People of all ages and backgrounds were invited to celebrate Eid with Shepparton’s Hazara community. The special free event included traditional Hazara music, dance and food.
The event was organised by a team of young Hazara people living in Shepparton with support of Multicultural Arts Victoria and the Ethnic Council of Shepparton. The event team includes Emerge Cultural Ambassador Bashir Hashimi, Mohsin Haidari, Zakir Hussain, Asadullah Qasumi, Liaqat Ali and Sumia Batool.
“Eid is one of the most important days of the year for Muslim people” says Bashir Hashimi. “Usually each year we have to travel to Melbourne if we want to celebrate it at a big community event so we decided to get together and organise something locally in Shepparton for everyone to enjoy.”
“We had one of our own local musicians, Xakir Hussain, performing alongside some really popular Afghan musicians who came up from Melbourne including the singer Murtaza Humdam and drummer Farzad Safi.“
One of the most joyous days in the Islamic calendar, Eid is a celebration that marks the end of Ramadan, a holy month of fasting observed by Muslims. Eid celebrations can last up to three days and in many countries with large Muslim populations it is a national holiday. Schools, offices and businesses are closed so family, friends and neighbors can enjoy the celebrations together. Eid is infused with different traditions in different countries which might include money given to kids on Eid and wearing traditional dress or new clothes.
The event has been made possible by Multicultural Arts Victoria’s Emerge Incubator program which is supported through Gandel Philanthropy, Australia Council for the Arts and Creative Victoria. The event is an initiative of 2018 Emerge Cultural Ambassador Bashir Hashimi who has recruited the team and driven organisation.
