Islamic centre donates Anzac cash after Sydney Council denied $5000 grant for Dawn Service

AN Islamic community centre is generously giving $5000 for this year’s CBD Anzac Dawn Service after Sydney’s arty-farty Lord Mayor Clover Moore refused a grant for our brave Diggers.

Ms Moore’s City of Sydney council has a whopping $574.3 million in the bank but has rejected an application from the Anzac Dawn Service Trust for a measly $5000 for next month’s commemorations.

At the same time the Lord Mayor has been splashing the cash among her arts mates, including a recent $14,000 grant for a weird exhibition of crochet headwear.

After The Daily Telegraph highlighted the issue, Imam Hasan Centre in Annangrove rode to the rescue, agreeing to hand over $5000 to the Dawn Service Trust so the Martin Place service can go ahead.

“I’ve been fortunate to grow up in Australia since 1974 and I always attended my school Anzac ceremony, so to me it’s something we should do,” centre spokesman Abbas Aly said.

“I think sometimes people think the Muslim community doesn’t get involved but they might be surprised at how much we are involved in Anzac Day. But the main reason is that for $5000 … the bloody council arguing over that … it’s ridiculous.”

Iman Hasan Centre sheik Dr Imranali Panjwani added: “Once you come and live in a country that’s helped you and you are part of the Australian community, I think it’s good to support the national causes when you can. We are one community, we are part of the Australian community.”

For those who may be unfamiliar with Australian culture and the terms used in this article, ANZAC Day is the most sacred day in Australia'a national calendar. It is the day we commemorate our war dead and acknowledge the service of those Australians who have defended our country. It is marked by ceremonies all over the country in almost every city and town, often at dawn - Dawn services.

The term ANZAC in an acronym standing for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, which was the first major unit of Australian (and New Zealand) soldiers to go to war on behalf of their independent nations on the 25th April 1915. Australian troops had been in battle in previous wars, but we had still been a collection of British colonies at that time, not a separate country and while some Australian troops had been involved in small scale actions earlier in the First World War, that first ANZAC Day is generally considered the day the nation was baptised in blood, and started to truly come of age. It's important.

The Gallipoli campaign, the beginning of the Australian and New Zealand national identities I hear.

Who can forget the Rats of Tobruk?

The first time NAZI armor was stopped was at Tobruk by those crazy Australians.
Keeping the port of Tobruk extended the German supply line by 900 miles.
One of those what if moments in history.

Sounds like something the Mayor of New York or San Francisco would do. Could the Lord Mayor be suffering from a case of America envy or is it just that leftist the world over are the same?

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.