By Ashraf Helmy -

the leaders and the representatives of the Middle Eastern Christian Churches met with the Premier of NSW, the Honorable Gladys Berejiklian.

at the meeting there was a full and frank exchange in which the Churches reiterated their opposition to REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL 2019, which allows abortion to the point of birth. they expressed their disappointment in the hurry with which it was introduced and its passing through the Lower House. The Bishops are concerned about the extremity of its provisions, which do not to allow physicians with a conscientions objection to decline to assist those seeking abortions, and threatens them with sanctions.

and on behalf of the Eastern Churches, Bishop Robert Rabbat addressed a letter to the Premier in which he presented, in addition to the dangers of the abortion bill and its incompatibility with a culture of life, the issues of religious freedoms and the freedom of belief ,confirming  that religious freedom positive right, and not merely a matter for exception from other rules.

The meeting also discussed the sacredness of the Sacrament of Confession, and in particular, the Sear of Confession. The Churches are committesd to making their institutions completely safe for children and the vulnerable, but priest will not accept to break the Seal of Confession. Any civil law which would require a breach of Seal is in attack on religious freedoms and the essence of the Christian religious. It is therfore futile and unworkable, since it is based on a misunderstanding of the Sacrament which encourages souls to repent and returne to God.

The meeting concluded with the participants agreeing to continue the dialogue and meetings, to work for the good of society and man.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL 2019 

Second Reading Debate 

Debate resumed from 20 August 2019. 

The Hon. SHAOQUETT MOSELMANE (11:52): The intention of the Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019 is to decriminalise abortion and bring the State into line with the rest of the country. Let me say at the outset that I respect all parties and all individuals involved in the debate in Parliament and outside. I believe all the participants in the debate are sincere and have good intent, irrespective of where they stand on this issue. Many have made powerful arguments, and I have had to change my speech as I listened to them. I had to delete some sections of it, particularly after I heard the contribution of the Hon. Trevor Khan. But as the Hon. Trevor Khan noted, members' views are based on what their consciences tell them, and I will make my remarks based on my conscience. 

As a member I have made a conscientious decision but I am not judging others. That is our job and our responsibility in this House. I can do nothing more than make a decision today that is based on my conscience. In this debate much has been said about the right of women to control their bodies. No-one doubts the right of women to have control over their bodies and their reproductive health. I believe that women should have access to the best available health care, irrespective of what the health issue is. As legislators we must take all steps to provide the best possible medical care to mothers—especially the poor, the needy and the underprivileged. When it comes to abortion, no woman makes her decision lightly. This is why there should always be more than sufficient support in place to ensure that the best health care is provided when a termination of pregnancy is requested or required. 

The bill as proposed has a number of significant shortcomings. I do not intend to go through them other than to note three key issues. Firstly, the bill as it currently stands does not prevent sex-selection abortions. No civilised society would or should allow gender selection. That is simply abhorrent, and it must be rejected. Secondly, there is nothing in the bill to protect doctors who, for whatever reason, object to abortion. The bill as it stands would force doctors with a conscientious objection to refer women to other doctors who will perform the procedure. We should not be forcing doctors to terminate life against the Hippocratic oath to do no harm. Doctors' religious or ethical freedoms should at all times be upheld, respected and enforced. 

Thirdly, I have concerns about late terminations. I find this unacceptable. By 22 weeks the fetus is really a baby and it can be born and live a full life. I do not accept that abortion on demand for any reason, or for no reason at all, should be allowed. What I also find unconscionable is that babies born alive as a result of a failed abortion would be denied life-sustaining attention and left to die on a side table. In all conscience I cannot vote in support of this. I heard the Hon. Trevor Khan on this but I need to be reassured that protections will be added to the bill to ensure that it will not be allowed to happen. If the intention of this bill is to allow qualified doctors to legally perform an abortion to preserve a woman's life or her mental or physical health, or to perform abortions in cases of possible fetal abnormality, I can understand it, but I do not support the concept of late-term abortion on demand. 

Abortion is horrific. One should never accept the scenario where all you need to do is to tap your credit card to abort a child—tap and go. In all conscience, I cannot agree with this concept of privatisation of life and death. Life is not a commodity or a consumer product one can dispose of at will. No-one in our society, secular or religious, lives in isolation. We are all part of communities that bind us together as a society of human beings. We live in a rules-based society. In this place we are elected to make rules to guide our society. We have rules at home, rules in the community and rules in this House. For reproductive health care to work there have to be some rules around it. I support decriminalisation but there have to be rules that are acceptable to society. I fight for the underprivileged, the underdog, the poor, the needy and the down-trodden. I am always fighting for workers and for the working class. Every day I stand up for them in their struggle to gain better lives. How could I not stand up for the voiceless? How could I not fight for someone's right to life? In all conscience, I cannot support this bill. I will therefore vote against it. 

Acknowledgement

Welcome each and every one of you. You are all important and dear to our hearts.

Thank you for joining me at this Community ceremony to honour a number of Chinese Australian media personalities. 

I do this in order to publicly recognise their dedication to journalism and to the service to the Chinese Australian Community.

The recipients are :

Mr Daniel Tong, Editor in Chief of the Australian Chinese Daily, He has served over 35years, 

Mr Jack Lin, the General Manager of the Daily Chinese Herald, he has served for over 26 years and still going strong; 

Ms Lily Zhou, better known as lily, has served in the media industry for the past 20 years’ but as director of the SBS radio Mandarin, for the past 10 years.

Finally Simon Ko, 26 years of service, retired, former CEO of Singtao Daily;

These journalists are well respected by the Chinese Australian community, serving four of the most widely read and listened to media organisations in Australia.

…..

The success of Chinese media is due in no small part to the hard-work of many journalists in this industry.

Their contributions and achievements should and must be recognized. 

Like many of their sister Multicultural media outlets, Chinese media has played a very important role in community service and in connecting the Chinese communities to mainstream society by building bridges between our Australian Multicultural society and between Australia and China. 

Chinese media is an important part of Australian multiculturalism, and they deserve greater attention from governments and mainstream society. 

In Australia we have various media awards such as the Walkely awards, the Kennedy Awards and others but Ethnic media journalists are rarely if ever recognised.

This is why in 2012 I established the Multicultural Media Awards recognising ethnic journalists and their proprietors for their dedication and their professionalism. 

I was delighted when in 2013 the O’Farrell government took up my initiative and called it the Premiers Multicultural Media Awards. I was honoured that the government has made my initiative mainstream.

I hope that more and more of our ethnic journalists are recognised for the tremendous work that they do in keeping us informed of news and views in Australia and overseas. 

I hope to continue such recognition into the future, because outstanding media personalities should be commended and encouraged.

….

In doing this, we now recognise the history of Chinese media in Australia. 

Here I thank UTS, ACRI, for their 2016 report investigating the history of Chinese media in Australia, going back all the way to the gold rush era. 

Many of us would not have known the following facts:

• The Chinese Advertiser is considered to be the earliest bilingual Chinese-English newspaper in Australia. It emerged during the Gold Rush of the 1850s and was published by Robert Bell in Ballarat, Victoria, with a weekly circulation of 400 copies.

• The first Chinese-language national newspaper, the Chinese Australian Herald (CAH), appeared in 1894; the second, the Tung Wah News, came along in 1898; while the third, Chinese Republic News, emerged in 1913.

• The end of the 19th century saw the creation of various other Chinese-language trade-oriented and community-based publications, making the Chinese press the largest foreign-language media presence in Australia at the time.

Who would have known this?

Even during the first two decades of the White Australia policy saw the publication of a few republican newspapers—such as the Chinese Times—in support of the Nationalist Kuo Min Tang (KMT) in China.

• On the whole, however, this inhospitable environment led to a dwindling of the Chinese press in Australia.

What happened After White Australia?

• Following the abolition of the White Australia policy in 1974 the Chinese-speaking population in Australia began to grow again, largely due to the arrival of Indo-Chinese refugees and business migrants from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

• This growth led to a plethora of Chinese media outlets that still exist to this day, including, in the print media sector, Singtao Daily, Australian Chinese, the Daily Chinese Herald and The Independence Daily.

• Later arrivals included, in the radio sector, 2AC and 2CR in Sydney, both broadcasting in Mandarin and Cantonese, and in the television sector, TVB Australia and SBS.

•

• Interestingly, prior to 1996, there was not a single Chinese newspaper in Australia that was owned or controlled by PRC migrants. But after 1997, and particularly since President Jiang Zemin’s visit to Australia, close collaborations between Chinese migrant media in Australia and domestic media started in earnest.

Online Chinese media in the 2010s

• A number of Chinese-language websites have begun to appear such as SydneyToday.com along with many others.

•

China’s state media made significant inroads into Australia’s media landscape including major state media organisations such as Xinhua and People’s Daily

And of course the arrival of Wechat. 

I won’t go into these media outlets as we would need a forum on its own. Suffice to say that Chinese Australian Media is alive and well but many will face significant challenges as more and more Chinese Australians and Chinese in the diaspora will opt for online sadly, to the detriment of traditional print and perhaps radio.

Now, it gives me great pleasure to commence our proceedings for the day by calling on one of our leading statesmen Mr Frank Zhou to say a few words before we commence our award presentations.

Dr. Zhou Guangming, OAM, or Frank as many of us know him, needs no introduction. He is respected right across the Chinese community as well as all the people who have nad any dealings with him. 

Today, He honours us all with his presence and with a few words.

………

Our first Award recipient is Mr Daniel Tong.

Mr Daniel Tong has worked in the Media industry for over 35 years in Australia and Hong Kong.

Mr Tong graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in journalism from the National Chengchi University in Taiwan in 1982.

After graduating, Mr Tong returned to Hong Kong as a reporter before migrating to Australia in 1989 and joining Sing Tao newspaper in Sydney.

He was recruited by the Australian Chinese Daily in 1996 as the deputy Chief editor before becoming its chief Editor in 2010.

Mr Tong personally understands the community he serves. I go to many Chinese community functions but I reckon he goes to many more. 

Daniel is a tireless worker for the community and a real professional.

Under his leadership, the Australian Chinese Daily has provided a wealth of information to a growing number of Chinese migrants, students and all who needed to work with our Chinese Australian Community. 

It is an honour for me to be presenting him with this certificate of recognition.

Please join me in welcoming Mr Daniel Tong to receive his certificate and say a few words.

…………

Our next recipient is Zhou Li (Lili) 

Better known as lily.

Lili is the host and executive producer of SBS Chinese program. She was the host of the very first English-Chinese bilingual TV program, SBS Mandarin News. 

With more than 20 years of international experience working in the media industry, Lili is able to bring the highest quality of service and the most diverse contents to Australian local audiences

 Under the direction of SBS’s leadership team, Lily has led the SBS Chinese team to a series of achievements and thus making tremendous contribution towards Australian multiculturalism.

In 2011, along with her team Lili created “My Home”, the very first Chinese language news hub of SBS that allow the Chinese audience to view TV programs, radio shows and web contents in language.

In the same year, Lili and her team produced the SBS Mandarin News Australia. I am informed its the very first Chinese-English Bilingual news program in the history of Australian public media. 

Apart from her professionalism as a journalist, Lili’s Chinese background also helped her to possess cultural awareness of her audience. 

I take great pride in presenting her with this certificate of recognition. 

………..

Mr Jack Lin 

In 1993 Mr Lin begun as Journalist at the Daily Chinese Herald.  Mr Jack Lin, became the General Manager of the Daily Chinese Herald in 2002 and in 2017 he became the General Manager of the 1688 Media Group. 

With 26 years in the media industry Mr Jack Lin has been a long standing, mainstream media personality. As representative of the Chinese Australian media community he is one of the oldest, well connected members with roots in the People's Republic of China.

He is a very active community leader. He has promoted Australia China bilateral relationship on both state and federal levels and has worked hard in promoting the growth of Chinese Australian community.

Please join me in welcoming Mr Jack Lin.

………………..

Final recipient is Mr Simon Ko.  

After studying in the United States, Simon Ko began his media career at a Hong Kong television station before moving into advertising with the Hong Kong metro transport company.

His service to Sing Tao Daily started in 1980, when he joined the Hong Kong head office as executive director. His job encompassed such non-media sectors as retail developments, film companies and hotels. 

On joining the Sydney office of Sing Tao Daily in 1988, he oversaw the newspaper’s transformation into one of the largest Chinese-language newspaper in Australia.

Mr Ko and his newspaper have been big contributors to charity work in Australian communities and overseas, particularly to disaster relief through the Red Cross.

Mr Ko is currently overseas and unfortunately is unable to be with us to receive his certificate but his friend Mr James Tong will receive it on his behalf. 

……………….

Conclusion with group photo.

Thank you all 

Thanks to John Zhang and Mr Hong.

Translated by: Fathia Asfour

Palestinian poet & tranlator

Your Taste's Filled

With The Aroma OF Gods

The cups of your memory smashed me on lips of joy that's not forgotten your taste , the filled with the aroma of gods...and me is still a thread hanging in the space of your eyes

 My rosy ramblers never drained up of you... or of the bloom of heavens inlaid with your azure swarms

Oh ! how the fields of my misery died for attaining your rain !!

How they yearned to become green amid the chattering of your fingers!!

 And how they appealed to you to get them kneaded with the staff of your eternity , dewy birds drawn as perpetual torment with your invulnerable covenant !!

O, the filly of my barefooted soul !

If only you shake the withered darkness of my face !

 If only you discharge it a luminance of justice ..in the pores of your scales' sides ! ... so that I may indulge in you... a bread of innocence

O , my desired deluge !

Eliminate me not

The fountains of your flight 

gushed out my lavendar light

The whoops of my infidel imagination have become dominantly red

Like a flaming ember became my beats

The folds of my defeats still make me feel at ease

with your voice praying the whole night

 The chanting of your presence still dazzles me .. brings me rain from every direction... makes me shed all the nightingales of my ivy

 Who saves me from the dominance of your voice when Garnada opens heaven to me ? or when I pour down clouds on every wave my life extends from your lips ?

 When will you assend the wave of my dumb maze to become then pure of my sins?

It's me who came to you by birth

With no veils or masks

 I was not heedless about a pureness that paved the hearts with your chastity.. and dusted all my nakedness off me

Restrain not the rebellion of my crazy beat

Never transform me into a homeland loaded with beaks

NEVER

My beaks never submitted to the constitutions of their nonesense

 On the strings of my life... I strummed your temple the exalted in you, an eternal light that never fades

I set YOU on the throne of my darkness ...so that my submissiveness

will be guided by yours

 My diamond throat melted psalms of forgiveness all along my burning ember

 My supplication was deeper in scent when its fullness was there in jugs...spelling its readings in the mihrab of your tenderness

 My fasting was purer in flaming.. reciting its thirst on the hearing of your water

In return, give me prayers a minor language incapable to say

Here! my taste has completed in the presence of your

fires.. and nearing me is a vouch for

getting me back a worshipper to the quorum of your

statue

 Do not root out the wedges of my strength... to get then melted on a curve of delusion

whereby is my eradication

 Jilbabize me with your green shadow at time when moons take off their crusts

Please! get near me and lift me out of the dusks of my humped darkness

I wonder if I prayed for the ash of a heart

that vanished in the looks of a glacial cage !!

 If only you make it possible for the lips of my night to kiss your pieces of music !!

so that your suns will shine seasons of harvest from my glasses

Since THEE

 my threshing floors have not been permissible but to the exaltations of your memory

Since THEE

my ancient spikes have been storing your wheat

Bless the mills of a heart that do not pulse without your mellow hurricanes

Storm in me.

Make me a golden gem with your transparent palms

 Colour me with your gleam.. so that it can remove the dusts of absence off my soul

Being distant from you is a stagnation surrounding me with your holy water

I am afraid it may plunder my coloured spring

 Seize me out of your dismissal , angels of letters stoking the strong heat of my lamps with the cravings of the planets

 Only you whose shovel and letter are identical, and me turned into mud on the banks of your departure

You, who were the snares for snipping me with your captivating charm!

I am the inhabited by the flow of thirst for the details of your highness

When would you become a virgin sign for my eternal return?

Me, who was crowned by seasons of whirling...with

my vowed rites dancing with me on your foggy rythm

Maybe I return my pulsing if you abide between me and myself

Place me in the lap of a time sustainable in hugging you

 How it was excellent in slipping through my fingers... and set me aside tweeting my loneliness

 Let me disappear behind your chanting where succulent dwelling on the margines of your light was a pleasure to time

طعمكِ مفعمٌ بعطرِ الآلهة/ آمال عواد رضوان

كُؤوسُ ذِكراكِ

حَطَّمَتنِي عَلى شِفاهِ فرَحٍ

لَمْ يَنسَ طَعمَكِ المُفعَمَ بِعِطرِ الآلهَة

وَأَنا ..

ما فَتِئتُ خَيطًا مُعَلّقًا بِفضاءِ عَينَيْكِ

مَا نَضُبَتْ عَلائِقي الوَرْديَّةُ مِنكِ

وَلا

مِنْ نُضرَةِ سماواتٍ مُرَصَّعَةٍ بِانْثِيالاتِكِ اللاَّزُورديَّة!

حقولُ شَقاوَتي..

تَهالكَتْ عَلى وَصْلِ غَيْثِكِ

كَمْ تاقتْ تَخْضَرُّ بينَ ثرثرةِ أَنامِلِك

وَكَمِ اسْتغاثتْ

أَنِ اجْبِلِيها بِعصا خُلودِكِ عصافيرَ نَدِيَّةً

تَرتَسِمُ دَيمومَةَ لَوعَةٍ بِضَوْءِ عُهْدَتِكِ العَصِيَّة!

مُهْرَةَ روحِي الحافِية

أَلاَ هُزِّي عَتمَةَ وَجهِي الذّاوِيَة

سَرِّحِيهَا نَوْرانِيَّةَ عَدالَةٍ ..

فِي مَساماتِ جِهاتِ مَوازينِكِ

عَلَّني أَنغَمِسُ بِكِ خُبزَ بَراءَة

لاَ تُقْصِيني أَيا طوفانِيَ الْمُشْتَهى

نَوافِيرُ فَرارِكِ فَجَّرَتْ ضَوْئِيَ اللَّيلكِيّ

طاغِيَةُ الحُمْرَةِ باتتْ شَهْقاتُ خَيالِي الكافِرِ

كَجَذْوَةٍ مُجَمَرَّةٍ غَدَتْ خَفَقاتِي!

ثنايا انْكِساراتي..

ما فَتِئتْ تُؤْنِسُني بِصَوتِكِ المُتَهَجِّدِ

حُضورُكِ ..

مَا انفكَّ يُبْهِرُني صُداحُهُ

يَجْلِبُ لي مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ المَطَرَ

يَجْعَلُنِي أَذْرِفُ كُلَّ عَنادِلَ لِبْلابي

مَنْ يُنْجِدُني مِنْ سَطْوَةِ صَوتِكِ

حِينَ تفْتَحُ لي غِرْناطَةُ السَّمَاء..

أَو..

حِينَ أَنْهَمِرُ غُيومًا عَلى كُلِّ مَوْجَةٍ

تَنداحُ مِنْ شَفَتيْكِ “حَياتي”؟

أنَّى تَعْتَلِينَ مَوْجَةَ ذُهولِي الخَرْساءَ

فَأَخْلُصُ مِنْ آثامي؟

أَنا مَنْ جِئتُكَ مَوْلودًا بِلا حُجُبٍ وَلا أَقْنِعَة

ما كُنْتُ لاهِيًا عَنْ نقاءٍ عَبَّدَ القلوبَ بِطُهْرِكِ

وَنَفَضَ عَنّي كُلَّ عَرائي!

تَمَرُّدُ خَفْقتي المَهْووسَةِ لا تَلْجُمِيها

لا تُحِيليني وَطنًا مُثقَلاً بِالمَناقيرِ

أَبَدًا..

مَناقِيري ما خَنَعَتْ لِدَساتيرِ هُرائِهِم!

عَلى أَوْتارِ “حَياتي”

عَزَفْتُ هَيْكَلَكِ الْمُنِيفِ بِكِ ضَوْءًا أَزَلِيًّا لا يَنْضُبُ

نَصَّبْتُكِ عَلى عَرْشِ عَتْمَتِي

لِيَسْتَدِلَّ بِخُشوعِكِ خُشوعي

حُنْجَرَتي الماسِيَّةُ ذابَتْ مَزامِيرَ اسْتِغْفَارٍ

عَلى امْتِدادِ جَذْوَتِكِ!

كانَ ابْتِهالِي أَعْمَقَ عَبَقًا حِينَ حَضَرَ رُواؤُهُ جِرارًا

يَتهَجَّى قِراءاتِهِ فِي مَحاريبِ حَنانِكِ!

كانَ صِيامِي أَنْقى أَجيجًا

يَتلو عَلى مَسامِعِ مائِكِ عَطَشَهُ!

بادِليني صَلاةً تَعْجَزُ عَنْ قَوْلِها لُغَةٌ قاصِرَة!

ها طَعْمي قَدِ اكْتمَلَ في حَضْرَةِ نيرانِكِ

وَدُنُوُّكِ كَفيلٌ بِإِعادَتي مُتعبِّدًا إِلى نِصابِ مَعْبَدِكِ

لاَ تَقتَلِعي أَوْتادَ جَأْشي

فَأَذُوبُ عَلى مُنْحَنى وَهْمٍ فيهِ مَحْوي

جَلْبِبيني بِظِلِّكِ الأَخْضَرِ

حينَ تَخلَعُ الأَقْمارُ قِشْرَتَها

أرْجوكِ اقتَرِبِي مِنّي

وَانتَشِليني مِنْ سُدَفِ عَتْمَتي الحَدْبَاء!

أَتُراني اسْتَسْقَيْتُ رَمادَ فُؤَادٍ

تَلَاشى في تَقاسيمِ قَفَصٍ جَلِيدِيٍّ؟

أتيحِي لِشِفاهِ لَيْلي أَنْ تَلْثُمَ مَعْزوفاتِكِ

لِتُشْرِقَ شُموسُكِ مِنْ أقداحي مَواسِمَ حَصاد!

مُنْذُكِ..

وَبَيادِري مَا اسْتَباحَتْها إِلاَّ تَسابيحُ ذِكْراكِ!

مُنْذُكِ..

وَسَنابِلي الْعَتِيقَةُ تَدَّخِرُ قَمْحَكِ

بارِكي طَواحينَ قَلْبٍ لا تَنْبِضُ إِلاَّ بِأَعاصيرِكِ اليانِعَة

اِعْصِفي بي

عَسْجِديني بِراحَتَيْكِ الشَّفَّافَتيْنِ

لَوِّنيني بِسَطْعِكِ

كَيْ يَنْضُوَ عَنْ روحي أَتْرِبَةَ الغِيابِ

نَأْيُكِ آسِنٌ يُحَوِّطُني بِمائِكِ المُقدّس

أَخْشاهُ يَسْلِبُني نَبْعِيَ المُلَوَّن!

تَخَطَّفيني مِنْ بَينِكِ مَلائِكَةَ حُروفٍ

تُذْكِي هَجيرَ قَناديلي بِاشْتِهاءاتِ الكَواكِبِ!

وَحْدَكِ مَنْ رادَفَ جَرْفُها حَرْفَها

وَغَدَوْتُ طَمْيًا عَلى ضِفافِ رَحيلِكِ!

يا مَنْ كُنْتِ كَمائِنَ اقْتِناصِي بِفِتنَتِكِ الآسِرَة

أَنا المَسكونُ بِدَفْقِ الظَّمَأِ لِتَفاصيلِ شُموخِكِ

مَتى تَغْدِينَ شارَةً عَذْراءَ عَلى عَوْدَتي الأَبَدِيَّة؟

أَنا مَنْ تَكَلَّلْتُ بِمَواسِمِ الدُّوارِ

تُراقِصُني طُقوسي المَنْذورَةُ على إِيقاعِكِ الضَّبابِيِّ

عَلَّني أَسْتعيدُ نَبْضِيَ إِنْ مَكَثتِ بَيني وَبَيني!

أَلْقيني بِحِضنِ وَقتٍ يُمْعِنُ في عِناقِكِ

كَم أَجادَ التَّفَلُّتَ مِنْ بَينِ أَصابِعي

وَنَحّاني مُغَرِّدًا وَحْدَتي

أَتوارى خَلفَ صُداحِكِ

حَيثُ طابَ لَهُ المُكوثُ الرَيّانُ

 على هامِشِ ضَوْئِكِ

Welcome to the Dr Khalil Mustapha hall.  Now, I know that these are the longest days of the year, which is why I’m so glad that they put the first course down right away.

 I know you’re hungry, and I promise to be brief.

I want to thank the members of our councils who are here today, as well as our members of parliament , and all those serving across government who are joining us.  And I especially want to recognize all the inspiring young people who are here today, many of whom We shared many celebrations with.  To all of you, and to Muslim Australians across the country -- Ramadan Kareem.  

Our annual LCC  Iftar recognizes the sacredness of Ramadan to more than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world.  It’s a time when Muslims recommit themselves to their faith, following days of discipline with nights of gratitude for the gifts that God gave us.  It’s a time of spiritual renewal and a reminder of one’s duty to our fellow man -- to serve one another and lift up the less fortunate.  The Quran teaches that God’s children should tread gently upon the earth and, when confronted by ignorance, reply “peace.”  In honoring these familiar values together -- of peace and charity and forgiveness -- we affirm that, whatever our faith, we’re all one family.      

Our Iftar is also a reminder of the freedoms that bind us together as Australians, including the freedom of religion -- that inviolable right to practice our faiths freely.  

When our values are threatened, we come together as one  community.  When  Muslim s In NZ were brutally murdered in Mosques  earlier this year, Australians and New Zealanders  of all faiths rallied around that community.  And obviously, tonight, our prayers remain with Them. 

As  Australians, we insist that nobody should be targeted because of who they are, or what they look like, who they love, how they worship.  We stand united against these hateful acts.

    

These are the freedoms and the ideals, and the values that we uphold.  And it’s more important than ever, because around the world and here at home, there are those who seek to divide us by religion or race or sect.  Here in Australia, many people personally don’t know someone who is Muslim.  They mostly hear about Muslims in the news -- and that can obviously lead to a very distorted view.

So tonight, we keep in our prayers those who are suffering around the world, including those marking Ramadan in areas of conflict and deprivation and hunger.  

  

So these challenges around the world and here at home demand the very qualities you summon every day during Ramadan:  sacrifice, discipline, patience.  A resilience that says we don’t simply endure, but we overcome.  Together, we can overcome ignorance and prejudice.  Together, we will overcome conflict and injustice -- not just with words, but with deeds.  With what  the civil rights icon John Lewis, calls using our feet -- getting out in the real world to organize and to create the change that we seek.  That’s what so many of you do every single day.  And that’s what we have to continue to do together, here in Australia and around the world.  As the Quran teaches, let us answer with “Peace.” 

May God bless you all.  Have a wonderful Ramadan.  And get back to dinner.  Thank you very much.

HONOURED TO BE ELECTED ASSISTANT PRESIDENT

After the election of the President and Deputy President in the Legislative Council, nominations for the position of Assistant President were opened today with two nominations received.  A ballot was held and the NSW Legislative Council Opposition Whip Shaoquett Moselmane was elected.

The newly elected Assistant President thanked his Labor Party colleagues for their support and expressed gratitude to the other Legislative Council members for their vote of confidence.

Mr Moselmane said that he looked forward to working with the President and the Deputy President and the Clerks to ensure that together they would best serve the needs of the Chamber and Parliament in an impartial and independent manner.

Mr Moselmane said: “I am truly honoured to be endorsed by the full Labor caucus. I am humbled by the support of the House and my colleague’s vote of confidence.”

“I intend to use this position to promote the Parliament among our Multicultural and Indigenous communities and liaise with colleagues and staff to ensure there is an active engagement plan with the wider community, industry and local government.”

 In being elected as the Assistant President, Mr Moselmane said his office salary will increase by $11,554. After tax and other levies, he would receive around $6000 net a year. Mr Moselmane will annually donate $1000 to each of the following groups and charities:

 1. The Redfern Women’s and Girls Emergency Centre.

2.  The Fred Hollows Foundation.

3. Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA.

4. Kids-On-Wheels Alliance Inc. Charity helping disabled children.

5. Konin Village Medical Centre.

6. Edhi foundation Australia.

Ramadan Mubarak.

I was born in Tripoli, Lebanon on 22 July 1945. I come from a non-musical background and I bought my first guitar after I took a lesson at Amin Azar El Zehrieh Tripoli where I met a lot of musicians. I learned to play through the books. I met someone from Colombia who was visiting Australia and by pure luck was a top guitarist. We became very good friends and I learned from him many new styles such as bolero-waltz- quapango -strumming with all fingers to be able to sing along professionally like Besame-Malaguena etc. This was a good start for me as it was not known to many. 

I formed a new band cerca 1966 made up of a four piece band. My band members were Hasan Su on drums, Elie Akkawi on sax and Samir Hayat on bass and myself as vocal and guitar. We worked in El Haddad all summer in Hotel Barakat. There are two photos of two different groups in a song called (hier encore) on youtube and there is a photo of me playing my goodwin guitar-Organ. In the first photo in the video you see Raymond Abi Arraj on drums, Samir Hayek on bass, Zuhair on guitar, Morris Nahlous on guitar and myself doing the singing. I sang of my composition twice on TV with abusalim el tabl insa hmumack the other at the same program after a lady sang- if i had a hammer in arabic

Prior to coming to Australia I learnt hair dressing as a back up in case I was not successful with a music career. I was lucky enough to have someone offer me their salon with all the accessories included. 

After arriving in Australia on 10 October 1969 I worked as a process worker in Namco for 8 months doing 10 -12 hour days which was extremely difficult due to my very limited English. 

I formed a five piece band which was the first arabic band in sydney. We worked in Mirabel in York St, Capriccio on Oxford Street. At our time in Capriccio there was a break in and all our instruments were stolen. It was a rough place to work at as it was a striptease show every night. We also did a special concert in redfern Maronite Church. In one of the concert While singing Ya mon Cher Quesque Nous Allons Faire ? a fight broke out and chairs were thrown every where. Before this episode we worked for Uncle Tony in Beamish St Campsie. I sang in french, english, italian, spanish. At this time our band consisted of our drummer, Joseph Greige, Morris Nahlous on bass , Joseph Nahlous on keyboard Nazih Sorial on guitar and myself on vocals and guitar. At the time we were living in Dulwich Hill. I formed another band we worked at Chez Paul Restaurant in Parramatta where our instruments were burnt. Included A brand new organ that was to Jhon Sieffs My organist player Also We Worked In Roi Rouge restaurant in redfern

I met with two Spanish musicians who were seeking a guitarist and singer to start working in a spanish club in Liverpool St Sydney. They came to my house and one of them asked me to sing a spanish song while strumming a guitar. He was very impressed and asked me to start the job the following week. This was the beginning of a successful life and years of joy, experiences and discovery. 

In the year 1974 in Lebanon i spent all summer working in El Hadad-Hasroun Hotel in Syr El Kabir with Roger Bendali, Fawaz ElYafi, Tony Abu Dib and Roger Kayruz. I was also a music teacher to Iskandar Hadhity who was a great student along with Samir Hayek who went on and became top bass player 

In sydney i had a job in Telecom in St Peters as a process worker. I got an examiner position in Concord West in a quality control room inspecting goods and materials at the arrival and the departure of all products done in the sections of the workshop. After clocking off I would go straight to  donquixote restaurant to start the show and won’t finish until after midnight. 

After spanish club the owners of capitan torres and donquixote restaurant gave us a job to work in two restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights and i had to entertain the rest of the week at donquixote restaurant until 1976.  The manager asked me to take over 6 nights a week as s one man band. At this time it was very unique and I was the first in Australia with complete orchestra like 5 piece band. It was the beginning of new adventure. I had previously attended a greek restaurant where there were two musicians, a man and a woman playing keyboard and guitar. I asked myself if i can do this by myself and after much practice i worked it out. Using the first roland electronic drums I had the latest in the market back then. I had a Goodwin guitar, organ lesley, bass pedal, modules etc. I was also playing in Gigetto in Crown St whilst playing at donquixote in Albion Place. I continued working there even after they moved to Kent Street and until they closed down. I was able to play the guitar and keyboard at the same time using both hands and both feet whilst singing as well. I got old recorded tracks like- la vie en rose-south of the border-tel3et ya mahla nourha- and normans at donquixote( all instrumental) - they are on youtube but I had to fix up the audio that was recorded on a cassette tape. 

On 17 April 1995 I composed a sound track to a local movie called shifting sands that was showing in the cinema in the city. 

A new chapter in my life was when I worked in an arabic restaurant called  Christina-Bertani-and Sahara occasionally. I also became a partner with Sief’s Music importing general music keyboard modules+ws1 and we became the importer First To Genaral Music Then to ketron keyboard.I was also responsible for the repair work.I was applauded 4 yeas ago on youtube in 5 languages first (Besame Mucho  last (ya shi3bi el habib).  Lastly  i improve and repair any recorded songs on cd- wav file and modify and enhance the sound and singing. 

Four years ago I began creating my own music videos to my songs. 

By: Amal Awad – Radwan-(Palestine)

Translated by: Fathia Asfour

Palestinian poet & tranlator

A child 

You inflitrated into the wilds of my darkness 

at a time when the scorpions of my rashness 

were growing between your footsteps

 and spinning with the lashes of your letters a silk of passion...

from the threads of my prime

****

A poem

A poem you emerged with shyness...

You appeared in the hut of my dreams ...

I crowned you a queen on the throne of my madness

when the lost in the jam of your echoes I was ... 

Still overtaken by the revolution of your beauty 

**

The smell of my seasons became immortal by you...

by the recurrenc of

sweet songs echoing a scent of torment 

They whirled me in a doubt of tear dodged by

complaint.

I wonder till when I'll keep dangling like a pale music

on the ladder of your water!

**

O you , Hera! the refuge of mother women

Why chasing women 

giving birth to me?

and the hundred of your eyes pollinate my eye...

 and follow up my barefooted shadow?

**

to unknown beating

in whose wind your giant jogs

killed by my carob verse

I splash the hundred of his eyes candles on your mirror crest and on the arrogance of your peacock feathers

**

How transparent the crystals of your arrogance are!!

You fluff them

You spread them out

with a riot sword that radiates me

How could I turn its glare back to your eyes as vigilance sources were extinguished by your fires?

**

With my golden chain..between the fire of dust( earth).. and the light of haze(heaven)

by your wrists I

h

u

n

g

you

a star pomply glittering a legend of anguish

while the brides of grown- up breasts 

p-r-a-t-t-l-i-n-g you a rebellion of challenge that threatens me

**

Oh, my love! can pain ail her?!

Where is it from me her beauty , the rescued by your ugliness, Hephaestus ?

Your heart , that is blinded by the flash of jealousy robs the pearl of my heartbeat.

Oh! my night hides my awe and fright

and collects the memory of your scattered breaths on

the ash of my memory

**

Where is it from me , 

my love? a melody in my fields

How it expanded to

a folk of life larks that protect me!!

**

Where is it from me,

my love? a glitter planet in the heaven of my soul lighting the path of my inspiration to YOU and landing on top of a CAVE that gives birth to me.

**

O , you! who hid yourself in a bar

whose indicator is dominion

You pour me a blazing hell in the cups of loss

and the flasks of my

densely covered desert quench your thirst.. so no stray groans get you swell up

Till when will we remain acrobatic hostages ...worn by a sleepless deluge of mint?!

***

Here! the lust of my strips, that's aged with isolation adorns you

so that the rhythm of

your bells can't be disturbed

Here! the sparks of your jasmine wash me with the fires of your pistachio dust

I am the besieged by the murcury of your mirrors

Till when will the flute of my cell weep me?! 

and the kerchieves of farewell keep waving me?!

أسْطُورَةُ الْتِيَاعٍ؟/ آمال عوّاد رضوان

طِفْلَةً

تَسَلَّلْتِ فِي بَرَارِي عَتْمَتِي

وعَقارِبُ نَزَقي.. تَنْمُو بَيْن خُطُواتِكِ

تَغْزِلُ بِرُموشِ حُرُوفِكِ حَريرَ وَجْدٍ

مِنْ خُيُوطِ مُبْتَدَاي

*

قصِيدَةً

قصِيدَةً انْبَثَقْتِ عَلَى اسْتِحْيَاءٍ

تَجَلَّيْتِ.. بِكُوخِ أَحْلَامِي

تَوَّجْتُكِ مَلِكَةً.. عَلَى عَرْشِ جُنُونِي

وَأَنَا التَّائِهُ فِي زَحْمَةِ أَصْدَائِكِ

لَمَّا تَزَلْ تَفْجَؤُني.. ثَوْرَةُ جَمَالِكِ!

*

رَائِحَةُ فُصُولِي.. تَخَلَّدَتْ بِك

بِرَجْعِ أُغْنِيَاتٍ عِذَابٍ.. تَتَرَدَّدُ عِطْرَ عَذَابٍ

زَوْبَعَتْنِي

فِي رِيبَةِ دَمْعَةٍ .. تُوَارِبُهَا شَكْوَى!

إِلاَمَ أظَلُّ أتَهَدَّلُ مُوسِيقًا شَاحِبَةً

عَلَى

سُلَّمِ

مَائِكِ؟

*

هِيرَا.. أَيَا مَلْجَأَ النِّسَاءِ الْوَالِدَاتِ

لِمْ تُطَارِدِينَ نِسَاءً يَلِدْنَنِي

وَمِئَةُ عُيونِكِ.. تُلاَقِحُ عَيْنِي

وَ.. تُلَاحِقُ ظِلِّيَ الْحَافِي؟

*

إِلَى خَفْقٍ مَجْهُولٍ

يُهَرْوِلُ عِمْلاقُكِ فِي رِيحِهِ

يَقْتُلُهُ شِعْرِي الْخَرُّوبِيّ

أَنْثُرُ مِئَةَ عُيونِهِ شُموعًا

عَلَى

قُنْبَرَتِكِ الْمِرْآةِ

وَعَلَى

اخْتِيَاِل ريشِكِ الطَّاؤُوسِيّ

*

كَمْ شَفيفَةٌ بِلَّوْراتُ غُرورِكِ

تَنْفُشينَهَا

تَفْرُشينَهَا

بِسَيْفِ شَغَبٍ يشعْشِعُنِي

كَيْفَ أَرُدُّ سَطْعَهُ إِلى عَيْنَيْكِ

وَمَنَابِعُ الْحَذَرِ أَخْمَدَتْهَا نِيرَانُكِ؟

*

بِقَيْدِيَ الذَّهَبِيِّ

بَيْنَ نَارِ الأَدِيمِ وَنُورِ السَّدِيمِ

مِنْ مِعْصَمَيْكِ

عَ

لَّ

قْ

تُ

كِ

نَجْمَةً تَتَبَهْرَجُ أُسْطُورَةَ الْتِيَاعٍ

وعَرَائِسُ الصُّدُورِ النَّاضِجَةِ

تُ ثَ رْ ثِ رُ كِ

جُمُوحَ تَحَدٍّ يُهَدِّدُنِي!

*

أَحَبِيبَتِي يَشْكُوهَا الْوَجَعُ؟

أَيْنَ مِنِّي جَمَالُهَا

يُخَلِّصُهُ قُبْحُكَ هِيفَايْسْتْيُوس؟

قَلْبُكِ الْمَكْفُوفُ بِبَرِيقِ الْغَيْرَةِ

يَخْتَلِسُ لُؤْلُؤَ خَفْقِي

آهٍ مِنْ لَيْلِي.. يُخْفِي وَيْلِي

يَجْمَعُ ذَاكِرَةَ أَنْفَاسِكِ الْمَبْذُورَةِ

عَلَى رَمَادِ أَنْفَاسِي!

*

أيْنَ مِنِّي “حَبِيبِي”

نَغْمَةٌ فِي حُقُولِي

كَمِ انْدَاحَتْ قَطِيعًا

مِنْ قُبَّراتِ حَيَاةٍ تَرْعَانِي؟

أَيْنَ مِنّي "حَبِيبِي"

كَوْكَبُ أَلَقٍ.. في سَمَا رُوحِي

يُضِيءُ دَرْبَ إِلْهَامِي إِلَيْكِ

ويَحُطُّ فَوْقَ مَغارَةٍ تُنْجِبُنِي؟

*

يَا مَنْ تَوارَيْتِ فِي حَانَةٍ 

دَلِيلُهَا الْهَيْمَنَةُ

تَسْكُبِينَنِي جَحِيمًا.. فِي كُؤُوسِ الضَّيَاعِ

وَتُرْوِيكِ قَوَارِيِرُ هَجْرِي الدَّاغِلِ 

فَلاَ تَنْتَفِخِينَ بِآهَاتٍ مُتَشَرِّدَة!

***

إِلاَمَ نَظَلُّ رَهَائِنَ بَهْلَوَانِيَّةً 

يَلْبَسُنَا طُوفَانُ نَعْنَاعٍ لاَ يَنَام؟

ها شَهْوَةُ شَرَائِطِي الطَّاعِنَةُ بِالْعُزْلَةِ 

تُزَيِّنُكِ 

فَلاَ تَخْتَلُّ إِيقَاعَاتُ أَجْرَاسِكِ النَّرْجِسِيَّة!

هَا شَرَارَاتُ يَاسَمِينِكِ تَغْسِلُنِي 

بِحَرَائِقِ غُبَارِكِ الْفُسْتُقِيِّ  

أَنَا الْمُحَاصَرُ بِزئبقِ مَرَايَاكِ

إِلاَمَ تَبْكِينِي نَايُ زِنْزَانَتِي 

وَتَظَلُّ تُلَوِّحُنِي.. مَنَادِيلُ الْوَدَاعِ! 

The Cedars of Lebanon Folkloric Group &Lebanon

"Exhibition 2019"

State Library of New South Wales ( Corner of Macquarie St & Shakespeare PL)

The History of Elie & The Cedars of Lebanon Folkloric Group - ( 1973- 2019)

**

 How To Get there: Train Station's of: Martin Place - St James- Wynyard- Circular Quay

 Saturday: 26th October : 01,00pm till 5,00pm

Sunday : 27th October : 10,00am till 3,00pm

Free Exhibition - Free Entertainments -Free Information about Lebanon & CLFG

For more information: Elie Akouri 0414 750 013

  E: e.akouri@bigpond.com     W: www.clfg.org        F: www.facebook.com/groups/207948390057

Good evening . 

I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of Canterbury-Bankstown land, the Daruk and the Eora  people, and your elders past and present.

Why is it that we celebrate Harmony Day each year? I suspect that if I asked a random sample of people on the street, not many would be able to tell me.

The official name for Harmony Day is actually International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It’s not the catchiest of names, and in the 1990’s, with the rise of the One Nation Party and concern about racism, it was found that the concept of harmony was more inclusive and less confronting.

This day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1966, in remembrance of the events that took place in Sharpeville, South Africa, on 21 March 1960. On that day, the police opened fire on a large crowd who were peacefully demonstrating against apartheid pass laws, killing 69 people and injuring 180. The actions rightly received international condemnation. However, it was not until 26 years later, in 1986, that the apartheid laws that prompted the march were repealed.

It is easy to be complacent about eliminating racial discrimination. It is easy to look at the most extreme human rights abuses, such as occurred in South Africa, and consider our own problems with racism comparatively unimportant. But 2019 is an important time to take stock. We have a large multicultural population; in the latest census over 40% of Australians were born overseas or had one or more parents who were born overseas. We live in a country where acts of overt racism are condemned by our leaders. We have federal and state laws that are designed to protect us from discrimination.

And we have an annual day to recognise the many positive aspects of living in a multicultural society. It is important that we celebrate our achievements and reinforce positive messages of welcome. But it is just as vital that we take today to acknowledge that racism does still exist in Australia, and consider how we can address it.

As our H. R.  commissioner stated : “We should see Harmony Day as an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come, and how far we still have to go.”

And if we go back to the naming of Harmony Day, it is worth thinking about what we know of social cohesion. The Mapping Social Cohesion report, sponsored by the Scanlon Foundation, found a decline in all social cohesion indicators, demonstrating, fragility  in our community structure.

The good news is that it is not incurable. There are things that we can do to fight racism: on a personal level, on an organisational level, and on a national level.

But let’s not limit ourselves to engaging with new people one day a year. Many new migrants, refugees and international students experience social isolation when they arrive in Australia. It is much easier to overcome the effects of racism when you have a strong support network to rely on for friendship and support. As the old adage goes, “a problem shared is a problem halved”.

Because the reality is, multiculturalism is no longer a social experiment - it is the norm. We live in a world in which physical distance is less and less of a barrier.

The idea that people from any culture or nationality deserve less of an opportunity to live a safe and dignified life is at odds with the human rights principles.

Australia is made stronger, not weaker, by our diversity.

As anti-apartheid activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu said “Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.”

For a nation known for its tall poppy syndrome and love of the underdog, I believe Australia as a whole are fiercely proud of our premier position in the world. This can make it difficult to convince people that there may be any room for improvement. But the fact is we are not immune from many of the complex social problems faced by nations of all colours and creeds.

However, if we commit to help develop sound policies and programs that address the structural barriers to inclusion; if we work in partnership with communities, NGO’s, business, and academics and building on our diverse strengths, I believe that we can create innovative solutions to some of these problems.

Our benchmark for success should not be that we are better than the worst human rights offenders. As a prosperous and thriving multicultural society we should aim to be the world’s leaders in putting human rights principles into practice.

We started with the history of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

When people look back at us 50 years from now, what will they think? Will we been seen as a people complicit in allowing racism and inequality in its various guises to continue? Or will we be the people who learned from the experiences of the past, harnessed the possibilities of the present, and worked to create a different future?

It’s up to all of us.

Elias Tanos

(آمال عوّاد رضوان لِلوْعةِ العتماتِ نَذَرتُكِ)

أَيَا مَائِيَّةَ ابْتِهَالاَتِي

يَا مَنِ انْبَجَسَ

نَسِيمُكِ الضَّوْئِيُّ

وَاطِــــــئًـــــــــــا

مُنْحَدَرِاتِ كُوخِي النَّاعِسِ

وَهَـــفْـــــهَــــفْــــــتِ

بِفَضَاءَاتِي الْجِدَارِيَّةِ

تَــــنْــــقُــــشِـــيـــنَ

فَرَاغِيَ الْوَثِيرَ

بِمَخَالِبِ أَجْنِحَتِكِ!

*

يَا أَنْتِ الْـــــــ

تَــــتــــَّقِــــــــدِيـــــنَ

مَطَرًا عَاصِفًا

وتَـــــنْــــــــدَاحِـــــيـــــنَ

رِيحَ خَيَالاَتٍ

عَلَى ضِفَافِ جِنَانِي الْخَوَالي!

*

أَنَـــــا مَـــنْ تَــــأَهَّــــــــبْـــــتُ

لِمَصَابِيحِ رُوحِكِ

تُــــــشِـــــعُّــــــنِـــــي

أَعْرَاسَ فَرَحٍ

وفِي دُرُوبِ الوِلاَدَةِ

تَـــــــتَــــــهَـــــجَّـــــــانِــــي

ظِلاَلَ حُلُمٍ نَافِرٍ

لَكَمْ وَكَم وَكَم

نَــــذَرْتُــــــكِ

لِـــــلَـــــوْعَــــةِ الْـــعَـــتَــــمَـــاتِ

Dear friends,

Your continued support for recognition of Palestine NOW is more important than ever. 

We must get a Labor Victory at the up coming federal elections to see a Labor Government recognition of Palestine. 

We are almost there.

Your support to Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke and others who helped us through this debate is vital.

The ALP has moved closer to embracing Palestinian statehood, with the national conference passing the strongest resolution in its history calling on the next Labor government to proceed with recognition.

The resolution passed unanimously at the 2018 conference, calling on the next Labor government to recognise Palestine as a state. 

We now want the Shorten Federal Labor in Government to put the motion through and do justice to the Palestinian people.

Your support in booking a seat or two  or a table and or making a donation helps our Federal Labor colleagues from the Left and the Right of the ALP to continue their work and to see this initiative through our national parliament. 

Palestine needs now more than ever.

Yours faithfully

Shaoquett 

Chair of Arabic Friends of Labor.