Victorian Bar Iftar Dinner 2023
The 4th Victorian bar iftar dinner, a partnership the Australian Intercultural Society (AIS) proudly co-hosts with the Victorian Bar was well attended by members from the legal profession including judges , barristers , solicitors and community members. The sold-out event was a celebration of the progress made in creating a legal profession that reflects the vibrant and diverse community of Melbourne.
Barrister Rabea Khan MC’ed the event and remarked at the growing number of solicitors coming through who were of diverse backgrounds with some new admissions into the Bar. She mentioned a lot has been done in the industry to welcome diversity but more needs to be done. She along with other members in the diversity and inclusion team are looking to make things easier for the new entrants.
The Vic Bar President Sam Hay KC, welcomed the guests to the Bar and emphasized the importance of creating a legal profession that truly reflects the diversity of the city it serves in his welcome speech. He added “Our members should represent their communities, and their unique heritage and cultures must be respected, encouraged, and embraced”. He also welcomed the 6 new Muslim barristers who have recently joined are in the process of completing the Readers Course, a pre-requisite before admission. In my welcoming remarks I reflected on the spirit of Ramadan, which encourages us to go one step further towards altruism. I reflected on Rumi’s quote “Be grateful for whoever comes your way, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond” as each could leave a lasting impact on you.
The highlight of the evening was a conversation between author Mohammad Chowdhury and Yusur Al-Azzawi, in which Mohammed shared stories of his travels and read an excerpt from his book “Border Crossings: My Journey As a Western Muslim” in which he discussed his lifelong struggle to reconcile the #british , #asian and #muslim sides of his #identity. In his words being ‘culturally settled’ allows one to be comfortable with being multi-dimensional.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Judge Elizabeth Gaynor, who recalled the times she was singled out in a derogatory way for her Irish background. She mentioned that some communities had a stigma attached to them which they have been able to shake off with positive engagement.
The guests enjoyed a delicious meal that included traditional Middle Eastern cuisine supplied by ASRC Catering. Overall, the evening capped off another successful partnership where members of the legal profession used the holy month of #ramadan as an excuse to come together and reflect on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.
