Planned boycotts of the Premier’s annual iftar dinner by Muslim leaders forces event’s cancellation

Premier Jacinta Allan has avoided being left red-faced by cancelling the annual iftar dinner during Ramadan amid a massive planned boycott of the event.

Premier Jacinta Allan has cancelled this year’s iftar dinner after prominent Muslim leaders vowed to boycott the annual event in protest against Labor’s stance on the Middle East conflict.

Ms Allan on Thursday said she would instead hold private events with members of the Islamic community during the Ramadan period.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has cancelled this year’s iftar dinner amid mass planned boycotts. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

The iftar dinners have been held by the Premier during Ramadan every year since 2015.

But this year prominent community leaders called on individuals and organisations within the Muslim community to ditch the event over the Labor Party’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war.

“Standing united in boycotting this iftar will provide a clear message to Premier Allan as to how unhappy the Muslim community feels due to her and her party’s position regarding the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” an open letter stated.

Zuleyha Keskin and Human rights Commissioner Edward Santow at a Victorian Parliament Iftar Dinner at the Sofitel hotel in Melbourne in 2017. Picture: David Geraghty / The Australian.

Ms Allan on Thursday said the dinner would not go ahead.

“Our role here in Victoria is to support the community, not add to distress and grief, and it’s in that context that the dinner will not be proceeding this year,” she said.

“It is my intent to mark events through the Ramadan period respectfully.

“I do not want to add any moment of additional distress to people who are deeply grieving.

“It was a difficult decision.”