The heart of Parramatta was transformed into a space of conscience on Saturday 11 October 2025, reaching beyond the Muslim community, inviting the wider public to learn about the reality of suffering and genocide in Gaza.
The Centenary Square was filled with rows of small shoes, baby clothes splattered in red, and walls of handwritten reflection, all silent testimonies that needed no words.
Behind it all was iCAN Youth Girls – school and university students – determined to make the unseen truth visible.
“Seeing the bodies of the children is definitely moving to me,” an attendee commented, her voice trembling.
The displays that spoke
The displays included rows of shoes symbolising lives lost, baby clothes drenched in red bearing faces of children, and a reflection wall inviting the public to witness the genocide uncensored.
Amidst this, a video unmasked Palestinian children’s pleas for food and the raw numbers the authorities try to hide.
Voices of courage
Through their words, Muslim youth led with courage and clarity, refusing to be silenced by systems that normalise injustice.
Each display carried meaning, and so did every voice that spoke on Saturday.
The youth voices amplified the message loud and clear. Students from Years 7 and 8 shared poetry and reflections, confidently declaring “While you eat, they starve.While you laugh, they scream. While you live, they die,” asking the unforgettable question, “Will they see another tomorrow?”
Dr Javerya, a mother and youth mentor, reminded the public of the innocent lives affected, “Children who never did anything wrong, except be born in a place at the wrong time.”
Senator Fatima Payman added a political perspective, emphasising the role of leadership and power in change because “Silence is complicity.”
Meanwhile, Taveet Sinanian, from Jews against Occupation ’48, clarified that this is a humanitarian stance, not anti-Semitic. “Leading experts in the history of the Holocaust have called this genocide a textbook case of genocide”
A call for accountability
“The youth are angry at the government for its complicity and the international community for not doing enough,” shared one attendee.
In response, iCAN Youth Girls delivered a clear call: if the ceasefire is genuine, prove it. Withdraw the tanks, allow trucks of aid to enter, and uphold the rights of those suffering.
“The tides are changing. If you kill one Anas Al-Sharif, an Anas will rise from every home,” stated a member of iCAN Youth Girls, Afaaf Maryam.
At a time when conversations on Palestine are silenced or politicised, Muslim girls stepped forward to speak the truth because they have had enough.
From the voices of young girls to politicians and supporters, Echoes of Gaza reminded Australia that moral courage has no age, and silence is no longer an option.
On behalf of iCAN Youth Girls
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