2017-02-08
An underpinning of what has made Victorian multiculturalism strong over the decades is the resilience of our communities. Through generations of migrants and refugees like mine, who have landed on these shores and made a life for themselves despite the hardships that have come before their arrival, so many have embraced the opportunities presented with both hands and triumphed. Our society has been enriched through that, not just because of the positive attributes each wave of migration infuses into our collective culture but also because each challenge insists that we hold a mirror up to ourselves to face the part we ourselves play in the current social dynamic and reflect on how we can work together to overcome that.
In this vein, a unique organisation in the south-east called IslamiCare launched a parenting helpline on Monday at the Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House in Berwick to support Muslim families through not just the challenges we all face as parents but the growing issues the Muslim community faces with the current challenges for multiculturalism.
The first of its kind, the IslamiCare helpline is not only a culturally and religiously appropriate support service for the Muslim community but also grassroots by nature, run by that community for that community, utilising community-based support principles, with professional counselling and ties with pivotal organisations such as Headspace, Victoria Police and local community and religious leaders. I commend Kuranda Seyit and his team for this initiative that will not only promote resilience within the Muslim community but also send a strong message that they are valued enough to be acknowledged and have their unique needs addressed.