...

In an article entitled "Religion and the Racial Discrimination Act: Don't Muslims Also Deserve Protection?" Mariam Veiszadeh noted:

A decade-long national study conducted by the University of Western Sydney found that nearly half of Australians describe themselves as having anti-Muslim attitudes.

Legal protections would only apply to an Australian Muslim, for example, if one was abused as—excuse my language—an effing Lebanese Muslim, because their race is identified. Whereas to be abused as an effing Muslim, which is attacking a person because of his faith, will provide no protection. It has been said on many occasions that the Racial Discrimination Act has a limited ability to protect Muslim Australians. I say it has no ability because it only covers discrimination or vilification based on race, colour, ethnicity, national origin or immigrant status—not religion. Muslims are not a race of people but followers of a faith across the racial and language divide. It is therefore critical to add religious vilification offences in the Racial Discrimination Act and Anti‑Discrimination Act. I urge the Government to introduce a bill to amend the Anti-Discrimination Act to address the pain of the community.

In her article entitled "We need to call out the double standards in Australia's Anti-Discrimination Laws", Mariam Veiszadeh highlights the inadequacies in the Racial Discrimination Act and notes that women across the country have been assaulted, spat on, had their prams kicked, have been punched from behind, have had abuse hurled at them, have had hot coffee thrown in their face, have been told to leave an entertainment venue, have been assaulted and thrown off trains, have been verbally intimidated, have had their cars vandalised, and have been forced to restrict their public movements out of fear. This cannot go on without action.

I ask the following questions. Why are Australian Muslims still not afforded adequate protection under the State and Federal vilification laws? Why are Muslims in New South Wales, which has the largest proportion of Muslims, left without protection? Why do the States of Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, and Northern Territory cover religious discrimination in their legislation but New South Wales does not? Is it because Muslims do not have a lobby group, or the power of big business from which to lobby governments, or is it because they do not have a powerful voice in mainstream media? Do Muslims not deserve protection? I urge all members not to sit in silence in the face of continued religious vilification against our fellow citizens. We must amend the law to provide Australian Muslims with the protections they need.

 The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane MLC.
Opposition Whip
Parliament of New South Wales
Parliament House
Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
 02 9230 2526 || � 02 9230 2722
S.moselmane@parliament.nsw.gov.au
http://www.shaoquettmoselmane.com.au