The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) welcomes the announcement from Minister Ros Spence, Victorian Minister for Multicultural Affairs, that the Victorian government will be providing A$20,000 to support halal food pack distributions to needy families.
ICV President Mohamed Mohideen said, "We'd like to thank Minister Spence and the Victorian government for this much-needed financial contribution that will allow the ICV to continue our work supporting Muslim families, refugees and international students during the holy month of Ramadhhan, made even more urgent during this challenging time."
The ICV has set up a separate emergency fund of A$20,000 for Muslim families experiencing severe financial hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis.
In addition, the ICV started an initiative to help mosques leverage online technology to connect with their communities. The government in Victoria are providing A$5,000 to cover the costs of subscribing to Zoom.
"The current restrictions on community gatherings provide an opportunity for Muslim families to focus on the message of spiritual renewal and empathy for those less fortunate, as a family," Mohideen said.
The Grand Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamad, had earlier announced that Ramadhan would begin in Australia on 24 April as the moon was visible after sunset for 19 minutes in Sydney, and for 22 minutes in Perth.