K.C. BOEY: Building bridges during Ramadan in Australia

2009/09/20

K.C. Boey

DELICATE contemplation come to mind: which comes first, the chicken or the egg; will water left well alone find its equilibrium? And so on.

Ramadan's brought this on; in Melbourne, especially over the past week. And over the next.

There've been invitations to two Iftar (buka puasa) functions. On Oct 1, there is a Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration. No doubt there've been more over the past month of Ramadan fasting.

What does it say about what is going on, that I should be writing about this? Why should it be remarkable that Muslims should invite non-Muslims to join them in the muhibbah spirit of Malaysian open house?

Nor of government agencies and business organisations joining in Ramadan celebration?

My happy finding is that it's a reflection of the increasing diversity of people who call Australia home, and the response of institutions to accommodate that transformation.

The Turk Muslim-inspired Australian Intercultural Society (AIS) has for a few years invited interfaith partners to join them at an Iftar meal.

This is in keeping with the objective of "building bridges through information & interaction", of an organisation that adheres to the intellectual tradition of the liberal theologian, Fethullah Gulen.

In more recent times, community services of the (Melbourne) Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFB) has extended to incorporate "multicultural liaison", which has led to the MFB hosting Iftar meals and initiating other Ramadan programmes.

As Commander Frank Besanko tells it, breaking bread with the New Sunday Times, multicultural liaison "just grew" out of the increasing diversity of people. As he recalls it, it's been evolving over the past 10 years.

The same service imperative appears to be driving initiatives in the financial sector.

Commercial bank ANZ on Oct 1, with University of Melbourne Asia-literacy centre Asialink, hosts a Hari Raya Aidilfitri evening for Muslim students.

The sector is increasingly building on developing Islamic banking in response to demand. La Trobe University's Dr Ishaq Bhatti at the AIS Iftar dinner was promoting the Master of Islamic Banking and Finance course the university offers.

At the MFB, the organic growth of multicultural liaison added to recognition of the need to build up its diversity policy. Three years ago, it appointed a manager for diversity development.

Diversity at MFB covers indigenous, disability and gender as well as multicultural inclusiveness.

What the emergency service seeks to do is build mutual relationships and to raise awareness of respective needs and cultural practices for it to do its job, says Dalal Smiley, manager of diversity development.

Ramadan is an opportune time for "fireys" -- as firemen are fondly referred to -- and Muslims to get to know each other.

Thus MFB's "Adopt a firey during Ramadan" programme ( tinyurl.com/ oefp45), and its hosting of Iftar dinners, the first of which was held two years ago.

At the dinner on Wednesday, one firey was assigned to each table, many with guests from the local City of Moreland, with its many Muslims.

Can a Muslim become a firey? Invited speaker Sherene Hassan, vice-president of the Islamic Council of Victoria, posed the question, as much addressed at Muslims and non-Muslims.

Islam not only allows it, she asserts, it obliges its adherents to save lives, according to the Quran (Surah 5:32).

And so the questions to Besanko at our table -- as I suspect at many of the other seven tables -- how many firemen were from among newer migrant groups?

Jasmine Ouaida, who works as a lifeguard, tells Besanko of the barriers faced by friends who would like to become firemen. Greater diversity can only be to the good of the MFB and the community, Ouaida says.

Besanko could only hazard a guess at the proportion of firemen from among newer migrants. He affirms Smiley's view of a desire to increase the under-representation of people from diverse backgrounds.

It's not easy, the veteran fireman says of the qualifying aptitude test. He's not sure he'd pass if he had to sit the test today.

Smiley's equity and diversity unit is helping review recruitment policy, to proactively target community groups, help them apply, and mentor their induction.

The MFB represents at one level what the AIS seeks to do in cultivating the media.

Awards were presented at its dinner graced by the Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser.

Dr Helen Szoke, chief conciliator and chief executive of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, joined in celebration at both Iftar dinners.

"Events such as this strengthen the bonds between people of different cultures, communities and professions," says Szoke.

Institutions such as Szoke's are established at state and federal levels, providing the impetus for engagement for social organisations such as the AIS and agencies such as the MFB and police, as much as drawing inspiration from them.

Chicken or the egg, proactive responses are required of each.

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