Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (14:01): I had the pleasure of attending a community iftar put on by Greens of the west, where hundreds of people gathered from multifaith and multicultural communities. It was so lovely to spend an evening with families and people of all ages. Congratulations to the organisers, including Rifai Raheem, and thanks to everyone who came along. While were able to gather in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding, this stood in stark contrast to a recent iftar event in Ballarat, which was stormed by a person hurling racist, Islamophobic vitriol at terrified attendees. The worst part of this was the utter lack of any meaningful response from the police, the media or this state’s political leaders. The lack of condemnation – the silence – speaks volumes about the terrifying space that is being created by many people in power, including many politicians and parts of the media who use their platforms to spew the very same disgusting hate speech with growing impunity. They have enabled blatant violence and Islamophobia to go unchecked and become normalised. Everyone in this country should have the right to a life free from violence and hate, regardless of who they are or what they believe. While time and again Muslim leaders and communities respond to events like this with generosity and courage, it should not be on them to be resilient and endure. We need to do better, all of us, starting with the Allan Labor government.