Sada-e-Watan Sydney

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Dr. Ghayath Al-Shelh President of ICPA

Islamic Charity Projects Association hosted 18th Annual Ramadan Dinner at the Bellevue Function Center in Bankstown Sydney on Friday 5th August
(Coverage by: Syed Zafar Hussain, Editor-in-Chief Sada-e-Watan Sydney)

In 1989 a dedicated team of men and women were drawn together by their sincere concern towards the general Australian community. With the primary aim of enriching Australia’s multicultural face, our dedicated team successfully established the I.C.P.A as an incorporated organization in 1991. Over the years the I.C.P.A has evolved into its crucial position of providing a multitude of services correlating the Australian culture and departmental perspectives into the culturally accepted understandings of the Islamic and Arabic community. In effectively aiding the cohesion of Australia’s diverse cultural concepts, the I.C.P.A continues to be recognized as the strong hand and one of the leading Islamic organizations in Sydney. The I.C.P.A is an aspirant contributor to the Australian community. Its ideal goals are harvested through the dedication and expertise of its growing number of staff executives and members, as well as its many divisions exerting a manifold of services.

Islamic Charity Projects Association (ICPA) hosted its 18th Annual Ramadan Dinner on Friday 5th August 2011 at the Bellevue Function Center in Bankstown; the function was attended by many VIPs such as:
Dr. Ghayath Al Shelh President of ICPA, Glenn Brookes MP, Representing NSW Premier, NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson, Dr. Sheikh Salim Alwan Al Hasani Chairman of Darulfatwa Islamic High Council , Hafiz Kasim, AFIC Vice President , Nick Lalich MP, State Member for Cabramatta, Bryan Doyle MP, Member for Campbelltown, Barbara Perry, Member for Auburn, The Hon. Paul LYNCH, Member for Liverpool, Tania Mahailuk, Member for Bankstown, Robert Furolo, Member for Lakemba, The Hon. Peter Primrose, MLC , Sheikhs : Bilal Homaysi, Ibrahim El Shafie, Amjad Arafat and Fawaz Abboud, Muhsin Al-Samaraee, Dputy Consul-General of Iraq, Charles Casuscelli MP represented by Meray Hindi, Ryan Ingrassia representing USA Consul General Marquardt, Councillors: Jack Au Deputy Mayor, Hicham Zraika, Mazhar Hadid, Wendy Waller Liverpool Mayor, Carl Assfour, Bankstown Mayor, Ali Karnib, Lee Lam, Ned Mannoun, Anne Stanley, Jack Passaris, Chairman Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW, Mohamad Mehio President of Muslicm Community Radio, Mohammad El Dana Principal of Al Amanah College, Al Miniah Association, United Australian Lebanese Movement , Arab Council, Australian Lebanese Association of NSW, Tayyar Al Marada, Dr Ghassan Ashi, Iraqi Islamic Councils of Australia, Syrian Social National Party , Ismail Aydogan Fezza Foundation, Husain Allouch, Bill Chahine, Lakemba Islamic Association, African Association of Campbeltown, Ahlesunat Association, Media : Joseph Khoury& Elie Kaltoum Future newspaper, Antoine Kazzi Telegraph newspaper, Sayed Mikhael, Al anwar anoujoum newspaper, Safwat Erfan andOmar Mousa ABS Radio, Kuranda Seyit, Australia FAIR,Syed Zafar Hussain from SADA-E- WATAN newspaper, Myrna Chaar, Multicultural Foster Care Team, Steve Murphy – Assistant State Secretary, AMWU, Aziz Akbar: OAM, DIRECTOR OF ECS INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA, Keith Oldfield from Scouts Australia, Graham Winner, Acting Hume Commissioner, Peter Mills, Hume District Commissioner, Meff, Gandi Sindyan, Ray Husseini Murat Tuncer from NSW Police Force.

Dr. Ghayath Al-Shelh (President of ICPA) delivered a speech during the dinner he said:
It is with great pleasure to be with you tonight for our 18th Annual Ramadan Dinner. This Iftar has become a traditional annual gathering as members of our community congregate, as they do for every day of Ramadan, to share food and reinforce communal bonds, promoting understanding and harmony between themselves and with neighboring leaders from different cultures and traditions.

The month of Ramadan is the best month of the year in which spirituality in the Muslim community reaches its height.
This month of Ramadan is a period of fasting, reflection, devotion, generosity, sacrifice and sympathy for those in the world facing shortages in food and basic needs.

Ramadan is the month of compassion, understanding and consideration. It is the month wherein a true believer's virtue is increased. Within this month, it is strongly encouraged for the fasting Muslim to feed and pay visits to others, especially the sick, widows and orphans, demonstrating their happiness and utmost generosity. They do these acts with true sincerity, hoping for rewards from the Creator, and with the aim of furthering harmonious relationships within our community.

The moral and spiritual climate of Ramadan helps to spread the Qur’anic messages of goodness, humility, righteousness as well as the love for good and aversion for evil.

Since its establishment in 1989, the ICPA has made an exceptional and important stand within the Muslim community and the Australian community at large. This is because of its noble aims and pioneering efforts over the past 20 years. If you were to read the history of the ICPA, you would acknowledge its success in providing services to all levels of the community. It has supplied facilities for the youth, men and women, fulfilling not only their religious and educational needs, but also providing access to media, sports, and so many more. Yes, the ICPA’s record makes wonderful reading in the context of the history of the Australian Islamic community.

At another level, the ICPA has been a source of reassurance for all Australians in its support for security, moderation and peace. Therefore, I hope Australians will realise the importance of cooperating with and assisting the ICPA’s methodology for continuously developing community awareness of and countering radicalism. It is now indisputable that terrorist acts draw inspiration from extreme ideologies, whether the terrorists are home-grown or from abroad.
Finally, I thank everyone for attending our dinner tonight and I ask all to adhere to the path of the Prophets and to follow the way of God’s Messengers; for that is the way to salvation and enduring peace.Ramadan Moubarak to you all.