| Syazwani Hj Rosli |
AUSTRALIAN High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Nicola Rosenblum presided over the launching of the ‘Boundless Plains: the Australian Muslim Connection photographic exhibition’ at the first floor of the Mabohai Shopping Complex yesterday.
The guest of honour was Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin; heads of diplomatic missions in Brunei Darussalam, representatives of government agencies; and guests were also present.
The ceremony began with the recitation of Doa by the Imam of Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque, followed by remarks from the Australian High Commissioner.
“I am pleased that we have been able to partner with the Islamic Museum of Australia to bring ‘Boundless Plains: the Australian Muslim Connection Photographic Exhibition’ to Brunei,” she said. “Australia’s multicultural society is one of our greatest strengths. Today, Australia is home to over 600,000 Muslims from over 120 countries around the world.”
Later, the guest of honour was given a tour of the exhibition, as well as the opportunity to experience the ‘Mecca to Marree: A Journey in Virtual Reality’.
The event was also attended by several representatives from the Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA), who are currently in Brunei to build mutual cooperation. IMA is Australia’s only Islamic museum, with the main objective of providing educational and cross-cultural experiences for all ages.
The ‘Boundless Plains: The Australian Muslim Connection Photographic Exhibi-tion’ unearths the fascinating legacy of Australia’s Islamic history and its impact on contemporary Australia.
“Sharing Australia’s rich Islamic history is one of the museum’s main focusses,” said a board member of the IMA, Asad Ansari.
“Understanding how Islam arrived in Australia and how it continues to flourish today is important to understanding who we are as a country.”
He added, “Coming to Brunei to share Australia’s Islamic history and to learn about Brunei is an honour.”
Ansari is joined by General Manager Ali Fahour and Education Director Sherene Hassan from IMA. This week, they will meet with various government officials and visit local schools.
The exhibition is open to the public for free, and will run until February 3, at the Mabohai Shopping Complex.