Mr Abbott spoke at a dinner hosted by Auburn Council to mark "Iftar", or the fast-breaking meal at sundown during the holy month of Ramadan.
In front of more than 100 people, at the Westella Renaissance Hotel in Lidcombe, Mr Abbott praised multiculturalism as a "heroic dimension to our national history".
"[Our] multiculturalism is a beacon of hope to a troubled and divided world," he said. "People from all around the four corners of this earth have come to this country of ours to be welcomed by us and to build a better life in freedom, for themselves and their children."
The audience included a number of Australian Muslim leaders, including the Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, and diplomatic representatives from countries with large Muslim populations such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, India and Lebanon. » | James Robertson | Monday, August 05, 2013
