Muslim Australians celebrate the end of the Hajj
19 December 2007
Australian Muslims are today celebrating ‘Eid-ul-Adha’ (Feast of the Sacrifice) to mark the end of the Hajj, said Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Laurie Ferguson.
Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated by Muslims around the world with prayer and exchange of gifts.
'Australia is a great, open society and it is important that we all respect the right of people to maintain their traditions and beliefs,' said Mr Ferguson.
'Events celebrating the ‘Eid’ are taking place all over Australia – in Melbourne for example, many Muslims will be paying their respects by reading passages from the Holy Quran in memory of the late Mustapha (John) Ilhan.
'Mr Ilhan – of ‘Crazy John’s’ fame – emigrated to Australia from Turkey and built a mobile phone empire of 120 stores across the country.
'I acknowledge the very valuable contribution Muslim Australians have made to Australia in fields such as business, sport, medicine and education and I wish you all the best during this festival,' Mr Ferguson said.
The Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, is the fifth and final pillar of Islam. If possible, every Muslim is required to take part in the pilgrimage at least once in their life.
The Hajj takes place annually during the first 10 days of the Dhul-Hijja, the 12th month of the Islamic year, and culminates on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijja, beginning the four-day festival of Eid-ul-Adha.
Today almost two per cent of Australians are Muslims. According to the 2006 Census there were more than 340 000 Muslims living in Australia. Of this group about 38 per cent were born in Australia.
While around half of the overseas-born Muslims arrived in Australia in the last 10 years, Muslims have been part of Australian society from the earliest days of European settlement. Muslims have come from many backgrounds and more than 140 countries and have contributed immensely to the richness of our community.
Islam, Christianity and Judaism all have the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) in common as the father of their faith.
Media contact:
Khaldoun Hajaj - 0404 078 692
URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/parlsec/media/media-releases/2007/lf07001.htm
Last update: 13 August 2008 at 17:14 AEST