Anglican Parish of Gosford united in many faiths with Father Rod Bower, Bishop Greg Thompson, Grand Mufti Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, Gen Kelsang Dawa from the Wamberal Buddhist Centre and Aunty Robyn Reid.
People from all faiths, backgrounds and traditions came together on Sunday August 28 as a show of solidarity at a multifaith service at the Anglican Parish of Gosford.
The service was led by Central Coast Anglican Archdeacon Rod Bower and also featured the Islamic Grand Mufti of Australia Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, local Buddhist leader Gen Kelsang Dawa and Newcastle Anglican Bishop Greg Thompson.
It was organised as a response to the protest by a group of right-wing extremists from the Party of Freedom who posed as Muslims and stormed a sermon by Gosford Anglican priest Father Bower recently.
Dozens of parishioners and Father Bower were “shocked” and “traumatised” as nine members from the anti-Islamic Party for Freedom — which has a cover photo of Pauline Hanson on its Facebook page — barged into the Sunday morning service.
More than 300 parishioners packed the service with people coming from Sydney and as far away as Victoria for what Father Bower described as a “wonderful celebration”.
“This service was our response to the intrusion on our sacred space by a right-wing extremist party a couple of weeks ago, and of course our response to that ideology is to become more committed to building a more happy, healthy, functioning multicultural society,” Father Bower said.
“We had a wonderful celebration, about 300 people from all faiths and backgrounds and traditions and nationalities came together to celebrate the solidarity we have within our diversity here in Australia.”
Source: The Daily Telegraph
