Assyrian sworn in as Tasmanian MP
The election of Professor George Razay to the Tasmanian Parliament marks both a personal milestone and a proud chapter for the Assyrian diaspora in Australia.
Assyrian George Razay has won a seat in the Tasmanian state parliament. Tasmania is an island state of Australia, located 240 kilometres (150 miles) to the south of the Australian mainland. Representing the electorate of Bass as an independent, Razay enters public office after decades of service as a doctor, researcher, and community advocate.
From Assyria's Gozarto to Australia's Tasmania
Razay was born in 1956 in Al-Malikiyah, a town in north-eastern Syria's Gozarto Region, as one of eight children in a working-class Assyrian family. Despite his parents having little or no formal education – his father only reaching fifth grade and his mother being illiterate – they instilled in their children a deep respect for learning. That foundation would shape Razay’s path and lead him toward medicine. In the 1990s, Razay relocated to Tasmania after spending several years in England. Over nearly three decades, he became a leading figure in the study and treatment of dementia.
During his maiden speech in the Tasmanian Parliament, Razay honoured his heritage by reciting the Lord’s Prayer in Assyrian. He invited his colleagues to join in, filling the chamber with a prayer spoken for two millennia.
