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World Known Scholar Allama Prof Dr.Tahir-ul-Qadri Speaks at NSW Parliament
(Coverage By: Syed Zafar Hussain, Editor-in-Chief Sada-e-Watan Sydney)

Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, one of the leading Muslim Scholar, who was due to visit Australia in July 2011, arrived in Sydney on 9th July. Dr. Qadri is regarded as the most outspoken on counter-terrorism and is a renowned vocalist on promoting integration, interfaith dialogue, global peace and harmony for humanity. He was received and welcome by the members and dignitaries of various religious and community groups at the Sydney International Airport.

Dr. Qadri visited NSW Parliament House on Monday 11th July and delivered a lecture and had a discussion with several members of the parliament on the issues of terrorism and integration. He was invited by the member of the legislative council, the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane MLC. He also presented a copy of his recently launched popular 500-page decree ‘Fatwa on Terrorism & Suicide Bombings’ to several members of the parliament and legislative council.

Dr. Qadri, who made headlines on CNN, BBC News, Al Jazeera and Washington Times for his fatwa, is on a month long visit of Australia and will deliver several public lectures including one in Sydney on 16th July, Melbourne on 23rd July, and Brisbane on 30th July, on the topics of peace, integration, harmony, interfaith relations, and counter-terrorism.
For more information about Dr. Qadri’s visit and schedule of his lectures, please visit www.minhaj.org.au or contact Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri at Executive@minhaj.org.au

Welcome Speech of The Hon.Shaoquett Moselmane MLC

Our distinguished guest, Sheikhul Islam, Professor Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri, The Honourable Paul Lynch Shadow Attorney general, The Hon Amanda Fazio Opposition Whip, Former President of the NSW Legislative Council, The Honourable Lynda Voltz, Deputy opposition whip. His Excellency Azam Mohammed , Consul General of Pakistan, I also welcome Sheikh Yussef Nabha, Fr Patrick Mcinerney, Reverend Glenda Blakefield, Sheikh Sallam Ghattas, Reverend Manas Ghosh, David Hutt from the Australian Christian Lobby, My Dear Friend Mr. Zafar Hussain of Sada-e-Watan Sydney and many other distinguished friends from the Pakistani Indian, Arabic and other various faiths.Distinguished community leaders, members of the ethnic media, ladies and gentlemen,

I acknowledge you as I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay my respects to their elders past and present.

Your eminence, I welcome you to the NSW Parliament, the oldest parliament in this great country of ours and I welcome you amongst friends. It is certainly an honour for me to be hosting a distinguished scholar, a man of peace, spreading the message of peace and harmony a message of dialogue a message of humanity, a message of unconditional love and tolerance for all.

Your eminence, I welcome you to one of the best if not the best countries in the world where everyone is respected for whom they are and all equal under the law. We are a proud multicultural, multi-faith, a pluralistic, secular society where the rights and freedoms of all are protected under the national constitution and the rule of law.

Apart from the owners of this land, who lived and cared for this land for thousands of years, We are all migrants coming from all corners of the globe, speaking many languages and practicing many faiths.

Your eminence, Australia was one of the first countries to rise and extend a hand to the people of Pakistan as it grappled with the aftermath of the devastating floods impacting on the lives and wellbeing of over 20 million people. Australia provided $75 million in assistance as well as field medical assistance to thousands needing medical treatment.

I am proud to be a member of this community and proud to have you here amongst so many distinguished friends this morning.

I welcome you to this parliament, I hope that you will enjoy the company of so many friends and trust that your stay here in Australia will be a fruitful one for all.

Now ladies and gentlemen, before I welcome his eminence to the stage to speak to us and to open for questions, I will call on a couple of speakers to say a few words and I take this opportunity to thank my friend Mr Zafar Hussain from Sada-e-Watan and Mr. Munir Mohammed from Rabbitah International for keeping us well informed of everything that go on in the Pakistani and the wider sub continent community.

I now to call on The Shadow Attorney General, The Honourable Paul Lynch to come to the stage and say a few words.

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Ladies and gentlemen, before I introduce his eminence i would like to bring to your attention a petition I am distributing seeking your support to amend the NSW Anti Discrimination Act 1977 to include religion as a ground of discrimination. Apart from I think the South Australian Equal Opportunity Act 1984, all other anti discrimination legislation in all States and territories have religion, or religious belief or religious practice as a ground of discrimination. This is a real anomaly in our State's anti discrimination laws where only NSW, The biggest, most populated, most multicultural and multi faith State that has a proud record of promoting equality and harmony, not to have religion as a ground of discrimination.

With the support of the Shadow Attorney General, I call on you to take a copy and distribute this petition and lets amend the anti discrimination laws to make religion a ground of discrimination and protect people from been discriminated against because of their faith or their practice.

Ladies and gentlemen, no introduction will ever do justice to His eminence, He is a scholar and humanist, he is a deeply respected religious leader and one known and respected by millions of people, given the title Sheikhul Islam.

His Excellency, Professor Muhammad Tahir-u-l Qadri, was

· born on February 1951 at Jhang, Pakistan.

· A professor of International Constitutional Law at the University of the Punjab. He commenced his education at the Sacred Heart School in Jhang, a Catholic mission, where he was exposed to Christianity at an early age. He began his religious education at the age of 12 in Medina, Saudi Arabia and graduated with an LLB in 1974 from the University of Punjab, Lahore.

· He founded Minhaj-ul-Quran International and on 25th of May, 1989, he founded Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

· Dr Qadri was elected to the Pakistani National Parliament.

· He was appointed as a jurist consultant on Islamic law at the Supreme Court and the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan.

· Professor Qadri is author of many books and has delivered many lectures worldwide.

· I take great pleasure now and call on his eminence and ask you all to join with me in welcoming him once again.