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Living Spirit - Muslim Women's Project 2006: Appendices 3 and 4

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Appendix 3: Living Spirit: Muslim Women and Human Rights Forum

The Right to Participate in Social Change

 

Thursday, 21 September 2006

Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre

Cnr. Bell St & St Georges Rd, Preston, Victoria

PROGRAM


MC: Helen Szoke, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Conciliator of the

Equal Opportunity Commission of Victoria

REGISTRATION

9.00 – 9.30

Venue: Foyer

WELCOME

9:30 – 10.00

Venue: Courtyard

  • Indigenous Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony - Joy

    Murphy, Senior Woman Elder of the Wurundjeri People
  • Saara Sabbagh, Women’s Network Coordinator, Islamic Council

    of Victoria
  • Introduction and overview of forum - Margaret Donaldson,

    Director, Race Discrimination Unit, Human Rights and Equal

    Opportunity Commission (HREOC)



DVD Presentation
(Combined session): ‘The Chaser’s War on Everything’

10.00 – 10.10

Venue: Theatre

Hypothetical
(Combined session): ‘Righting the Wrongs’: How would you respond?

10.10 – 11.00

Venue: Theatre





Facilitator: Hana Assafiri

Panelists include:

  • Victoria Police
  • Ken Nguyen, Legal Affairs Reporter, The Age
  • Joanne Bonighton, Acting Human Resources Manager,

    Woolworths Supermarket
  • Bob Morgan, School Principal, Alia Private School
  • Sheikh Isse Musse, Imam of the Virgin Mary Mosque, Hoppers

    Crossing
  • Benjamin Rice, Senior Legal and Policy Officer, Equal

    Opportunity Commission Victoria
  • Julie Ouaida, Muslim woman
  • Nurjan Eser-Salman, Multicultural Services Officer, Centrelink
  • Maria Vamvakinou MP, Federal Member for Calwell

Questions to consider: Using scenarios based on true stories of

racial and religious discrimination and abuse under the themes of

human rights, negative stereotyping and misconceptions, the

hypothetical will ask the panellists ‘How would you respond’?

This addresses the sets of standards policy and decision makers

use to respond to incidents of discrimination and abuse.

MORNING TEA with politicians hosted by Maria Vamvakinou MP,
Federal Member for Calwell

11.00 – 11.30

Venue: Foyer

Session 1: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"

(Martin Luther King)

Exploring Human Rights

11.30 – 1.00

Plenary

(Combined session)

Speakers

  • Islam and human rights - Tasneem Chopra, Chair, Islamic

    Women’s Welfare Council of Victoria (IWWCV)
  • Human rights issues facing Muslim women - Omeima

    Sukkarieh, Acting Senior Policy Research Officer, Race

    Discrimination Unit, HREOC

11.30 – 11.45

Venue: Theatre



Concurrent Workshops

(Please choose one of the following workshops)

11.45 – 1.00

Workshop 1: ‘My rights are your rights’

Human rights and young women

(For young women only)

Facilitator: Nadia Mohamed, Youth Worker, Centre for

Multicultural Youth Issues (CMYI) and Dakhylina Madkhul, Board

of Management, IWWCV, Probationary Psychologist and Student

Welfare Coordinator and Counsellor

Questions to consider: What is the role of Islam in your life?

What are your human rights issues? How can you practically

apply human rights to your life?



Venue: Courtyard / Foyer

Workshop 2: ‘Out of the shadows’

Human rights issues facing Muslim women

Facilitators: Sultan Cinar, Citizenship and Anti-Violence Project

Worker, IWWCV

Questions to consider: What are your human rights issues and

how can you address them? What do you know about human

rights? What is the role of Islam and human rights in your life?



Venue: Jacaranda Room

Workshop 3: ‘‘A new world’: What the new anti-terrorism laws mean to you?

Facilitators: Marika Dias, Community Lawyer and Legal Education

Worker, Western Suburbs Legal Service

Questions to consider: What are the new anti-terrorism laws?

How do they impact on your life? How are your rights protected?

Venue: Acacia Room

Workshop 4: ‘How I can, NOT why I can’t’?

Why should I make a complaint and how to cope with crisis

Facilitators: Susan Newell, Senior Policy Research Officer, Race

Discrimination Unit, HREOC and Najwa Yassin, Community

Development / Parenting Worker, IWWCV

Questions to consider: What are the complaints

procedures/mechanisms available? Where can you go for help?

How can the complaints process be improved? Why is it

important to report incidents? What can I do if I do not wish to

make a formal complaint? What are some conflict resolution skills

I need?

Venue: Theatre

Workshop 5: ‘Lost in translation, found in respect’

Helping Muslim women cope with racial and religious

discrimination and abuse

Facilitators: Hutch Hussein, Business Development Manager,

Northern Migrant Resource Centre and Laila El-Assaad, Education

Officer, Muslim Women’s Association of South Australia

Speaker: Rebecca Smith, Community Development Worker,

Western Suburbs Legal Service will provide a brief overview of the

impacts of discrimination on Muslim women identified in the

Racial & Religious Discrimination, Vilification and Harassment Project

Questions to consider: What are the personal and social impacts

of discrimination on Muslim women? What are some of the

preventative measures you can take in the workplace? How can

Muslim women be supported? What are the skills needed for

social support services to help Muslim women cope in crisis

situations including racial and/or religious abuse? What cultural

and religious competency is necessary in the workplace and how

can policies and procedures be improved to reflect the needs of

Muslim women? Is translation enough?



Venue: Grevillia Room

LUNCH

includes drumming workshop facilitated by Tania

Bosak, Pulse Drumming

1.00 – 2.00

Venue: Foyer / Courtyard

MC: Voula Messimeri, Chairperson, Federation of Ethnic Communities'

Councils of Australia



Session 2: ‘I’m not racist but…’

Confronting negative stereotypes and misconceptions

2.00 – 3.30

Plenary: ‘Learning from history - an Indigenous perspective’

(Combined session)

2.00 – 2.15

Speaker: Joy Murphy, Senior Woman Elder of the Wurundjeri

People

Venue: Theatre

Concurrent Workshops

(Please choose one of the following workshops)

2.15 - 3.30



Workshop 6:
‘Critical Connections’ -
Freedom of speech vs racial vilification

Facilitators: Peter Manning, Adjunct Prof. of Journalism at

University of Technology (UTS) and Author of "Us and Them: a

journalist's investigation of Media, Muslims and the Middle East"

(Random House, Sept. 2006) and Farah Farouque, Social Affairs

Editor, The Age

Questions to consider: A question and answer session focusing on

the following, Muslim women and the media and how can

Muslim women engage in them? When does freedom of speech

violate human rights? What is the role of media? How can you

engage in the media debate? What do media need to know?

Venue: Theatre

Workshop 7 ‘Image vs Reality – how to answer the hard questions’

Our responsibility to combat negative stereotypes

Facilitators: Doug Weller, Director and Team Leader, Corporate

Media Services, and Joumana El Matrah, Manager, IWWCV

Questions to consider: How can you combat negative

stereotyping? What are the FAQ’s that you need to know the

answer to? How do you respond to basic questions, e.g. ‘why do

you wear the hijab?’ ‘Why are Muslim women oppressed?’ ‘Why

are all terrorists Muslim?’ ‘What does Islam say about terrorism?’

‘What does Jihad mean? Why do Muslim women get married so

young?’ etc.

Venue: Acacia Room

Workshop 8: "Race is just lines drawn on a map" (Voices of Australia contributor, Marat, SA)

Understanding Stereotypes for Young Women

(For young women only)

Facilitators: Faten Mohamad, Citizenship and Anti-Violence

Project Case Worker , IWWCV and Moona Hammoud, Youth

Women’s Project Worker, IWWCV

Questions to consider: What are stereotypes? Confronting your

own prejudices and how can you combat negative stereotypes?

How does cultural, religious and national identity relate to your

self-esteem and affect stereotypes? Why is self esteem important?

How do you empower yourself and others?

Venue: Courtyard / Foyer

Workshop 9: ‘Educate a woman, educate a nation’

The importance of combating negative stereotypes

Facilitator: Gabrielle Fakhri, Cultural Consultant

Questions to consider: using a role play and examples of existing

stereotypes of Muslims and non-Muslims, how accurate are these

stereotypes? Have you ever used these stereotypes? Correcting the

stereotypes? How do these make you feel? Confronting your own

prejudices and how can you combat negative stereotypes? How

does cultural, religious and national identity relate to your selfesteem

and affect stereotypes? Why is self esteem important? How

do you empower yourself and others?

Venue: Jacaranda Room

Workshop 10: ‘Creating possibilities’ – a conversation between generations about experiences of discrimination

How to make a difference together in your family, community

and life

Facilitators: Fatima Kourouche, State Advisor, Active After school

Communities, Australian Sports Commission, South Western

Sydney Area Health Service, Bilingual Community Educator,

Women’s Health, and former Coordinator of Parenting Education

Network, and Mariam Kourouche (Fatima’s daughter),16 year old

student at Malek Fahd Islamic School

Session will also include Leadership Training conducted by

Nurcihan Ozturk, Executive Officer and Dalal Samaan, Vice

President from the Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women’s

Coalition

Questions to consider: Using a mother and daughter style role

play, how do different generations of women experience and cope

with discrimination and abuse? How can they make a difference

to the way they respond to discrimination and abuse? What are

the issues mothers and daughters face? How can they better

understand each other? How can they better engage themselves in

each other’s lives? How can they help empower each other and

themselves to change their lives and the people around them?

Venue: Grevillia Room



AFTERNOON BREAK

includes the screening of ‘Veiled Ambition’

for optional viewing

(‘Veiled Ambition’ is an inspiring documentary about "a little

Aussie battler in a scarf" and her dream to create a fashion

empire’)

3.30 – 4.00

Venue: Foyer

 

Plenary: What’s available and how to get involved in projects that
affect you?

4.00 – 4.10

(Combined session)

A presentation on existing state government and community

projects presented by Robyn Morgan, Acting Director, National

Action Plan and Jane Teafey, Project Officer, Community Support

Section, Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs

(DIMA)

Venue: Combined Jacaranda

and Grevillia Rooms

Closing: ‘Participating in change ’ - capacity building and

empowerment

Strategies for the future

(Combined session)

4.10 – 4.30

  • Vision for a better future – overview of suggested strategies of

    forum, question and answer – Joumana El Matrah, Manager,

    IWWCV
  • Where to from here – closing and what next, including future

    strategies Margaret Donaldson, Director, Race Discrimination

    Unit, HREOC

Venue: Combined Jacaranda

and Grevillia Rooms

CLOSING DINNER TO MARK THE BEGINNING OF RAMADAN

CAFE UMUT (TURKISH RESTAURANT) –

369 HIGH STREET, PRESTON
 
5.30 – 7.30

(THIS WILL BE FREE AND ALL FOOD IS HALAL. CHILDREN

WELCOME. (PLEASE RSVP FOR THIS ALSO)


Other Details:

Waratah Room - Childcare available in Waratah Room with qualified child care workers

Exhibition Hall - ‘Why Women Matter’ – personal achievements, amazing contributions

Exhibition profiling achievements of everyday Muslim women.

Exhibition Hall – all day prayer space available

Foyer – ‘Living Spirit’ Mural – available for women throughout the day to draw, write, paint, etc
expressing their hopes, needs, future aspirations in the context of human rights and Muslim

women. We hope that this mural will express what participants want the broader community to
learn from what they have throughout the day.

For further information please visit: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/livingspirit/

Location & Map

Address:

Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre

Cnr Bell St & St Georges Rd

Preston

VIC 3072

Parking:

Car Parks: The Darebin Arts &

Entertainment Centre Car Park provides 180

unrestricted car spaces. Enter the car park

via Peter Street, or St Georges Rd.

Street Parking:

Unrestricted parking is also available on St

Georges Rd (East end).

Disabled Parking:

4 disabled car spaces are
available in the car park.

Public Transport

The Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre is

easily accessible by train, tram and bus.

The nearest public transport is Bell train

station a short 2-3 minute walk along Bell

St, Preston.

Train

Catch the Epping line train to Bell Station.

The Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre is

a further 2-3 minute walk along Bell St.

Tram

Catch the Route 86 Tram - Docklands to

Bundoora RMIT (Plenty Rd/McKimmies Rd).

Stop 44 at the corner of Bell St and Plenty

Rd, a further 7-10 minute walk to the

Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre.

Catch the Route 112 Tram - South

Melbourne / St Kilda Beach - West Preston.

Stop 40 at the corner of Bell St and Gilbert

Rd, a further 10 minute walk to the Darebin

Arts & Entertainment Centre.

Bus

Catch Route 513 - Eltham - Glenroy (via

Lower Plenty Rd & Greensborough), which

runs along Bell Street.

Bus Stops are located 20-50 metres from

the corner of High St and Bell St, Preston.

For more public transport information

please call 131 638 or visit the Metlink

Melbourne website:

www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au


Appendix 4: Profiles

Dalal OubaniDalal Oubani

Dalal is originally from South Lebanon. She is 27 years old

and recently married, has completed a university degree in

Medical Science and a degree in Business. Dalal is currently

a secondary school science teacher in Sydney.

"Over the years my contributions to both my local and

general communities have been through assistance in writing

reports on human rights and participating in projects, which

aim to facilitate this crucial goal. I left the corporate sector to

pursue teaching not just to achieve a balance in my life but

to also use my skills to help the many disadvantaged

Australian youth struggling to make sense of the world. I care

about all Australian youth regardless of their background, but

my heart especially goes out to the alienated Australian

Muslim and Arab youth in our schools who are not given a

‘fair go’ and often with not enough support to fulfil their

potential. I believe this minority group has unfairly become

the underdog of Australian society for no reason other than

believing that ‘God is one’.

I believe that there can be no harmony and justice in society

if inequality is accepted and endorsed by our politicians and

the general public. Working towards better human rights is

everyone’s responsibility. There can be no winners when

there is inequality because society is like a stream where a

ripple in one end can affect the harmony and peace of the

whole stream. My hope is to work in a school populated with

Arab youth as I feel this is where I would be most effective.

Later I would like to manage a tutoring business part-time

and work overseas. I feel this would increase my

understanding and skills and help me become a greater

resource as a teacher."

Mariam RindMariam Rind

Mariam is an Indigenous Australian Muslim who is in her 5th

year of medicine at the University of Western Australia.

"I’m lucky to have come from such a diverse background. I

was born in Port Hedland in Western Australia in 1980 and

have lived in Australia for most of my life. My mother is an

Indigenous Yamatji woman and her family originated from

Mount Magnet. My father is from an area called Balouchistan

which is near the border of Iran and Pakistan. My Indigenous

legacy began when my great grandfather travelled to South

Australia as a camel driver in the late 1800’s. He then ended

up marrying an Indigenous woman who reverted to Islam, and

from there our family became!

My interest in becoming a doctor is driven by my cultural and

historical background. I have seen so much growing up. I don’t

think you have to travel to a 3rd world country to appreciate

humanity and the importance of the provision of basic

resources. Living in Australia and seeing my Indigenous people

experience conditions which should not even be present in

such a country, has given me some insight into the great need

for more Aboriginal doctors. As a Muslim I also appreciate the

need and demand for more female Muslim doctors, and thus,

hope to benefit both the Muslim and Indigenous communities

by sharing a similar background and offering culturally

appropriate care.

Studying medicine has not been easy. But giving up is not in

my vocabulary. I have been awarded various scholarships to

assist me in my studies. Both academic achievement and the

desire for doing more community work in the future have

helped me achieve much both academically and personally. I

have been a mentor at camps targeting Indigenous youth and

have been actively involved in encouraging tertiary education

amongst Indigenous youth. It is important that our youth have

good role models and that’s what I hope to be.

I’ll continue to study and one day I hope to be able to use my

knowledge to help people, regardless of religion, background,

or culture. I think that’s why medicine was so appealing. It’s a

great avenue to helping others and easing the suffering of

others is a basic human right which I’m proud to be part of.

Ultimately, saving lives is in the hands of God, but God has

also given us hands to help save lives too."

Chahida BakkourChahida Bakkour

Chahida is a Victoria University student currently

undertaking a Bachelor of Business (Computer Systems

Management). She is also a Sessional IT teacher at Victoria

University. In 2006 Chahida was awarded the Victoria

University TAFE Student of the Year – Vocational Award and

Victoria University Outstanding Student Award – School of

Human Services, Science and Technology.

"I left Secondary School in 1992 without completing year 11.

In 2003, after getting married and having two children I

returned to study. I enrolled in and completed Certificate I in

Information Technology during 2003. By the end of 2004 I

completed Certificate IV in Information Technology. By 2006

having completed a Dual Diploma in Information Technology

(Web Development and Internetworking) and Certificate IV in

Assessment and Workplace Training I was offered the

opportunity to do some sessional teaching at Victoria

University (VU). I also do web design which has become my

new hobby.

I felt hesitant about returning to study and was not confident

as to how I would fit within the study environment being a

Muslim and mature age student. I was also apprehensive as

to what was expected of me as an adult learner and was not

aware of my capabilities.

Whilst studying I have faced many obstacles, but my greatest

achievement was having the strength to keep going no matter

what type of obstacles were in my way. I was able to show

the people around me and more importantly prove to myself

that I was capable of studying and at the same time

successfully fulfilled my role as a wife and mother of two

school age children. Learning has presented me with

challenges both personally and academically. My

achievements have come from perseverance and the support

of family, friends, peers and the excellent teachers at Victoria

University. I encourage everyone to go for their dreams."

Fatima KilleenFatima Killeen

Fatima was born in Casablanca, Morocco and is an

accomplished Australian and international artist based in

Canberra.

I studied at the school "Les Beaux Arts" of Fine Art in

Casablanca. During this time I was selected for an engraving

workshop at the Asilah Arts Festival and on my graduation I

was presented with the Award of Excellence.

In 1988 I was accepted into the Corcoran School of Art in

Washington DC where I studied painting and photography.

While at the Corcoran, I was awarded the Dean's Merit

Scholarship.

I came to Australia in 1994 and continued my Bachelor

Degree in painting and printmaking at the Canberra School

of Art (ANU). In 1997, I graduated with First Class Honours

and three Graduation awards (VETA, Mallesons Acquisition

Award & Megalo printmaking residency).

Since my graduation in 1997, I have taken part in group and

solo exhibitions in Canberra and Sydney. The work "Stored

Memories" was acquired by the Canberra Museum and

Gallery in 1998. During 2001, I received the Wattan Art

Prize at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.

I have received a number of art grants to assist in the

production of new works. My artworks are held in the

Australian War Memorial, the Australian National University,

and in private collections in Sydney & Canberra, Morocco,

Singapore, Zimbabwe, Germany, Switzerland, Los Angeles,

Ohio & Washington DC.

My wish is that the great need for communication between

different communities, countries and faiths will be fulfilled in

order to achieve peace, tolerance and a positive dialogue.

Art is one vehicle of expression for such communication. The

resolve of the people to change is in their own hands and not

in the hands of deceptive politicians who are only interested

in electioneering and self promotion."

Rawan Abdul-NabiRawan Abdul-Nabi

Rawan is a Palestinian Australian currently completing a

Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours at Sydney University

combining the disciplines of Sociology and Arabic and

Islamic Studies to sustain for what she believes is exciting

and compelling research.

"In the past few years I have participated in and achieved a

number of things which have laid the foundations for a fairly

active life in the pursuit of social justice. After finishing high

school successfully I set off to take on an academic pursuit in

the social sciences and humanities.

As in during my later years in high school where I was

elected to various roles in leadership, including school Vice-

Captain and through on to university life, I am an active

member of the community, striving to raise awareness,

provide support bases and promote understanding and foster

social and cultural awareness by continuing to campaign for

human rights and social justice. My most passionate defence

remains in the struggle for Palestinian human rights and

justice and the fair representation of Palestinian, Arab and

Muslim peoples. I was a founding member and President of

the Sydney University Arab Students Association and an

Executive Member of the Sydney University Muslims Students

Association. I served on Union committees and was a

Councillor of the Student Representative Council, a delegate

to the Asia-pacific Model United Nations Conference with a

passion for advocating for human rights. My public role

remains and I participate and speak on many panels, at

rallies and meetings giving voice to Palestine and Arab and

Muslim women.

I think Australia must urgently improve its defence and

waging of human rights. We cannot any longer demonise

those seeking refuge here and it is abhorrent to detain those

who arrive deemed ‘illegally’. Certainly we also cannot be

part of wars that intend to wage peace but bring nothing but

death and destruction."

Zahra ShafaqZahra Shafaq

Zahra is 20 years old and a refugee who fled Afghanistan in

1998 and escaped to Pakistan. Zahra arrived in Australia in

2001. She is currently undertaking her Higher School

Certificate (year 12) at Holroyd High School.

"I was in a refugee camp across the border of Pakistan and

Afghanistan for a year. For two years after that I lived outside

the camp as normal as possible hoping to come to Australia

and have a better future in my education, life and with my

family. When I first arrived in Australia in May 2001 I arrived

in Sydney. I came to Holroyd High Intensive English Centre

and was there for a year. With my determination I moved to

mainstream classes at Holroyd High School in the last term

of Year 9.

I am one of the young ChillOut (Children Out Of Detention)

Ambassadors and was made one in 2004. Since then I have

been going to private, public and primary schools to talk

about and share my amazing experiences as a child refugee

and the coping strategies of the hardships I come to face

everyday as a refugee in Australia. This whole experience has

been a great benefit. I realised that there are still good human

beings out there because once upon a time I forgot they ever

existed, especially after witnessing the war in my country of

birth.

I started writing my own unpublished poetry and short stories

regarding true life stories. I was also invited as a guest

speaker at the Sydney Writers’ Festival in 2004, speaking

about my experiences.

As for the future of human rights, I believe and hope that

everyone in the future will have equal rights whether it’s in a

business, in a home, or in a country, or even around the

world. Everyone deserves the same rights because everyone

is born with those rights just like everyone is born with a

brain.

I hope also that the Human Rights Commission in Australia

continues to give voice to the public."

Faten Jamalaldin MohamedFaten Jamalaldin Mohamed

Faten was born in Khartoum, Sudan and migrated with her

family to Australia over 12 years ago. She has completed a

Social Science Degree at the Royal Melbourne Institute of

Technology (RMIT). Faten is currently working at the Islamic

Women’s Welfare Council of Victoria as the Citizenship and

Anti-Violence Project Case Worker.

"My father is Sudanese and my mother is from Eritrea. I have

always been involved in both the Eritrean and Sudanese

communities in Melbourne from a young age, and enjoy

being involved in community activities.

My biggest achievement has been my involvement in a group

called ‘Sudanese Youth for Reconciliation and Hope’. It is a

group of eleven young people from North and South Sudan

working together to reconcile a country and community

divided by a devastating 50 year civil war. We aim to

empower young people from Sudanese background living in

Australia and around the world to take up a leadership role

and to actively participate in sustaining peace in Sudan and

to work together on building a nation free of religious and

racial hatred."

Yasmine AhmedYasmine Ahmed

Yasmine is a lawyer who is currently working as an

Associate to the Honourable Justice Sultan at the Supreme

Court of South Australia. Yasmine has completed her

Honours in Law at Adelaide University, a program in

International Law at Uppsala University in Sweden and a

Bachelor of Media at Macquarie University in Sydney.

Yasmine has been awarded numerous scholarships for her

achievements, worked in The Hague, was the Founder and

President of the Australian Refugee Support Group and a

member for the South Australian Muslim Reference Group.

"Who am I and what do I aspire to do? Good question! Well,

I am many things. I am Australian, I am Muslim, I am a

daughter, I am a lawyer, and I am a human rights activist. I

hope to be the voice for those who do not have one. I hope

to give others the confidence, encouragement and love to

fulfil their dreams as I have been given. I currently work as

an assistant to a Jewish Judge in the Supreme Court of South

Australia and I hope to work in the field of human rights law

and continue to do what I love.

I hope to one day see a typical ‘Aussie’ identified as someone

who is not of a particular religion, race, colour or creed, but

whose identity is accepted as one which is made up of many

facets and which is so much the better for it."

Khadija Sukkarieh Khadija Sukkarieh

Khadija is 60 years old and has 7 children and 11

grandchildren. She has been the primary carer of her

physically and intellectually disabled son for over 30 years.

"I came to Australia in 1978 from Lebanon, after escaping the

civil war. It took me 14 years to go back to Lebanon to see

my family again. It has always been important for me to

make sure my children and grandchildren remember their

origins and heritage. They all speak Arabic and I love having

my grandchildren sitting around me while I make Lebanese

woodfired bread and yoghurt and cheese and things like that.

I believe that if your children respect there heritage, they

learn to respect the country and the environment of which

they live. Respecting human rights is like making yoghurt. It's

an easy recipe but takes a long time to make possible. It’s

also like taking care of someone who has a severe disability.

It is in your blood. It takes a lot of nurture and patience. I

live human rights every day especially as a carer. The human

rights of people with a disability are often forgotten but as a

mother I have had to fight for that all along in order to

provide for my children and especially to make sure that my

son has the best quality of life he can. That's what I live for.

I encourage every Muslim woman in Australia to do

something good for herself. For her children and for her

family. God created human beings to live not to live to be

judged by anyone. Every person has basic human rights.

They should live in freedom and without misery and threat.

God created people to live in dignity and not to be treated in

any other way."

Frida DakizFrida Dakiz

Frida is 29 years old and married with a baby. She is a

young Lebanese entrepreneur with a fashion boutique in the

heart of Melbourne’s Sydney Rd. With a background in

catering, four years ago Frida made the leap from food to

fashion when she opened her first clothing store ‘Frida

Boutique’ catering exclusively for Muslim women. Over the

past twelve months she has diversified and expanded her

business into the competitive world of after-five and on-line

fashion retailing with her flagship store ‘Sassy Boutique’.

Her dreams for the future are to be successful in her chosen

field and have a number of stores across Australia.

Frida was recently the subject of ‘Veiled Ambition’, a half

hour documentary for SBS TV and winner of the ‘Best short

film promoting Human Rights’ at the 2006 Melbourne

International Film Festival.

"My future aspirations for Muslim women are that more

venture out into the business world and not be deterred by

the general community’s reaction to how they look and what

they believe in. Understanding on both sides is important."