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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Shadi Khan Saif

Muslim Australians are crying out to be heard. Will the major parties listen to us?

Peter Drew’s poster depicting Monga Khan, an Afghan cameleer who helped connect Australia to the wider world by helping to build telegraph lines across the outback
Peter Drew’s poster depicting Monga Khan, an Afghan cameleer who helped connect Australia to the wider world by helping to build telegraph lines across the outback. Photograph: Peter Drew

When I first arrived in Melbourne four years ago, my introduction to the country’s political landscape came in an unexpected form – posters.

They bore the image of a fellow Afghan from the Cameleers’ era, accompanied by the curious label: Aussie. I spent weeks pondering its significance and discovered much later that this striking image was the work of Australian artist Peter Drew, who sought to challenge the exclusivity of national identity and acknowledge the often overlooked histories shaped by the White Australia policy.

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