Australian Embassy
Afghanistan

Media Releases - 2015

Media Releases - 2015

 

Message from the Prime Minister - Eid Ul-Adha 2015

24 September 2015

I send my warm greetings to Muslims in Australia and all around the world who are celebrating Eid ul-Adha and performing the Hajj this year.

Muslim Australians are among the millions of Australians performing the annual Hajj, which honours the sacrifice and devotion of Abraham and serves as a reminder of the shared Abrahamic roots of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

During the Eid-ul-Adha holiday, Muslims of all ages and background commemorate the prophethood of Abraham through acts of charity and praying for those in need.

Australia is the most successful and harmonious multicultural society in the world. The Australian Muslim community plays an important role in strengthening our diverse social fabric.

I send my best wishes to everyone celebrating Eid-ul-Adha.

Eid Mubarak and Hajj Mabrour

The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP
Prime Minister of Australia

 

Message from the Foreign Minister - Ramadan 2015

July 2015

I share with Muslims in Australia and throughout the world my warmest wishes for the month of Ramadan, together with those of the Australian Government and people.

Ramadan is a time for reflection, community and charity. I hope that all Australians will reflect on the many contributions that Muslims have made to the Australian community – including through the arts, politics, sports and education.

Islam has a long history in Australia: before European settlement, Muslims from Makassar traded with Australia’s indigenous people. Within the first decades of Sydney’s establishment, Muslims from as far afield as Oman and Bengal were already active in the new town. From the 1860s, Afghan and Indian camel drivers helped build the Overland Telegraph from Adelaide to Darwin, connecting Australia to London and the world.

More than 200 years later, Australia’s Muslim community remains diverse, tolerant and inclusive. Respect for one another, tolerance of our differences and celebration of our diversity are our great strengths as a nation. Muslims from all over the world have played an important part in developing Australia and will continue to play an important role in the years and decades ahead.

Ramadan is a time of joy and celebration. It is also a time for remembering those who are less fortunate. Many of Australian Muslims will be thinking of loved ones suffering conflict and unrest in other parts of the world. As a nation, our thoughts are with them and our hope for peace, enduring.
 

The Hon Julie Bishop
Minister for Foreign Affairs

 

Message from the Prime Minister - Ramadan 2015

19 June 2015

I am pleased to provide this message on the occasion of Ramadan.

Marking the month in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed, Ramadan is a time for forgiveness, reflection and the renewal of faith.

It is a time for charity, generosity and kindness towards others.

The practices of Ramadan reflect a deep commitment, and I respect the devotion and discipline of all who fast for their faith.

Ramadan is also a time for strengthening bonds between family and friends as Iftar dinners are shared to break the fast each day.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge the significant contribution of the Muslim-Australian community to our nation.

We live in a country that has long been an exemplar of how people of different faiths and cultures can not only live harmoniously together but find unity in diversity.

I send my best wishes to everyone observing the holy month of Ramadan.

The Hon Tony Abbott MP
Prime Minister of Australia

 

 

Message from the Prime Minister - ANZAC Day Commemoration - Kabul, Afghanistan

25 April 2015

Today we mark the centenary of the landing at Gallipoli.

In the early dawn of 25 April 1915, Australian troops came ashore at Anzac Cove.

It was a Sunday and, back in Australia, people attended church, children played backyard sport and families came together to share a meal.

That day and throughout the Gallipoli campaign, our forebears faced trials scarcely imaginable to those they had left behind.

On the day of the landing, some 750 Australians were killed. More than 8,700 Australians would lose their lives before the evacuation eight months later.

Many of those who fought at Gallipoli went on to serve on the Western Front.

There, led by Sir John Monash, perhaps the finest allied general, and inspired by the Anzac spirit, our soldiers helped to turn the tide of the war.

It was a war in which our nation’s identity was forged – in the magnificent defeat at Gallipoli, in the terrible victory on the Western Front and in the successful advances in the Middle East.

Wherever they fought, our servicemen and women embodied the commitment to freedom, the spirit of adventure and the bonds of mateship that we hold dear to this day.

Their example is emulated by those who have served our country since and who are now on active duty around the world.
Whenever our service personnel are called upon to defend our values, you do so with distinction. You are worthy heirs to the Anzac legacy.

Today, as the Last Post echoes across memorials and parks, beaches and military bases, we honour those who founded the Anzac legend and all those who have followed in their path.

Lest we forget.
 

THE HON TONY ABBOTT MP
Prime Minister of Australia

 

Message from the Minister for Foreign Affairs - The Hon Julie Bishop MP

19 January 2015

AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN

Today I announce the appointment of Mr Matthew Anderson PSM as Australia’s Ambassador to Afghanistan.

Australia and Afghanistan enjoy a close partnership, based on our shared agenda to improve the lives of the Afghan people. Australia has provided over $1 billion in development assistance to Afghanistan since 2001. We continue to work with the Afghan Government, particularly in the areas of economic growth, empowering women and girls and humanitarian assistance. Australian defence force personnel continue to be part of the mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces.

Our relations are enhanced by the growing people-to-people links between our countries, evidenced through academic exchanges, sporting ties, the Australian Afghan Business Council and the work of Australians of Afghan origin enriching Australian culture and contributing to Afghanistan’s development.

Mr Anderson is a senior career officer in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and most recently served as Head of the MH17 Taskforce. Prior to that, Mr Anderson was Assistant Secretary of the Pacific Regional and New Zealand Branch.

Overseas, Mr Anderson has served as High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, High Commissioner to Samoa and as Counsellor in Papua New Guinea, with an earlier posting in Cape Town. He was the Chief Negotiator of the Peace Monitoring Group in Bougainville and was also a member of the Joint International Observer Group in Cambodia. In 2011, he was awarded the Public Service Medal for leading the Australian Government\'s response to the September 2009 tsunami in Samoa.

Mr Anderson is a graduate from the Royal Military College, Duntroon and holds a Masters Degree from Monash University, an Arts Degree from Deakin University and is married with three children.

Mr Anderson is expected to take up his appointment in January 2015. I thank outgoing Ambassador Jon Philp for his work in strengthening Australia’s relations with Afghanistan since 2012.

Foreign Minister’s Office: Jonathan Muir 0478 488 874
Gabrielle Young 0408 275 340

 

Message from the new Minister for Immigration and Border Protection

 8 January 2015

The new Australian Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Hon. Peter Dutton MP. sends a message to people who are thinking about travelling to Australia illegally by boat. The Australian Government’s policy has not changed. Any person who joins a people smuggling venture and attempts to arrive illegally in Australia will be returned or sent to another country for processing. The way to Australia is closed.

Video in Dari: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5iqblnD8xo

Video in Pashto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AlLZBGLNJc

The Hon Peter Dutton MP
Minister for Immigration and Border Protection