Message from BOB CARR
Opening of “Arts of Islam” Exhibition
I come to this gathering at a time; of course, when Australians of Islamic
faiths feel they are under considerable stress. At this time we as
Australians, representatives of a diverse but harmonious society, must
recommit ourselves to work together to see that no Australians are the
victims of stereotyping, of vilification, of hostility, of prejudice. In this
context, in the holy month of Ramadan at this time of tension, we are
invited to see a wonderful exhibition.
This exhibition will be seen by many Australians as an opening into the
world of Islam, an engagement with one of the world’s great civilizations.
Here there are breathtakingly beautiful objects from Egypt, from Iran,
form Mughal India, from the Ottomans, from Andalusia and for other
civilizations.
Few of us who see this won’t want to learn more about the history of
Islam. And we should make special efforts to do that because in the
western world, there is blindness to what Islam has to offer and to the
richness and diversity presented by Islamic civilizations. The unspoken
message for this exhibition is a plea to engagement between us, a
western country, mainly a Christian country, and the civilizations and the
people of the Islamic world. This represents an invitation to engagement,
an engagement based on mutual respect between civilizations.
As Premier of NSW, and not just as Arts Minister, I would urge all our
people to come here. I want boys and girls, proud of their families’
Islamic faith and their backgrounds, but proud too of their Australian
citizenship to come here and think about their heritage.
This is a small planet. We’re all here. The planet’s comprised of different
tribes. The creativity of the civilizations that make up this planet and its
peoples is the most thrilling thing about being alive.
We thank our Kuwaiti friends for making this wonderful exhibition
available to us today. We commend you for establishing this collection,
embarking on this collection. It is a wonderful symbol. Its an invitation to
engagement and to respect.
Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to officially open the
exhibition of the Art of Islam.
Opening of “Arts of Islam” Exhibition
I come to this gathering at a time; of course, when Australians of Islamic
faiths feel they are under considerable stress. At this time we as
Australians, representatives of a diverse but harmonious society, must
recommit ourselves to work together to see that no Australians are the
victims of stereotyping, of vilification, of hostility, of prejudice. In this
context, in the holy month of Ramadan at this time of tension, we are
invited to see a wonderful exhibition.
This exhibition will be seen by many Australians as an opening into the
world of Islam, an engagement with one of the world’s great civilizations.
Here there are breathtakingly beautiful objects from Egypt, from Iran,
form Mughal India, from the Ottomans, from Andalusia and for other
civilizations.
Few of us who see this won’t want to learn more about the history of
Islam. And we should make special efforts to do that because in the
western world, there is blindness to what Islam has to offer and to the
richness and diversity presented by Islamic civilizations. The unspoken
message for this exhibition is a plea to engagement between us, a
western country, mainly a Christian country, and the civilizations and the
people of the Islamic world. This represents an invitation to engagement,
an engagement based on mutual respect between civilizations.
As Premier of NSW, and not just as Arts Minister, I would urge all our
people to come here. I want boys and girls, proud of their families’
Islamic faith and their backgrounds, but proud too of their Australian
citizenship to come here and think about their heritage.
This is a small planet. We’re all here. The planet’s comprised of different
tribes. The creativity of the civilizations that make up this planet and its
peoples is the most thrilling thing about being alive.
We thank our Kuwaiti friends for making this wonderful exhibition
available to us today. We commend you for establishing this collection,
embarking on this collection. It is a wonderful symbol. Its an invitation to
engagement and to respect.
Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to officially open the
exhibition of the Art of Islam.
Islamic Art
and Patronage :
Treasures from Kuwait
and Patronage :
Treasures from Kuwait
