![\"\"](\"https:\/\/shiawaves.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/07\/images_2020_07_27_13.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A group of female Muslim volunteers have given up their time to cook free meals for families struggling to put food on the table during Melbourne\u2019s second COVID-19 lockdown.<\/p>\n
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A group of female Muslim volunteers have given up their time to cook free meals for families struggling to put food on the table during Melbourne\u2019s second COVID-19 lockdown.<\/p>\n
Every Friday women from across the city\u2019s Muslim community cook up dishes including chicken korma, lentil soup and rice from a commercial kitchen provided by Moreland City Council in Melbourne\u2019s north.<\/p>\n
The head of the volunteer group said she hoped the program would change attitudes about Muslim women\u2019s participation in Australian society.<\/p>\n
\u2018There is a stereotype of women in hijab that they are not doing anything for the community,\u2019 Muslim Women\u2019s Council of Victoria chairperson Afshan Mantoo told SBS Urdu.<\/p>\n
\u2018When someone takes food, they say, \u2018oh! a Muslim woman is doing something\u2019; it feels good.\u2019<\/p>\n
She said those who take the food are from a variety of personal backgrounds and religions \u2013 from white Australians to Indians and Sikhs.<\/p>\n
\u2018Students, families, refugees and people from all walks of life come and take the food we prepare,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n
The food is served in large packs that can last families for as long as three days \u2013 with staff taking additional steps including mask-wearing and regular temperature checks to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ms Mantoo said the group of volunteers themselves came from many different walks of life, giving up time from their regular day jobs to help those suffering the most from the effects of lock down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melbourne returned to stage three social distancing restrictions on July 8 as COVID-19 infections surged in Australia\u2019s second most populated city.<\/p>\n
Those living in Melbourne and neighbouring Mitchell Shire can only leave home for one four essential reasons \u2013 shopping for food and supplies, to give care, exercise or to study and work.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A group of female Muslim volunteers have given up their time to cook free meals for families struggling to put food on the table during Melbourne\u2019s second COVID-19 lockdown. \u00a0 A group of female Muslim volunteers have given up their time to cook free meals for families struggling to put food on the table during …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[1680,589,253],"class_list":["post-9471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-covid-19","tag-melbourne","tag-muslim-woman"],"yoast_head":"\n