Queensland mosque gets local support after attack

Rasa - In an outpour of public support, a large crowd attended Toowoomba international food festival hosted by the city's Muslim community to show solidarity with the religious minority after a fire damaged the local mosque last Friday.

News ID: 2382

Date: 21 April 2015 - 16:26

RNA - "It pleases me to see so many people here and to see the harmony between Muslims and non-Muslims," Arabian Nights restaurateur Moyassar Al-Taie told The Chronicle on Monday, April 20.

"What happened two days ago (the mosque fire) doesn't represent what Toowoomba is."

"The majority of Toowoomba people believe in multiculturalism," he added.

Al-Taie was among several Muslims who served food at the Toowoomba International Food Festival two days after an arson attack targeting the Garden City Mosque.

The mosque fire, which was the second this year, destroyed about 80% of the mosque.

Defying the Islamophobic attack, Toowoomba's mayor assured residents that the annual food festival would be hosted by the Muslim community at the mosque.

Muslim leaders said they were heartened by the outpouring of support and the attendance of a large crowd at Sunday's festival.

"It is good to see so many people here," Islamic Society of Toowoomba president Professor Shahjahan Khan said of the festival.

Organized by the Garden City Mosque, the food festival was held at the University of Southern Queensland.

Exotic foods from across the Middle East, the Pacific, Asia and Europe were featured during the festival.

Meals including biryani, goat and lamb curries, pulao, satay, kebabs, tandoori and sweets such as baklava and Turkish delight, were offered by members of the Australian Muslim community.

Besides offering food from across the world, Sunday's food festival included a number of prominent guest speakers.

Keynote speeches were given by Catholic Bishop Robert McGuckin, Anglican Bishop Cameron Vinables, Mayor Paul Antonio, and Jim Madden MP, representing Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

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