Charity rider and refugee advocate Muzafar Ali was welcomed by City of Greater Dandenong in celebration of World Refugee Day.
A round of applause and cheers erupted by the crowd at Harmony Square as Muzafar whizzed in on his cycle, out of breath but in great shape on Friday 20 June.
He was embraced with friendly smiles and warm hugs by the community and mayor Jim Memeti who hosted the event.
There was a tremendous show of support by some supporters who cycled to the square and gave Muzafar a short tour of Dandenong.
The brief stop in Dandenong marks more than a quarter of his 4000 kilometre journey in a bid to raise $250,000 for refugees and Afghan women’s education.
The funds support eight schools, 130 teachers, and more than 2000 refugee students across seven countries through Cisarua Learning, a refugee-led organisation co-founded by Muzafar in Indonesia in 2014.
It also supports underground schools in Kabul run by a small team of women from Hazara Women for Change led by president Lida Hazara Nayeeb and Nasima Kakae.
Muzafar paid tribute to members of the group who also spoke at Harmony Square.
“Today we celebrate but remember the refugees stuck in limbo in Indonesia, refugees scattered all around the world, the refugees who want to offer to host communities and those who are waiting for chance to start a new life,” Muzafar said.
“This ride of 30 days is to remember those refugees who can potentially be a productive community member like we have in Dandenong.
“I am proud to associate myself with the women of Afghanistan. Our so-called jihadi leaders commanders, democrats, bureaucrats left them alone on 16 August when they came up with their placards to protest against the Taliban – (these women) are my leaders.
“This ride is in solidarity of those women.”
During his ride, he has held more than 25 events in 20 days across Australia, speaking at schools, community events and also sharing a screening of the film The Staging Post in several stop-off points.
This is one of a series of three films including Watandar, My Countryman with an upcoming release in October, We are not Powerless directed by director and Cisarua Learning co-founder Jolyon Hoff.
Muzafar says the campaign has achieved overwhelming support.
“There’s a stark contrast between people’s willingness and support, some get very heartbroken to see what’s happening in Afghanistan and media don’t talk about that.
“It looks like Taliban have succeeded to get legitimacy by the international community.
“I think women’s rights and education should be the red line. They have been ignored for a long time from the time they started to negotiate with Taliban.
“When we talk about these issues in Australia they very much support this- we see genuine empathy for the women and refugees.”
He says the international community held talks with the Taliban in Doha in which no women participated from Afghanistan and issues on women weren’t discussed.
Last year he visited Afghanistan and smuggled a camera to capture the reality for girls and women in the only country in the world where higher education is banned.
Muzafar’s cycling journey ends on 29 June but Cisarua Learning will continue to support, advocate and provide meaning to thousands of lives through education and psycho-social activities.
