Sada-e-Watan
Sydney
sadaewatan@gmail.com
Muslim Women’s Welfare of
Australia (MWWA) celebrated a significant milestone—its 20th anniversary in
Sydney
(Exclusive Coverage
By: Syed Zafar Hussain, Editor-in-Chief of Sada-e-Watan Sydney)
Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence: A Milestone of Innovation and Growth
On March 24th, 2025, the Muslim
Women’s Welfare of Australia (MWWA) celebrated a significant milestone—its 20th
anniversary—through an inspiring event that brought together community leaders,
advocates, and supporters. The evening was a powerful reflection of two decades
of unwavering dedication to empowering Muslim women across Australia.
The event highlighted MWWA’s journey, from a
small initiative to a thriving organization that provides education, resources,
and advocacy for women in need. Guests shared reflections on the organization’s
profound impact over the years, recognizing the countless lives it has touched
through its support programs and initiatives.
This year’s celebration aligned with
the International Women’s Day theme, Accelerate Action, reinforcing the
importance of continuous progress. Speakers emphasised that while great strides
have been made, the mission to uplift and support women is far from over. MWWA
has never been one to wait for change—it has always led the way, ensuring that
women have the tools and confidence to shape their own futures.
President MWWA Hajjah Faten El Dana OAM
The event commenced with a beautiful
recitation of the Qur'an, followed by the Emcee, who introduced the first
speaker; The MWWA President, Hajjah Faten El Dana
OAM.
Ms El Dana
began by emphasizing that the early MWWA members began their efforts in the
early 1990s, even before the organization was formally established in 2004.
They organized workshops, community programs, and projects aimed at educating
and raising awareness about critical issues. She then added, 'Our work was
never just about events or initiatives; it was about transforming lives,
empowering our community, and building a brighter future for the next
generation of Muslim women in Australia.'"
Highlighting the impact of MWWA's
achievements over the years, Ms El Dana said: “Our community has
grown stronger, more united, and more confident in embracing our roles as
active contributors to society.”
Commenting on the recent threats
made against two mosques in Sydney, she expressed her deep concern and called
for immediate action to ensure the safety and security of all communities.
Ms El Dana reminded the
audience of the ongoing plight of Palestinian women, highlighting their
struggles and resilience in the face of adversity. She said: “We stand firmly by
these brave women, and we will continue to talk about their calamities. We ask
Allah to ease their suffering and to grant them freedom from the
devastating occupation.”
Ms El Dana
Concluded her speech by reiterating her gratitude to all members &
supporters of MWWA and outlining her vision for the future of the organisation:
“I want to say a heartfelt thank you to every volunteer, donor, and supporter,
who has been part of this journey. Thank you for your unwavering support, your
love, and your commitment to our shared vision.”
The second guest speaker was His
Eminence sheikh Jalal Tannir eloquently praised MWWA for its unwavering
dedication to serving the community: “Through your hard work, you’ve touched
many lives — offering support, guidance, and a sense of belonging. This
milestone shows how committed you are, and we look forward to seeing MWWA grow
even more in the years ahead.”
Sheik J. Tannir
then then shared some of the
profound sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), urging men to treat
women with kindness and respect. He also spoke about the remarkable efforts of
the mother of the great Imam As-Shafi'i, who, despite losing her husband while
her son was still very young, made immense sacrifices to raise him. Her
unwavering dedication was instrumental in shaping him into one of the most
renowned scholars of this nation.
The next guest speaker was the Governor of NSW, Ms Margaret Beazley AC QC, who due to other duties that had to attend to , addressed the audience by video instead.
"Ms. Beazley shared with the
audience her first encounter with Hajjah Faten El Dana and members of MWWA when
she visited the MWWA office in 2019, at the start of her term as Governor of
NSW. She said: “It was an honour to meet with your president and members at
the Liverpool Community Centre, and since then, I’ve had the privilege of
interacting with you at your events”. She then commended the work of MWWA,
which has spanned over 20 years, stating, 'What an incredible contribution
you've made. Thank you, and thank you to everyone who
has been involved over the past two decades. You've built a strong community
and have served one another with kindness, humour, and grace. Congratulations,
and Ramadan Mubarak.'"
The next guest speaker to take the
stage was Senator Fatima Payman, founder of the Australia’s voice party.
She began by expressing her heartfelt sympathy for the people of Gaza who have
been resisting the genocide imposed on them and confirming their right to live
in dignity and have absolute sovereignty. Ms Payman then commended the work of Hajjah
Faten by saying: Hajjah Faten, your
words resonated so strongly and reverberated throughout this room you're a
testament of what incredible community work is an what it produces.”
Urging women to be proud of their
identity, Ms Payman said: “be yourself be proud of your identity
never allow anyone to minimise your worth because you wear the hijab, wear it
with pride.” Condemning the violent attacks on two ‘Hijabi’ women in
Victoria, Ms Payman said: “that sort of racism, that sort of hatred, that
sort of Islamophobia needs to be called out. We need to demand our government
to do more than just issue empty statements, do more than just appoint more
bureaucrats, do more to ensure that we are able to live with dignity and
freedom and wear the hijab with pride and with the sense of security that we
all deserve.
Ms Payman
concluded by saying: “it's important that we demand to be heard and that
begins with organisations like MWWA who will engage who will empower who will
educate every single woman here.”
The audience then heard from the
Minister for Police & counter-terrorism, Ms Yasmin Catley who began
by conveying the Premier of NWS, Mr Chris Mins’s well wishes before extending
his congratulations to MWWA, saying:" I would like to congratulate the
Muslim women's welfare of Australia for its 20 years of service. 20 years that
you have been here supporting migrants and their families and that is to be
congratulated.”
Touching on the online recent threat
made towards a mosque at Edmondson Park, Ms Catley reassured the
community: “I want to assure everyone of you that
the NSW police take these crimes very seriously. I encourage everyone who is a
victim of a hate crime or who witnesses hate crimes to report that matter to
the police. In New South Wales Police has a dedicated team (the NSW police
engagement and hate crime unit) whose role is to provide training and
specialist advice to frontline police officers right across the state. They are
there to ensure that our response to ports of hate crime and Islamophobia is
best practise. We know many incidents are currently under reported and I
couldn't encourage you more to please report.
The next guest speaker was Ms
Tina Ayyad, member for Holsworth
representing the Leader of the opposition, Mr Mark Speakman. Ms Ayyad started by
commending Hajjah Faten: “Hajjah Faten of course thank you for
all your efforts and everything you do for the community I've been following
you for quite a while now, even before I became a state member of parliament
and the work you do for the community is absolutely commendable so thank you
very much for everything you do.”
Ms Ayyad
later voiced her concerns about the rise in Islamophobia incidents: “it's
extremely alarming that the flag bearers of Islam the sisters who wear the
hijab have been victims of Islamophobia and the most Islamophobic attacks many
of them quite aggressive and quite violent and you have some sisters that have
been hospitalised. I urge everybody here if you do know anyone that has been a
victim of an Islamophobic attack or yourself have been a victim of Islamophobic
attack to report it to the register so it can be counted in those statistics
and this is something that I will be talking about in the NSW parliament at
something that is close to my heart, Islamophobia has no place in NSW racism hurts and prejudice hurts and I myself
have been a victim of this Islamophobic And I have reported it to the
register.”
The last guest speaker was
Superintendent Kristina McDonald, Commander at Burwood Police Area Command.
Superintendent McDonald said: “ I know what it feels like to be excluded
by what you wear I know what it feels like to be excluded because you're a
woman I know what it feels like to be an outcast from your community but can I
tell you tonight don’t be an outcast
don't be excluded we all need to come together , you need to be out there you need to stand
up, you need to speak up and that's really important that you do that. if I can
just touch for a moment on domestic and family violence it's such a scourge on
our society and it takes up so much police time and unfortunately in your
community it happens, and we know it happens.”
Superintendent McDonald concluded by
the following words of reassurance: “your people are police officers; your
people are our people. We need to all work together to stamp out domestic and
family violence and to stamp out Islamophobia once and for all, but it will
take all of us.”
The award ceremony was next. We had the privilege
of honoring the incredible volunteers who have made
significant contributions to MWWA over the years. Their unwavering dedication
helps empower Muslim women across Australia, and tonight, we celebrated their
achievements.
A special thanks to the politicians who assisted
with presenting the awards, and to our President, Hajjeh
Faten El Dana OAM, for her inspiring leadership in guiding MWWA to where it
is today.
💐 Award Recipients:
- Female Sports Recognition: Dr. Zeyab
Alshelh
- Appreciation Gift: Samar Jabeen & Badia Bahsa
- Outstanding Contribution to 20th
Anniversary: Sally Tabbara
- Consistent Dedication Award: Zena Tebbo,
Sumayyah Chami, Mazena Naaman, Iman Chami, Hana Saydawi, Jamila Bakkhour,
Ruqayyah Chami, Faten Awad, Jasmine Hasha, Ali Wannous,
Abdullah Masri, Dia El-Rifai, Mohamad Sidawi
- Leadership Dedication Award: Noura Awad, Sandy Al-Aweik, and the
heart of MWWA, our President Hajjeh
Faten El Dana OAM for her 20 years of visionary leadership.
One of the standout features of the day was the
exciting door prize giveaway, which added an element of surprise and delight
for attendees. The prizes, generously donated by local businesses and community
supporters, ranged from wellness products to vouchers for health services and
designer scarves, all aimed at enhancing the lives of the winners. The door
prizes were not only a highlight of the event but also a testament to the
strong sense of community and collaboration that the MWWA continues to foster. Many
lucky attendees walked away with prizes that were both valuable and meaningful.
The MWWA extends its heartfelt thanks to all the donors and sponsors for their
continued commitment to enhancing the lives of modern women.
Another
exciting highlight of the MWWA gala dinner was the auction, held in support of
a worthy cause! It provided a fun and engaging way to raise funds for the
organization. The auction proved to be a resounding success, showcasing the
audience's deep commitment to the MWA. It truly highlighted the community's
dedication and helped forge even stronger connections with the cause."
With
Eid just around the corner, a quick fashion show was the perfect way to
conclude the gala dinner, adding a touch of excitement and celebration to the
evening.
Finally,
thank you to all the
volunteers who make MWWA's mission possible and for making this event such a
memorable occasion.
The night was filled with moments of
reflection, gratitude, and renewed commitment to the cause. As MWWA looks ahead
to the future, its legacy of action and empowerment continues to inspire,
promising even greater achievements in the years to come.
Together, we continue to empower, unite, and
inspire. 🌟
Her Excellency Honourable Governor of NSW, Margaret Beazley AC
QC
Senator Fatima Payman
Hajjah Faten El Dana OAM
Mahmoud Abboud
Sh. Jalal Tannir
Tina Ayyad, MP
First Female Police Minister of NSW Yasmin Catley
MC: Noura
Taleen Sabiyyiddine
Zaynab Beirouti
Noura Awad, Senator Fatima Payman & Hajjah Faten El Dana
Superintendent Christina McDonald, Hajjah Faten El Dana, Sandy
Al Aweik & Noura Awad
Mr Stepan Kerkyasharian, Mr Hadi El Dana & Hajjah Faten El
Dana OAM
Nathan Hagarty MP, Police Minister Yasmin Catley, Syed Zafar
Hussain, Hajjah Faten El Dana OAM and Lynda Voltz MP
Clr Jennifer Walther, Hajjah Faten El Dana & Clr Wendy
Lindsey
Hajjah Karima Al Shelh, Dr Zeinab Al Shelh & Hajjah Faten El
Dana
A Group Photo of the Moroccan Team
A Group photo for some volunteers
Nadia Bahsa, Badiaa Bahsa, sally Tabbarah, Hajjah Faten El Dana,
Dandy Al Awiek & Sumayah Chami
Selfie taken by MP Auburn Lynda Voltz
Award Recipients with Ms Julia Finn MP, Ms Lynda Voltz MP &
Charishma Kaliyanda MP
