On behalf of all Councillors, I have sent our well wishes to our local Imam and his wife after an attack on the weekend. We are reassured that Victoria Police acted quickly on this matter and charges have already been laid.
There is no place for religious-based or hate-based behaviour in our community. No one should be targeted because of their faith, culture, ethnicity or their religious dress, and everyone should feel safe.
Greater Dandenong is a multicultural, multi-faith success story, where people from many faiths and cultures live together harmoniously.
We have an active, vibrant Interfaith Network, of which the Imam is a member. We all work to reinforce that our community has a strong sense of belonging and many shared values, despite following different faiths.
We recently celebrated New Year’s Eve fireworks together. We saw 35,000 people of many different backgrounds gathering without incident for a wonderful, family focused event. This is the Greater Dandenong that reflects who we really are.
Greater Dandenong City Council Mayor, Councillor Sophie Tan