Maya Cifali grew up in Egypt, the daughter of French and Italian parents. They fitted easily into the cosmopolitan world of Alexandria in the 1940s and early 1950s. But the 1956 Suez crisis saw the expulsion of expatriates and Maya was forced into a wandering exile. It was not until she came to Alice Springs that she recovered a sense of home.
In this interview, Maya reflects on the differences between cosmopolitan and multicultural societies. Without being over-nostalgic, she sees the good points in the old country. And she is frank about migration policy in Australia.
Broadcast: Tuesday 18 December 2012 at 5.30pm on 8CCC Community Radio 102.1FM
Repeated: Following Friday at 9am and Sunday at 5.00pm
Producers: Joy Taylor and Helen Womack
Music from The Music of Islam produced by David Parsons, Celestial Harmonies