أستراليا: مسلمة تخوض الانتخابات البرلمانية في كوينزلاند

خبر من مصادر إنجليزية.

دفع الحزب الليبرالي الوطني الأسترالي بالمرشحة المسلمة الصومالية "ليلى أبو كر" للمنافسة على مقعد برلماني بمدينة "كوينزلاند" بشمال شرق "أستراليا"، وذلك بعد مرور 24 عامًا على وفودها إلى "أستراليا" لاجئة؛ حيث أكدت أنه حان وقت رد الجميل للمجتمع الذي احتضنها ونشأت فيه.

وقالت في تصريحاتها: إن الأهمية تكمن فيمن تمثِّلُهم، ومَن تُصبِحُ صوتهم المسموع المطالب بحقوقهم؛ وليس الخلفية التي تنتمي إليها.

وفي حالة انتخابها تصبح أول مسلمة صومالية تشغل منصبًا برلمانيًّا في تاريخ "كوينزلاند". المصدر: شبكة الألوكة.

يُرجى الإشارة إلى المصدر عند نقل الخبر - شبكة الألوكة.

الخبر من مصدره الأصلي:

Queensland may elect its first Muslim MP

First-time political candidates are honing their campaign skills as the Queensland election becomes an increasingly tight race.

From Mogadishu in Somalia to Moorooka south of Brisbane, Leila Abukar has come a long way since she arrived in Australia as a refugee in the late 1990s.

By standing as a Liberal National Party candidate in the seat of Yeerongpilly, she is fulfilling a long held ambition.

“This is the electorate that nurtured me I want to give back to the community that nurtured me,” Ms Abukar said.

She was one of the first African refugees settled in Moorooka in Brisbane's south almost two decades ago.

If elected, she would be the first Somali and first Muslim in Queensland's Parliament but she said that's not what counts.

"What's important is someone who will represent them, who will be a loud voice for them and that's me."

In the neighbouring electorate of Sunnybank there is another first time candidate.

Peter Russo is a lawyer and running for Labor.

“I don't like being an armchair critic, there’s not much sense in sitting in front of the TV and criticising things around you, I’d rather be a player in the field,” Mr Russo said.

He came to national prominence defending the Gold Coast-based Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef against federal terrorism charges in 2007.

The son of a Sicilian sugar cane cutter from north Queensland is also recognised for another reason.