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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-12-09 Daily Xml
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Matters of Interest

Uyghur Community

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:23): I rise to speak about a small but significant group of people in our community, the Uyghur community. Uyghurs have a history of more than 4,000 years. This pre-dates Islam and whilst the vast majority of Uyghurs are Muslim they have a culture which is distinct to its own people.

There are a number of different festivals that the Uyghur community celebrates. Other than Islam festivals such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, known as Rozi Heyt and Qurban Heyt to Uyghurs, there are many festivals that Uyghurs celebrate which are non-religious but specific to their culture in accordance with their Turkish origins. In March South Australian Uyghurs will celebrate Nawroz, which is their new year, celebrated according to the Turkish calendar marking the coming of spring.

A significant part of Uyghur culture is its music, particularly the Twelve Muqam, a large-scale suite of songs, instrumental and dance music. The Twelve Muqam has been recognised as a part of the world's intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

To complement the music, Uyghurs have other traditional forms of entertainment such as mashrap. This is a traditional communal gathering to celebrate Uyghur culture through musical and drama performances. Another type of performance is dawaz, which is aerial tightrope-walking.

The manufacturing of traditional items is also of cultural importance to the Uyghurs. One particular product sought the world over is their rugs. Uyghur rugs have been produced for more than 2,000 years. Another is the Yengisar qalamtirash or small knife, a traditional and famous handcraft. It is beautifully shaped, neat and bright and its hilt is carved with different decorative patterns.

Like you, Mr President, and many honourable members here, food often lights up our eyes, especially dishes from many cultures. Uyghur cuisine is distinct through its richness of variety. Uyghurs are famed for producing fruits such as melons, peaches, apricots, grapes, pears, apples, figs and pomegranates. Many of these fruits are dried and served as a snack.

Uyghurs also consume many grain products such as rice pilaf, noodles and bread. The type of bread that Uyghurs enjoy is known as naan, which has been made for more than 7,000 years. Naan is baked in a stove called a tonnir that has a big stomach and a little mouth and is made from sun-dried bricks.

Uyghurs in South Australia have been practising their culture since their settlement in the late 1970s. The Uyghur community established the Uyghur Language School in 1992, which has been an important source of education for countless students, particularly here in South Australia. Established for the greater East Turkistan community, the Uyghur Language School has sought to teach in an engaging way the language and customs of East Turkistan.

The school participates in a number of cultural activities such as dancing, plays and sports—particularly soccer—in order to unite people interested in East Turkistan culture and language. The philosophy adopted by the school is truly admirable. Its philosophy is to:

Foster a sense of identity among the people of East Turkistan, work to sustain and develop our language and express and share our cultural heritage for the benefits of the wider Australian community.

This philosophy fits nicely with South Australians' disposition towards supporting our multicultural communities because we are aware of the benefits they provide to the broader Australian community. I will take this opportunity to thank Mr Abdulghafur Momin, President of the East Turkistan Australian Association, and the Secretary, Mr Nurmuhammad Majid, for promoting their culture to the wider community. I look forward to working with them and attending many cultural events of the Uyghur South Australians in the future.

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