A message from Bahriye

When I’m not teaching here at Sirius College, I’m a project officer for the Islamic Council of Victoria - a peak Islamic body based in West Melbourne representing more than 200,000 Victorian Muslims.

Every year we run a state-wide Victorian Mosque Open Day where we approach Mosques in Victoria and ask them to open their doors and hearts to the general public on a specific day to help build bridges, break down barriers and educate average Australians about our peaceful religion, contrary to the negative reports they are faced with through the media. The overarching aim of the Islamic Council is to help weed out Islamophobia and combat hate speech through kindness and hospitality.

This year, our Mosque Open Day, which included 21 participating Mosques from Morwell to Dandenong to Deer Park and Geelong and the CBD and more, coincided with Cultural Diversity Week and Harmony Day... but it also coincided with the tragic events we saw unfold last Friday.

Tragically, more than fifty Muslims were killed in an evil attack by a terrorist during Jumu’ah prayers in Christchurch. It was so close to home - my husband takes my children to Jumu’ah prayers.

I could have easily spent my weekend at home, fearful, devastated and reflective about what was to come for our Ummah here in Australia - instead I visited those participating Mosques yesterday and what I saw and experienced - was a taste of utopia.

Thousands of non-Muslims, attended Mosques in solidarity with our tragic loss. Men, women, children, newborns, the elderly, politicians and I’m sure some of those politicians had their own agenda but they were there - people from all walks of life. Some came in and just wanted to embrace us in silence - shedding tears, others gave flowers, heartfelt letters of support - the number of apologies I heard, I cannot even count. They took off their shoes, greeted us with Assalamu Alaikum, tried on our hijabs, prayed with us in their own way. One Mosque had 2000 visitors, another lost count.

“This is not Australian, this does not represent us, nobody deserves this, we are one,” - these were the words I heard all day from visitors.

Extraordinarily, there were people standing outside a Mosque holding signs that read, ‘You pray inside. I’ll stand here and keep you safe.’

Maori groups visited and performed the Haka at Mosques to show their compassion. The outpour of empathy, unity and love was so overwhelming that I can’t help but be hopeful. Australia, and especially Victoria is a multicultural country filled with loving, kind and open minded people. We are accepted. This is our home.

So, if there’s any message I’d like you to walk away with - do not allow this tragedy to shape how you see yourself in your own home - we are loved and accepted.

We are on the same team against terror.