‘Broady’ locals become Aussies among the gum trees

On the day he became an Australian citizen, Iraqi immigrant Riyadh Ato could not think of a bad thing to say about the country he now calls home.

Ato, a Christian from the war-torn city of Mosul which was occupied for years by Islamic State, expressed the reason starkly.

From left, Iraqi immigrants Riyadh Ato and Huda Qadso became Australian citizens, with son Aehab Atto supporting them, at Broadmeadows Town Hall.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

“When you come from a dark place to a good place, you will not find anything bad, because in Iraq we always had a hard time,” Ato said.

“We couldn’t find time to breathe, to feel safe, but here we can feel safe.”

Hume City Council’s citizenship ceremony on Sunday at the stately, 1960s era Broadmeadows Town Hall, set among gum trees in Melbourne’s north, was a happy occasion for Ato and his wife, Huda Qadso, who were supported by their son, Aehab Atto.

The couple, of Roxburgh Park, were among 165 people from 30 nations who pledged their loyalty to Australia and its people.

Land of opportunity: Isna Ramlee and husband Muhammad Fahmy from Singapore with children Isa, Musa and Maryam.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

Each conferee was given a certificate, an Australian flag, and a plant, or a toy kangaroo for children.

Qadso said in Iraq after Islamic State took control of Mosul in 2014, the new regime expressed hatred for Christians, accused them of not believing in God, and demanded they convert to Islam.

To Ato, Australians are humane. “People here are very peaceful, very good people, that we’ve seen,” he said.

Two others at the ceremony, Indian immigrant Amith James, of Mickleham and daughter Joanna, 6, were surrounded by loved ones.

Amith James, far right, holding his daughter Joanna, 6. The pair became Australian citizens, supported by six relatives.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

They included James’s wife, Neenu, their younger daughter Naomi, 3, Amith’s brother, Anoop, sister-in-law Sushin and nieces Ann Sicilia, 12, and Ann Marian, 6.

James, from Erumeli in south India, said Australia offered his family a better standard of living.

Asked what they most miss about home, Amith and Neenu said ″⁣family″⁣ but Amith said his parents had visited Australia twice and they have been back to India twice.

For Isna Ramlee, a nurse, and Muhammad Fahmy, a transport incident response officer, Australia is a land of opportunity, particularly for work.

In their native Singapore, Ramlee had to work either full-time or not at all, but in Australia she can work part-time and stay home to help raise children Isa, 9, Musa, 7, and Maryam, 4.

Ramlee believes that people in Australia are friendly and accepting of diverse cultures and backgrounds. She said in Australia there seems to be more equality in the hierarchy of in jobs in that tradesmen, like electricians and plumbers, are highly regarded and “everyone is equal in a sense”.

Ramlee feels positive about the move to Australia. “We miss our parents, we miss the food there — spicy Malay food and cheaper food options — but other than that we’ve always been looking forward to coming here.”

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