In Pursuit of Harmony

Sirius College will be celebrating multiculturalism and the Harmony Day throughout this week. This is a very important and valued occasion for our diverse school community. Many activities have been planned by the organising committee as well as the SRC to make this a meaningful occasion.

It is very unfortunate that while we pursue harmony and celebrate diversity in our country, we continue to witness horrible acts of terror from individuals and groups who lack an appreciation of the value and dignity of each human being. It was very difficult and sad to hear about and witness the tragedy of the Christchurch mosque attacks on Friday, 15th of March. Fifty individuals have lost their lives and many others are receiving treatment for their injuries, some in a serious condition. While the details of the horrific and cowardly attack have shaken our core and caused much hurt, as a school community, we have decided to reflect on and address the issue with a school-wide program.

This program was conducted on Monday, 18th March when students gathered with all their teachers to remember and commemorate those who have passed away and to listen to presentations by a representative of the wider Australian community and a member of the local Muslim community. After watching a video prepared in tribute to the victims of the vicious attack, Ms Karen Percy, a senior reporter with ABC Melbourne, gave a very poignant and insightful speech to students and staff. Ms Percy emphasised that the Australian community stood side by side with the Muslim community in response to this terror attack and highlighted the need for us all to come together as a whole to move forward with goodness and goodwill in our hearts. Some of the important points she raised included:

“Your anger, your sadness, your fear are all understandable. Your community in NZ, Australia, around the world has been let down.”

“...it's important for you all to understand that the actions of one man, one murderer, do not reflect the views or thoughts or feelings of an entire nation. It is the most awful of acts, but that man, what he did does not represent Australians or Australia.”

“...yesterday… I was at the Geelong Mosque [Open Day]... That community opened its doors, opened its hearts and opened our minds. It was wonderful to see so many different Australians of all colours and creeds and sizes and shapes, all coming together to support each other. That sense of a wider community, where we are all in this together. Your loss is our loss. Your pain is our pain. Your hope is our hope.”

After this inspiring presentation, Mrs Bahriye Bol Apak, a member of the Victoria Islamic Council, reflected on her experiences in organising and running the Mosque Open Day initiative as part of the project management team. She highlighted that while it was difficult to overcome the grief and hurt in the aftermath of the event, the outpouring of support from all corners of Victoria made the Open Day extraordinary.

The program ended with a prayer and silent reflection session for the victims of the attack as well as for the general peace and harmony of the world and the unity of all humanity.