The most successful multicultural society in the world

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Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has described his country as being the most successful multicultural country in the world.

Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed – Grand Mufti of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, Rabbi Shmueli Feldman and Bill Shorten Photo: Facebook

Speaking at Parliament House in Canberra, Prime Minister Turnbull said: “We’re here today to celebrate the great Australian family of which we are all part.

We are the most successful multicultural society in the world.

We live together with remarkable harmony, and we do so because of our great Australian value – one of mutual respect.

And that is a two-way street, that’s what mutual means. It is that mutual respect that enables us to be enriched by the diversity of our country, which is our greatest asset. It enables us to be as proud and engaged with neighbours’ cultures and religions as we are with our own.

We are the most successful multicultural society in the world.

There is nobody else that has done it as well as this. It is not an accident and it is based on recognising that, as in every big family, harmony depends on mutual respect.

So, I am delighted to be here with Bill Shorten, with Dr Di Natale from the Greens and many other colleagues and above all, with all of you, with members from every faith, every ethnic group in Australia.

Here we are gathered together, celebrating that which we have in common – this wonderful country and the mutual respect upon which its success is founded.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten added: “This is a very timely gathering of all faiths. This nation can only succeed when we work together. There can be no doubt in my mind that in the last four and five weeks, we have seen both the best and the worst that our nation has to deal with.

On one hand, we have had the dreadful, tragic, shocking Parramatta killing, which has left the whole nation in mourning. But in the following days and weeks, we have seen best of our country as well. Not the least of which, might I say we see now a coming together of the political debate in this country. Malcolm Turnbull, Richard Di Natale, myself and Labor, all talking about the same challenges with the same approach.

We have seen the leaders, the remarkable leaders in all of our faith-based communities but in particular this time, I am going to congratulate some of the leaders in our Islamic community for being unequivocal in their repudiation of hate and the preference for unity. Today is another timely step forward.

Faith in this country can certainly be something by which people can choose to define themselves but faith in this country should never be something whereby some people seek to exclude others. The best prospect for this country is when we work together, when we respect people of all faiths and I want to thank, in particular, all the religious leaders who are here today, all the community leaders, this is, as Malcolm Turnbull said, the best multicultural country in the world and I can promise you that from the Parliament of Australia, we will work with all of the faith-based multicultural communities to keep this the best country in the world.

Leader of The Greens Richard di Natale said: “This is the way the Parliament should work, people coming together to celebrate some of the things that make this nation a great nation and I look around and my heart sings when I see the wonderful diversity that is here before us. The people from many different cultures, backgrounds, religions, coming together, making an enormous contribution to the country and making us the most successful multicultural nation on earth.

It is a wonderful celebration. That is what today is about. It’s about celebrating all of the things that people from the different faiths and cultures, that contribute to this nation, what they bring to us, how they enrich us, how they make us collectively a better people. I just want to say thank you to all of you for showing the leadership that you have for so long and let’s use today as an affirmation to say that this is why the nation that we love, that we enjoy, is such a great place to live and long may it continue. Thank you so much. 

Samier Dandan of the Lebanese Muslim Association told the media conference: “In response to the growing reports of discrimination, violence and rising tensions within the Australian community, political leaders, community leaders and faith leaders have gathered today in support of our shared vision of a better Australia. This national day of unity is an occasion for us to remember that we can all work together to build on a common ground between us. That all this needs is for us to come together and connect over our shared values and experiences and to envision a better future for our children and ourselves, the presence of our Prime Minister here today, as well as the Opposition Leader and the leader of the Greens, is a reflection of how important this gathering is.

We can all agree that uniting to ensure that the current events do not undermine the importance of what it means to live fruitfully together in a diverse society, that we must encourage and educate our communities in the attitudes of mutual respect, understanding and acceptance of one another.

The two projects that underpin the National Day of Unity are the LMA’s National Mosque Open Day and the welcome to Australia Walk Together. Both are occurring on 31 October. I encourage all Australians to take this unique opportunity to visit the local participating mosques and walk together all around Australia.
Considering recent events, I think it is imperative now, more than ever, that we try to overcome our differences and misunderstandings and open our hearts to each other and remind ourselves that we, as Australians, are welcoming, understanding, inclusive and accepting.”

The chairman of Chabad ACT Rabbi Shmueli Feldman was at Parliament House and told J-Wire: “Coming together in friendship and unity is a crucial step in countering the evil, prejudice and hate that exist in the world.

There’s a Jewish teaching that the Rebbe would repeatedly emphasise: ‘a little bit of light can banish a lot of darkness’.

It was encouraging to witness this message being portrayed by the Political and Religious leadership of Australia at the special unity event today in Parliament House.”