In a sudden about-face, Greater Dandenong councillors have voted to temporarily cease the Afghan Bazaar marketing term for a popular retail precinct in Thomas Street Dandenong.
The reversal sparked fury from sections of the Afghan-Australian community in the council meeting’s public gallery on 14 April.
According to name-change proponents, the word ‘Afghan’ symbolises oppression to the Hazara community.
On the other hand, opponents say the word symbolises everyone who comes from Afghanistan.
Khalid Amiri, who confronted the council meeting in public question time, posted that the decision was a “betrayal of the legacy of the thousands of Afghan cameleers”.
“How does the council justify removing a name that honours such a significant contribution to this country?”
However a Hazara group – which has pushed to rename the precinct to Little Bamiyan – rejoiced and waved flags in Harmony Square.
“This is what happens when our community shows up—with strength, clarity, and truth,” lead proponent Barat Ali Batoor posted.
“This is a win for dignity, for accuracy, and for everyone who believes in representation.”
Both ALP and the Greens accuse each other of politicizing the Afghan Bazaar issue.
Last month, a Labor majority of councillors voted down a similar motion from Greens councillor and federal election candidate Rhonda Garad.
The ALP councillors’ about-turn last week fueled speculation that the party was moving to placate the populous Hazara voting community.
Bruce Labor MP Julian Hill said the naming was a matter for the local council but “like other locals I am also worried about the division that has caused”.
“Unlike the Liberals and the Greens, I will never seek to exploit differences in our community in chase for votes.
“All so-called leaders should set an example for younger Australians as to how to bring people together, and not divide communities.”
Hill said the “overwhelming feedback” from most people was that the precinct should “simply remain named Thomas Street”.
“If there is a marketing term for Thomas Street then it should be something that attracts people to shop and eat.”
Garad – who has strongly sided with Little Bamiyan proponents – congratulated the council for its “sensitivity” in removing the Afghan Bazaar name.
She says Hill should have brought the parties together to settle on a common name for the precinct, such as Afghanistan Bazaar or Kabul Bazaar.
On social media, Garad recently moved to clarify her support for the Hazara cause.
She said she supported the “democratic right” of both sides of the Afghan Bazaar debate to put up petitions – “because they are our democratic processes and people have a right to put that up”.
“I don’t support any rhetoric that all Pashtun and Hazara are terrorists … any of that inflammatory language.
“It disturbs me to think that people think that I’m supporting violence of any kind. I absolutely abhor violence and would never support it in any form.”
Meanwhile, Liberal candidate Zahid Safi says he is being targeted for his Afghan background.
He has been criticized for co-authoring a parliamentary-inquiry submission that was said to minimize the ‘genocide’ of Hazara people.
His colleague and La Trobe MP Jason Wood said that Safi had not written the offending section.
“There’s no way that he or anyone at the Liberal party has the same view (as the report on downplaying Hazara genocide),” Wood said.
“The bigger picture is that the Liberal Party has been very supportive of all Afghans regardless of backgrounds.”
Meanwhile the Liberal Party stated it was “very proud to support a candidate whose family fled Afghanistan because of the Taliban, and has chosen to make Australia his home because of the freedom and lifestyle our country offers”.
“It is unfortunate that Zahid has been the victim of prejudice because of his Afghan background, but Zahid is not defined by his background, and will continue to campaign to represent all the residents of Bruce, regardless of their background.”
