There was a palpable silence at the end of a premier screening of the documentary ‘Before 1770’ held late last year, punctuated only by distant sobs and the ruffling of tissue packets emanating from the audience of largely Muslim Australians.
The reason why the feature documentary - showcased in multiple screenings across the country - evoked such an impassioned response was because it represented the connection Australia and its First Nations people held with the Muslim world.
This deep connection, starting sometime in the mid-1600s, lasted for centuries until 1907 when the last ‘Perahu’ (sailing boat) from Makassar visited Arnhem land in Northern Australia.
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Dr Imran Lum