Social Cohesion

Social Cohesion Depends on Our Many Communities Coming Together

I rise to address reports of an event that mourned the death of Ayatollah Khamenei that was held in a centre in my electorate. I reiterate the sentiments of the Prime Minister: Australia stands with the brave people of Iran, who endured decades of oppression under his regime. His death should not be mourned. Like the Minister for Home Affairs, I fail to understand how that dictatorship, a perversion of the peace that Muslims in my community practise, could be mourned on Australian soil, particularly when so recently it was confirmed that the regime was behind terrorist acts on our shores, designed to sow division and discord. I send my thoughts to our local Iranian community, my neighbours for whom this death brings some closure to a period of oppression and loss.

But I want to be clear. This must not be conflated with our broader Muslim community. Just last month I stood with our Muslim community on the open mosque day. That community—peaceful, proud and contributing—must not bear the burden of the actions of a minority. Social cohesion depends on our many communities coming together with mutual respect. I am proud of the incredibly diverse community I represent, and I will always be their advocate in this parliament.