Vic: Community leaders call for end to domestic violence

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2008
Vic: Community leaders call for end to domestic violence

MELBOURNE, April 7 AAP - Australian mufti Sheik Fehmi Naji Elimam has joined a Vietnamese
social worker, an Aboriginal elder and other prominent men to star in a new campaign against
domestic violence.

The television advertisements also feature comedian Akmal Saleh and several footballers
telling perpetrators of family violence to "knock it off, mate".

Launching the campaign today, former Victorian premier Steve Bracks said violence was
never acceptable, in any culture.

"No culture accepts family violence from men against other members of the family,"

Mr Bracks said.

Mr Bracks said that as a former premier he did not accept many offers to speak at events
but this campaign was important to him.

"I wanted to knock on the head the notion that somehow there is cultural differences
which mean that (it) can be acceptable in certain cultures, that violence is something
that you can get away with," he said.

The campaign bears the slogan "family men don't do family violence".

"If you're part of a family, and you're inflicting violence on other members of the
family, you're not a family person," Mr Bracks said.

"I think that's a strong message, a very evocative message, a very powerful message
that we all need to get out, men to men, to our community."

Mr Bracks pleaded for greater reporting and acknowledgement of family violence and
for more role models to speak out against domestic violence.

Among those featured in the commercials are former Ethnic Communities Council chairman
Phong Nguyen, AFL Essendon footballers Jason Johnson and Alwyn Davey and former AFL player
Jason McCartney.

Victorian Sports Minister James Merlino, Melbourne Storm player Israel Folau, Aboriginal
elder Uncle Jack Charles, author Waleed Aly, Victorian Multicultural Commission chairman
George Lekakis and Imam Abdinur Weli are also featured.

Mr Bracks does not appear in the commercials.

AAP kl/gfr/jt/cdh

KEYWORD: VIOLENCE

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