Interfaith Harmony Week offers a wonderful platform for bringing people together to celebrate the diversity of faiths that make up our community. In celebrating Interfaith Harmony Week this year, Al Siraat together with Whittlesea and Darebin councils, the Whittlesea and Darebin Interfaith Networks, United Religions Initiative, Beacon of Hope and several others organisations worked in collaboration to host the inspiring event titled "Power of Love - Paying it Forward".
Several enlightening speeches were made by key speakers, including our very own Mufti Aasim Rashid who gave a powerful speech about using interfaith dialogue platforms to address issues facing our communities collaboratively. As a newly arrived Canadian, he explained how his experiences in interfaith dialogue has been used to “create awareness, address issues, a platform for change, for advocacy, for justice, and for education.” Mufti Aasim explained that he’s passionate about using education as a means of clearing up the air and resolving our differences and working together for the betterment of our communities.
Einstein’s very moving letter to his daughter was presented by Nivy Balachandran United Religions Initiative highlighting the power of love as a cosmic force which binds us all which was very relevant to the theme of this event.
The entertainment for the event included a mesmerising Ude performance by Sarif Barwti and the incredibly talented engaging innovative performances by Melbourne Playback Theatre who reenacted the stories shared by the audience.
This year for World Interfaith Harmony week, let us recognise the need to build greater social cohesion, strengthen our community ties and approach those with a different view to our own with kindness and compassion. God bless all those who are actively contributing to the betterment of our highly diverse communities.