Voices of Harmony: A Festival of Faith, Food and Community at Auburn Gallipoli Mosque

This was the annual GTCF community festival, proudly hosted in collaboration with Multicultural NSW — with this year’s theme titled Voices of Harmony. More than just a festival, it is a living expression of what interfaith connection, multicultural celebration and community spirit looks like in action.

A Festival with Purpose

At its heart, Voices of Harmony exists to promote interfaith understanding, multicultural connection, and the sharing of culture. It is a space where people of all backgrounds can feel at home, whether attending a mosque for the very first time, reconnecting with neighbours, or celebrating heritage with family.

As a not-for-profit organisation, GTCF relies heavily on the generosity of its community. The festival itself was made possible by the dedication of countless volunteers, stall holders and community members who gave their time, services and resources to bring the weekend to life.

Uniting Hearts Around the Mosque

For many visitors, it was their very first time stepping inside a mosque. As Engagement & Programs Lead Councillor Enver Yasar reflected, the festival is truly “an extension of what Auburn Gallipoli Mosque tries to do every day — open the doors, welcome people in and make space for genuine conversations.” That simple act of being hosted, he explains, “goes a long way toward breaking down fear and stereotypes.”

At its core, Voices of Harmony exists to promote social cohesion through lived experience. The mosque courtyard became a shared space where cultures, generations and faiths met, watched performances side by side and queued together for food. “You see people of every background in the same space, sharing the same moment,” Councillor Yasar noted, describing it as a visible expression of community harmony in Western Sydney.

For Naziha, one of the stall owners, the experience was about more than business. “Being part of something like this is an opportunity to connect with others and open conversations that make our community more tight-knit,” she shared.

Chairman of GTCF, Abdurrahman Asaroglu, described the festival as a way of strengthening everyday bonds beyond the prayer space. “We are united inside the mosque and now, we are uniting around it too,” he said. For him, the festival is a time to reconnect: “It’s time to see faces we haven’t seen for months and witness the joy of our children in and around the mosque.”

For passers-by, the festival became a powerful invitation into the community. Bassima, a visitor who stopped after seeing a roadside sign, said she was moved by the welcome. “It makes the mosque feel approachable and safe for those who are curious about Turkish culture or Islam in general,” she said after attending with her friend.

Community Support and Special Guests

We were honoured to host Lynda Voltz, Member for Auburn, alongside Councillor Ahmed Ouf and Councillor Steve Yang. We deeply appreciate their continued support for our community and for this important precinct. We were also pleased to welcome representatives from Multicultural NSW and many other community organisations who joined us across the weekend.

One of the highlights of the festival was the charity auction, featuring art and furniture generously donated by community members. Together, the auction raised an incredible $8,050 for the mosque.

The night concluded with the much-anticipated festival raffle, where the first-prize round-trip flight from Sydney to Turkey was won by long-time community member Hacer Korkut. As the winner was announced, Osman Goreli, iYouth Manager, shared:

“Subhanallah, no one better than this person could have won it tonight… the efforts she has made since the establishment of this mosque are unbelievable.”