In the name of Allah
Peace upon the eights holy Imam
Peace upon the eights successor of Prophet Mohammad
Peace upon him
When he born
When he attained martyrdom
And when he would walk on the day of resurrection

I am delighted to congratulate you on the happy birthday anniversary of the great holy Imam, the eights successor of Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W), Imam Reza (A.S), and I am very pleased to officially announce the establishment of “Iranians Muslim Association of Western Australia”.

The Association that always was a dream of Iranians Muslim Community here and now the great support and efforts of all of you not only made this dream to come true, but also its movement toward its goals has been started and the signs of achievement of its short-term objectives are appear.

The Association that proud to be disciplined, committed and democratic, run by a committee and has no place to be imposed by a person or family.

The Association that it’s directors will be at the service of the members and every Iranian and Muslim in Australia.

The Association that all its members are shape its activities and everyone can be an active member.

The Association that talk less, works hard and when its objectives have been achieved, the credit of the achievements would belong to each and every member.

The Association that it’s least benefits for members would be:

· Participation in social activities.
· Improving the Association performance.
· Speeding up the Association’s achievement of its Goals.
· Access to facilities, events and programs that help their children to learn more about our faith and Iranian rich culture and traditions.

Our country Australia is the country of different nations, and residing Iranians like every other nation in this country had and have the opportunity to establish their own club, cultural centre, library, Mosque and gathering places, to help each other and new arrivals, and also to act as a bridge between the community and state and federal governments, when required.

Unfortunately during the past years, too much variation of political, religious and cultural preferences prevents Iranians residing in Australia to have a beneficial, active and successful community centre and the largest gatherings of Iranians could be seen only in live concerts.

Although there are few Iranian magazines, newspapers, websites and 1-2 hours per week radio programs around, but there is not a pervasive Iranian News Agency and Information Network here in Australia.

Unlike many of other nations, and because of the continuous black propaganda barrage of western media against Iran and against Islam, Iranians usually don’t like to show their religious beliefs and less often participate in religious events and programs, however they wish to preserve and perform their social, national and religious traditions.

Keeping all that in mind, the “Iranians Muslim Association of Western Australia” intends to first of all establish a cultural centre and then to achieve its short-term objectives including:

· Providing its members with a place for holding cultural and religious events and gatherings.
· Providing support and services to new arrivals.
· Establishing library and sport club.
· Providing educational services such as Farsi language learning classes and so on.

And as a result create unison and to advance Iranians life in Australia, and also works toward its long-term objectives including:
· Establishing an Islamic Iranian School
· Establishing a pervasive Iranian News Agency and Information Network.

By formation of this Association, we observe today not only the victory of a team work, but a celebration of a new birth -- symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning -- signifying renewal, as well as change, and the beginning of a new movement.
A movement to introduce pure Islam as faith of peace, equality and brotherhood and as a high standard lifestyle to our children, to Australians and to the people of the world. So, they no longer judge our faith, based on the wrong interpretation and misunderstanding.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of our Islamic faith and our rich and precious culture.
So let us begin anew -- showing that living in a western country is not a sign of weakness in our belief or forgetting our rich and right faith, culture and language.

All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days; nor in the life of this Administration; nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.
In your hands, my fellow brothers and sisters, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. So, let ask not what your Association can do for you; ask what you can do for your people.
I say to you today my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in our hearts.

I have a dream that the people of the world will one day understand the truth of our Islamic faith and the richness of our Persian culture and civilisation and that our children will live in a world where they will not be judged by anything but by the true content of their faith and their character, and proudly will say that I am a Muslim and an Iranian.
This is our hope. The hope that we will be able to transform the jangling discords into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. The hope that will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to stand up for our belief together, knowing that together we will make a winning team.

O Allah,
Now that you helped us to establish this Association, we pray to you and beg you to give us the strength and the ability to serve in this path.

O Allah, All-Wise, Ever Enduring, One of Might, All-Compassionate, Provider of all things provided for, One of Glory, Most Generous, Thou art without partner or fault, There is no god but Thee.
Accept our prayer and grant blessings to our master Mohammad, and to all his Family and Companions.


Sincerely

Chancellor
21st November 2007