I received this wonderful news while still in Germany, but just had to share it with you all. I have been in contact with Mohammad Faisal for about 4 years, writing to him while he was in detention on Nauru. He was finally evacuated to Australia late last year after concerns were raised about his deteriorating mental state... It is sad that he almost had to die for his true self to be acknowledged. ASIO changed their minds about him and he is no longer considered a security threat... I knew this from his letters, all the time that I wrote to him. Despite his hopelessness, fear and lonliness he always expressed a concern for me and my family and best wishes for our lives... I don't even know if I would be capable of such love whilst suffering so much... I only hope I wont ever be put to that test....
Freedom is not a privilege - we should all be born free and loved... even my God gives us freedom, even the freedom to choose whether or not we follow him... and freedom from the darkness of this world if we do... (follow him, that is...) It is no secret that I do not support my governments stand on so called "illegal immigration". I believe it is the highest form of cruelty - to inprison someone - without charge, with no knowledge of when they may expect freedom, separated from family and friends, often in the middle of nowhere or on a remote island in the pacific, unable to access adequate health care or to be given support for the trauma they have already expeienced in fleeing persecution and hardship, to witness hopelessness and despair, sucide attempts and cruelty. We may not exercise the death penalty in our country, for which I am thankful... but how can we tell the world we are a free and democratic society when we do this? While complaining about the treatment of David Hicks and the drug mules inprisoned in Indonesia... I have been horrified to watch as our government allowed ships to sink in now excised "Australian waters"... then accusing people of throwing their children into the tempestous sea! Our current government won an election on the back of this stuff - breathing fear and mistrust, twisting our view of a damaged and desparate group of people. Would you flee your home, family and friends, pay all your life savings for passage on a leaky boat... if you didn't have to? Would people intending to harm us and our country bother to use this method to get here? I don't think so, especially as its now common knowledge that if the boat even makes it, you won't get to place your feet on Australian soil...
I don't mean to preach, but there is no other topic in Australian politics that fills me with less bile. It makes me ashamed of being Australian, and that I can't stand as in general I think Australia is a fantastic country... part of who I am and who I want to be... my name is Jocelyn. It means the just one, and if this government policy doesn't smack of injustice, I don't know what does!
I have no more to say... bring on the next federal election! and if you agree with any of this join get up: http://www.getup.org.au/ and make a diference!
