Tuesday, 17 October 2023

 Iwan WALTERS (Greenvale) (19:06): (374) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. It relates to the recent tragedy at a wedding in the city of Bakhdida, also known as Qaraqosh, which killed well over 100 people and left many more with severe burns and life-changing injuries, and the need to secure justice for the victims. The specific action I seek is for the minister to advise me how the Victorian government is supporting the Assyrian, Syriac and Chaldean communities to live safely, freely and prosperously in Victoria, having been forced to flee their ancient homelands in northern Iraq.

Many of those killed and injured in Bakhdida had family, friends and loved ones living in my electorate of Greenvale and across Melbourne, meaning that the suffering of this tragedy has been felt acutely here in Victoria. The Chaldean, Assyrian and Syriac communities have already demonstrated such extraordinary resilience in recent years in the face of hardship, terror and persecution. The murderous hatred and religious intolerance of the terrorist group Da’esh forced many to flee their ancient homelands in Nineveh and northern Iraq in 2014.

After often long and arduous journeys through third countries such as Jordan and Türkiye, many Assyrians, Chaldeans and Syriacs have found sanctuary and a new home in Victoria, where they are making an immense contribution to our community through business, the professions, faith and public service. These outstanding contributions are particularly evident in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, including my own electorate of Greenvale. Others from the Syriac, Chaldean and Assyrian communities have been working hard to rebuild shattered cities like Bakhdida, which is why the fire and tragic loss of life at a wedding, an occasion that should have been the cause of so much joy, has been such a painful blow.

I was proud to stand in solidarity with thousands of my constituents who gathered in peace, prayer and remembrance on the steps of this our Parliament on Sunday 8 October in honour of those who lost their lives in Bakhdida. I now ask the minister to join me in supporting the Assyrian, Syriac and Chaldean communities in their time of deep grief and to advise me how the Victorian government is working to provide them with practical support.