Tuesday, September 20, 2005
The letter below has been sent to the Melbourne and Sydney gay papers and to The Age and the Sunday Age newspapers. It will be interesting to see if any of them publish it and it will also be interesting to see whether ASIO becomes part of the equation!
The Attorney General does not have an email address so this letter is
being posted to him at Parliament House in Canberra.
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: Self
To: josken@zipworld.com.au
Subject: Yasin and Parkin
Date sent: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 17:48:40 +1000
To Attorney General Philip Ruddock,
Parliament House,
Canberra, ACT 2600
From Mannie De Saxe and Kendall Lovett,
for Lesbian and Gay Solidarity (Melbourne)
2/12 Murphy Grove, Preston, Vic 3072
Phone:(03)9471 4878
email: josken@zipworld.com.au
The double standards of the Federal Government are well known to the
Australian communities, but the one illustrated in the examples below
plumbs new depths.
Federal Governments of any persuasion are known for their homophobia,
and
we now have an example of what we may expect as gay, lesbian,
transgender, HIV/AIDS communities in the next few years.
Sheikh Khalid Yasin comes to Australia and is on a television programme
available and accessible to people around the country. He makes the
following statements, but the Attorney-General sees no reason for him to
be deported:
TELEVISION HOMOPHOBIA -- CHANNEL 9:
The following is an extract from the Sixty Minutes programme on Channel
Nine on the night of Sunday 24 July 2005: "SHEIKH KHALID YASIN: If you
prefer the name of somebody on your clothes other than the name of the
Muslims, if you prefer the clothing of the Kaffers other than the
clothing of the Muslims, most of the names that's on most of those
clothing is faggots, homosexuals and lesbians. God is very
straightforward about this -- not we Muslims, not subjective, the Sharia
is very clear about it, the punishment for homosexuality, bestiality or
anything like that is death. We don't make any excuses about that, it's
not our law -- it's the Koran. PETER OVERTON: And this is why young
Muslims shouldn't attend university. SHEIKH KHALID YASIN: The university
is a gateway for deviation. You forget your Islamic direction. Now you
have become compromised through some kind of intellectuality."
The Prime Minister of Australia has been very vocal in condemning the
Sheik's comments about terrorism and bombings, but so far he seems very
mute when it comes to the abuse of homosexuals -- why?
If these people had all used racist and sexist epithets in their
programmes or in their sports, they would be called to account by their
governing bodies. Because they are abusing homosexuals, no one stops them
or censures them.
Well, enough is enough. If these situations are allowed to continue
without restraints it is time for gay, lesbian, transgender and HIV/AIDS
Rights Groups to demand of governments and regulating authorities that
penalties be applied to those who continue these abuses.
Then we have a peace activist who comes to Australia, who is demonstrably
not here threatening members of the Australian communities as Sheikh
Yasin has done in the above extract. Anti- war protester Parkin is
deported without valid explanation by the authorities responsible for the
deportation.
We expect an explanation from the government and from ASIO, who
apparently is not accountable to anyone and does not have to give reasons
for its actions. This is simply not good enough and leaves us with the
thought that Australia has become a police state, unaccountable to anyone
for its actions.
When are you going to tell us why deportation in one case and not in the
other?
Signed: Mannie De Saxe and Kendall Lovett,
Lesbian and Gay Solidarity (Melbourne)
------- End of forwarded message -------
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links to this post
The Attorney General does not have an email address so this letter is
being posted to him at Parliament House in Canberra.
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: Self
To: josken@zipworld.com.au
Subject: Yasin and Parkin
Date sent: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 17:48:40 +1000
To Attorney General Philip Ruddock,
Parliament House,
Canberra, ACT 2600
From Mannie De Saxe and Kendall Lovett,
for Lesbian and Gay Solidarity (Melbourne)
2/12 Murphy Grove, Preston, Vic 3072
Phone:(03)9471 4878
email: josken@zipworld.com.au
The double standards of the Federal Government are well known to the
Australian communities, but the one illustrated in the examples below
plumbs new depths.
Federal Governments of any persuasion are known for their homophobia,
and
we now have an example of what we may expect as gay, lesbian,
transgender, HIV/AIDS communities in the next few years.
Sheikh Khalid Yasin comes to Australia and is on a television programme
available and accessible to people around the country. He makes the
following statements, but the Attorney-General sees no reason for him to
be deported:
TELEVISION HOMOPHOBIA -- CHANNEL 9:
The following is an extract from the Sixty Minutes programme on Channel
Nine on the night of Sunday 24 July 2005: "SHEIKH KHALID YASIN: If you
prefer the name of somebody on your clothes other than the name of the
Muslims, if you prefer the clothing of the Kaffers other than the
clothing of the Muslims, most of the names that's on most of those
clothing is faggots, homosexuals and lesbians. God is very
straightforward about this -- not we Muslims, not subjective, the Sharia
is very clear about it, the punishment for homosexuality, bestiality or
anything like that is death. We don't make any excuses about that, it's
not our law -- it's the Koran. PETER OVERTON: And this is why young
Muslims shouldn't attend university. SHEIKH KHALID YASIN: The university
is a gateway for deviation. You forget your Islamic direction. Now you
have become compromised through some kind of intellectuality."
The Prime Minister of Australia has been very vocal in condemning the
Sheik's comments about terrorism and bombings, but so far he seems very
mute when it comes to the abuse of homosexuals -- why?
If these people had all used racist and sexist epithets in their
programmes or in their sports, they would be called to account by their
governing bodies. Because they are abusing homosexuals, no one stops them
or censures them.
Well, enough is enough. If these situations are allowed to continue
without restraints it is time for gay, lesbian, transgender and HIV/AIDS
Rights Groups to demand of governments and regulating authorities that
penalties be applied to those who continue these abuses.
Then we have a peace activist who comes to Australia, who is demonstrably
not here threatening members of the Australian communities as Sheikh
Yasin has done in the above extract. Anti- war protester Parkin is
deported without valid explanation by the authorities responsible for the
deportation.
We expect an explanation from the government and from ASIO, who
apparently is not accountable to anyone and does not have to give reasons
for its actions. This is simply not good enough and leaves us with the
thought that Australia has become a police state, unaccountable to anyone
for its actions.
When are you going to tell us why deportation in one case and not in the
other?
Signed: Mannie De Saxe and Kendall Lovett,
Lesbian and Gay Solidarity (Melbourne)
------- End of forwarded message -------
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
The Federal government is turning Australia into the police state I left when I left South Africa in 1978. From 1948, when the National Party came to power in the apartheid white parliament of South Africa, till their defeat in 1994 in a democratic election which included the whole of the South African population, the regime imposed laws on its citizens which saw the state turn into a police state.
In a country such as Australia, where there is no opposition, and the government has control of both houses of parliament, it becomes increasingly easier to pass legislation to rid the country of any opposition by locking up its opponents.
One of the first to suffer such assaults on our civil liberties comes in the form of locking up and deporting a US peace activist, Scott Parkin. The item below comes from members of the Victorian Peace Network.
From: David Spratt [mailto:dspratt@bigpond.net.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 14 September 2005 18:39
To: Vicpeace
Subject: SCOTT PARKIN: URGENT ACTION ALERT
SCOTT PARKIN: URGENT ACTION ALERT
UPDATE Wed 14 Sept 2005
*** please send widely ***
The rapid and widespread response to the detention of US peace and
global justice activist, Scott Parkin, has been heartening and
effective on many levels. Actions have taken place in Melbourne,
Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns and outside several Australian Consulates in the
United States. Actions yesterday in Melbourne successfully shut down even
more ANZ bank branches in protest of ANZ's Iraq war-profiteering. Rory
Gutterson, Melbourne activist and friend of Scott Parkin said, "This
action demonstrates that activists will continue to target corporations
involved in the occupation. The treatment that Scott has received is
indicative of the kind of powers the government is trying to exercise
against those who oppose the occupation under the guise of the 'war on
terror'."
Other acts of political defiance have included dozens of activists
'handing themselves in' for immediate deportation at AFP headquaters and
DIMA offices in solidarity with Scott.
Maureen, one of Scott's closest friends and colleagues in the US
writes: "The concern and overwhelming support from Australia for Scott
Parkin has been amazing. I have known Scott for years and am privileged to
count him among one of my best friends, to have lived with him and to have
organized many an action both big and small. Nothing comforts me more than
knowing there is such a strong support system for him in Australia while
he endures this violation."
The media response overall has been largely critical of the detention and
deportation of a peace activist and has ensured that the Attorney General
Phillip Ruddock has been forced to minimise, deny or justify the actions
of ASIO and the Australian Federal Police. Editorials in the Australian
and The Age newspapers today have also been largely critical of the
threatened deportation. Radio talk back and online feedback sites have
been busy and largely supportive of Scott's case. The issue has received
extensive international coverage as well.
The combined effect of our protests so far has been to:
1) raise the political cost of ASIO's actions;
2) clearly expose the dangers inherent in the new AFP and ASIO control
orders and preventative detention measures to the wider community; and
increase public dissent to widening anti terrorism measures in general;
3) create a public focus on the role of Halibuton in the occupation of
Iraq, nonviolence and peace activism in general;
3) maintain solidarity and support for Scott - he knows what we are
doing;
4) demonstrate how networks of activists, NGO'S, progressive lawyers and
politicians can (and will) operate quickly in defence of an imprisoned
activist.
All this aims to undermine the government's position against Scott and
hopefully, may deter the Australian security forces and government from
doing something simillar in the near future. (This is yet to be seen! ).
LEGAL UPDATE: Keren Adams, from Maurice Blackburn Cashman, and Erskine
Rodan, immigration lawyer, said they had been advised by DIMIA Tuesday
afternoon that Scott would leave the country on Thursday (15th). "In
accordance with Scott's wishes, we have asked for Scott to be removed from
the country under section 198 (1) of the Migration Act," she said.
"At the same time, we have relodged an appeal with the Migration
Review Tribunal against the cancellation of his visa. This can continue
once he has left the country," she said. Ms Adams said Scott would
continue to challenge the reasons for the cancellation of his visa. It
is understood Scott could be deported at any time.
WHERE TO NOW?: It remains important to continue the strong community
protest at this hideous act of political suppression. As we are aware,
Scott is an articulate white, peace activist and he is being targeted
because of his nonviolent political activities. Any solidarity with Scott
needs to also enhance the safety of more marginalised and threatened
activists and communities who are even more targeted in today's Australia.
Scott's campaigning approach follows the People Power Strategy
http://peoplepowerstrategy.org/ which is gaining much currency within the
US anti-war movement. He works for Houston Global Awareness which is
waging a highly effective strategic campaign against Halliburton's role as
a key pillar in the US occupation of Iraq. See:
(www.houstonglobalawareness.org ).
We actually believe that it is the growing political effectiveness of this
grassroots nonviolent strategy and the fear Scott was 'exporting' it to
Australia which has so concerned the US and Australian intelligence
services and that has led to Scott's arrest.
The tactic of demonising and marginalising activists by smears and
claiming violence is common. Australia's Attorney-General, Phillip
Ruddock, has been claiming that Scott Parkin has been engaged in
"inciting political violence" in his trainings. It is vital that we
continue to strongly rebuke this.
As background: Scott Parkin is high profile peace and global justice
activist. He has spoken at numerous large public forums and events whilst
in Australia including the Brisbane Social Forum and the Sydney Social
Forum in August. He was contacted by ASIO (Australian Security
Intelligence Organisation) last week and had been asked to 'come in for
an interview' which Scott rightfully declined. Scott participated in a
nonviolent street theatre action outside US corporation Halliburton's
headquarters in Sydney during protests against the Forbes meeting on
August 31st. He has written widely for numerous magazines and spoken
publicly about corporate globalisation and Halliburton's role in Iraq over
many years. See: www.counterpunch.org/parkin05102005.html More
background is available at: www.nonviolence.org.au
ACTION YOU CAN TAKE:
It is important that we maintain strong protests and continue to rebut
government attempts to demonise Scott and his politics by claims that
Scott is involved in "inciting politically motivated violence". We need
to continualy assert Scott's humanity and nonviolent political activism.
Some major points that can be made to media, radio talk back, online and
to your local senator or member of parliment are:
Scott Parkin has not been charged with any offense nor has he committed
any crimes whilst in Australia. Nor has he breached any conditions on his
visa; He has not been paid for any trainings or presentations whilst here;
Scott is committed to nonviolence and has a long history of such activism;
besides that he is a nice guy! Scott has a basic right to organise and
participate in protest; As do we all! Neither "spirited protest" and
"encouraging spirited protest" is illegal Claims that he incites political
violence as utterly without foundation. This ultimately effects us all. If
you have not already, please contact you local member of Parliment and/or
Federal Senator to express your concerns about this action as soon as
possible. Any organisational, union and high-level protests is
particulary important.
To make things more bearable for Scott while he is inside, please,
please send him an e-mail of support to backingscott@yahoo.com We will
print and hand deliver as many as we can to Scott or send them to him when
he arrives back in the States.
MEDIA: For media questions or comment, contact Paul Sheridan 0410 516 656
(for Thursday 15th) Dan Cass on 0408 468 488 or Andrea Buffa in the United
Sates at andrea@globalexchange.org PROTEST and DIRECT ACTIONS: Some are
still being planned and there may be actions if and when Scott is taken
for deportation. Contact your local activists groups and monitor your
state's indymedia site for updates, announcements and reports.
http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/
/ http://sydney.indymedia.org/ or http://oceania.indymedia.org/
Anthony Kelly
Pt'chang Nonviolent Community Safety Group
www.nonviolence.org.au
+61 03 9415 6642
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0 comments
links to this post
In a country such as Australia, where there is no opposition, and the government has control of both houses of parliament, it becomes increasingly easier to pass legislation to rid the country of any opposition by locking up its opponents.
One of the first to suffer such assaults on our civil liberties comes in the form of locking up and deporting a US peace activist, Scott Parkin. The item below comes from members of the Victorian Peace Network.
From: David Spratt [mailto:dspratt@bigpond.net.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 14 September 2005 18:39
To: Vicpeace
Subject: SCOTT PARKIN: URGENT ACTION ALERT
SCOTT PARKIN: URGENT ACTION ALERT
UPDATE Wed 14 Sept 2005
*** please send widely ***
The rapid and widespread response to the detention of US peace and
global justice activist, Scott Parkin, has been heartening and
effective on many levels. Actions have taken place in Melbourne,
Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns and outside several Australian Consulates in the
United States. Actions yesterday in Melbourne successfully shut down even
more ANZ bank branches in protest of ANZ's Iraq war-profiteering. Rory
Gutterson, Melbourne activist and friend of Scott Parkin said, "This
action demonstrates that activists will continue to target corporations
involved in the occupation. The treatment that Scott has received is
indicative of the kind of powers the government is trying to exercise
against those who oppose the occupation under the guise of the 'war on
terror'."
Other acts of political defiance have included dozens of activists
'handing themselves in' for immediate deportation at AFP headquaters and
DIMA offices in solidarity with Scott.
Maureen, one of Scott's closest friends and colleagues in the US
writes: "The concern and overwhelming support from Australia for Scott
Parkin has been amazing. I have known Scott for years and am privileged to
count him among one of my best friends, to have lived with him and to have
organized many an action both big and small. Nothing comforts me more than
knowing there is such a strong support system for him in Australia while
he endures this violation."
The media response overall has been largely critical of the detention and
deportation of a peace activist and has ensured that the Attorney General
Phillip Ruddock has been forced to minimise, deny or justify the actions
of ASIO and the Australian Federal Police. Editorials in the Australian
and The Age newspapers today have also been largely critical of the
threatened deportation. Radio talk back and online feedback sites have
been busy and largely supportive of Scott's case. The issue has received
extensive international coverage as well.
The combined effect of our protests so far has been to:
1) raise the political cost of ASIO's actions;
2) clearly expose the dangers inherent in the new AFP and ASIO control
orders and preventative detention measures to the wider community; and
increase public dissent to widening anti terrorism measures in general;
3) create a public focus on the role of Halibuton in the occupation of
Iraq, nonviolence and peace activism in general;
3) maintain solidarity and support for Scott - he knows what we are
doing;
4) demonstrate how networks of activists, NGO'S, progressive lawyers and
politicians can (and will) operate quickly in defence of an imprisoned
activist.
All this aims to undermine the government's position against Scott and
hopefully, may deter the Australian security forces and government from
doing something simillar in the near future. (This is yet to be seen! ).
LEGAL UPDATE: Keren Adams, from Maurice Blackburn Cashman, and Erskine
Rodan, immigration lawyer, said they had been advised by DIMIA Tuesday
afternoon that Scott would leave the country on Thursday (15th). "In
accordance with Scott's wishes, we have asked for Scott to be removed from
the country under section 198 (1) of the Migration Act," she said.
"At the same time, we have relodged an appeal with the Migration
Review Tribunal against the cancellation of his visa. This can continue
once he has left the country," she said. Ms Adams said Scott would
continue to challenge the reasons for the cancellation of his visa. It
is understood Scott could be deported at any time.
WHERE TO NOW?: It remains important to continue the strong community
protest at this hideous act of political suppression. As we are aware,
Scott is an articulate white, peace activist and he is being targeted
because of his nonviolent political activities. Any solidarity with Scott
needs to also enhance the safety of more marginalised and threatened
activists and communities who are even more targeted in today's Australia.
Scott's campaigning approach follows the People Power Strategy
http://peoplepowerstrategy.org/ which is gaining much currency within the
US anti-war movement. He works for Houston Global Awareness which is
waging a highly effective strategic campaign against Halliburton's role as
a key pillar in the US occupation of Iraq. See:
(www.houstonglobalawareness.org ).
We actually believe that it is the growing political effectiveness of this
grassroots nonviolent strategy and the fear Scott was 'exporting' it to
Australia which has so concerned the US and Australian intelligence
services and that has led to Scott's arrest.
The tactic of demonising and marginalising activists by smears and
claiming violence is common. Australia's Attorney-General, Phillip
Ruddock, has been claiming that Scott Parkin has been engaged in
"inciting political violence" in his trainings. It is vital that we
continue to strongly rebuke this.
As background: Scott Parkin is high profile peace and global justice
activist. He has spoken at numerous large public forums and events whilst
in Australia including the Brisbane Social Forum and the Sydney Social
Forum in August. He was contacted by ASIO (Australian Security
Intelligence Organisation) last week and had been asked to 'come in for
an interview' which Scott rightfully declined. Scott participated in a
nonviolent street theatre action outside US corporation Halliburton's
headquarters in Sydney during protests against the Forbes meeting on
August 31st. He has written widely for numerous magazines and spoken
publicly about corporate globalisation and Halliburton's role in Iraq over
many years. See: www.counterpunch.org/parkin05102005.html More
background is available at: www.nonviolence.org.au
ACTION YOU CAN TAKE:
It is important that we maintain strong protests and continue to rebut
government attempts to demonise Scott and his politics by claims that
Scott is involved in "inciting politically motivated violence". We need
to continualy assert Scott's humanity and nonviolent political activism.
Some major points that can be made to media, radio talk back, online and
to your local senator or member of parliment are:
Scott Parkin has not been charged with any offense nor has he committed
any crimes whilst in Australia. Nor has he breached any conditions on his
visa; He has not been paid for any trainings or presentations whilst here;
Scott is committed to nonviolence and has a long history of such activism;
besides that he is a nice guy! Scott has a basic right to organise and
participate in protest; As do we all! Neither "spirited protest" and
"encouraging spirited protest" is illegal Claims that he incites political
violence as utterly without foundation. This ultimately effects us all. If
you have not already, please contact you local member of Parliment and/or
Federal Senator to express your concerns about this action as soon as
possible. Any organisational, union and high-level protests is
particulary important.
To make things more bearable for Scott while he is inside, please,
please send him an e-mail of support to backingscott@yahoo.com We will
print and hand deliver as many as we can to Scott or send them to him when
he arrives back in the States.
MEDIA: For media questions or comment, contact Paul Sheridan 0410 516 656
(for Thursday 15th) Dan Cass on 0408 468 488 or Andrea Buffa in the United
Sates at andrea@globalexchange.org PROTEST and DIRECT ACTIONS: Some are
still being planned and there may be actions if and when Scott is taken
for deportation. Contact your local activists groups and monitor your
state's indymedia site for updates, announcements and reports.
http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/
/ http://sydney.indymedia.org/ or http://oceania.indymedia.org/
Anthony Kelly
Pt'chang Nonviolent Community Safety Group
www.nonviolence.org.au
+61 03 9415 6642
O what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive!
Sir Walter Scott 1771-1832
Marmion (1808)canto 6, st.17
America was thus clearly top nation, and History came to a .
W.C.Sellar 1898-1951 and R.J.Yeatman 1898-1968
1066 and All That (1930) ch.62
Those who fail to learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it
or
Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it
or
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
George Santayana 1863-1952
The Life of Reason (1905) vol.1 ch.12
What experience and history teach is this - that nations and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted upon any lessons they might have drawn from it.
Georg Wilhelm Hegel 1770-1831
Lectures on the Philosophy of World History: Introduction (1830, tr. H.B.Nisbet, 1975)
(Quoted in G.B.Shaw's The Revolutionist's Handbook)
Alas! Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that men never learn anything from history.
George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950
Heartbreak House, Pref., The Next Phase.
Now let's see - conspiracy theories abound at all times about all sorts of events, but this story seems to be very strange.
At about the same time as the Howard government is trying to sell its Telstra plan to sell Telstra, and it is also trying to bring in its industrial relations reforms, and there have been outcries and opposition to both and the government is fighting to get its messages across, comes a fantastic diversion!
The federal attorney-general announces the government's latest plans to stiffen its anti-terrorist legislation and somewhere, out of the blue appears a video tape of someone who says that Los Angeles and Melbourne are now two potential terrorist targets, and as was pointed out to me, London and Madrid start with the letters L and M as do Los Angeles and Melbourne!
Is this sheer coincidence or is there something more sinister out there?
At the same time, a US peace activist, on a six month visitor visa to Australia, has been locked up and is to be deported because he is a "security threat" to this country! One lone peace activist who was on a rally in Sydney???
(0) comments
0 comments
links to this post
When first we practise to deceive!
Sir Walter Scott 1771-1832
Marmion (1808)canto 6, st.17
America was thus clearly top nation, and History came to a .
W.C.Sellar 1898-1951 and R.J.Yeatman 1898-1968
1066 and All That (1930) ch.62
Those who fail to learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it
or
Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it
or
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
George Santayana 1863-1952
The Life of Reason (1905) vol.1 ch.12
What experience and history teach is this - that nations and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted upon any lessons they might have drawn from it.
Georg Wilhelm Hegel 1770-1831
Lectures on the Philosophy of World History: Introduction (1830, tr. H.B.Nisbet, 1975)
(Quoted in G.B.Shaw's The Revolutionist's Handbook)
Alas! Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that men never learn anything from history.
George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950
Heartbreak House, Pref., The Next Phase.
Now let's see - conspiracy theories abound at all times about all sorts of events, but this story seems to be very strange.
At about the same time as the Howard government is trying to sell its Telstra plan to sell Telstra, and it is also trying to bring in its industrial relations reforms, and there have been outcries and opposition to both and the government is fighting to get its messages across, comes a fantastic diversion!
The federal attorney-general announces the government's latest plans to stiffen its anti-terrorist legislation and somewhere, out of the blue appears a video tape of someone who says that Los Angeles and Melbourne are now two potential terrorist targets, and as was pointed out to me, London and Madrid start with the letters L and M as do Los Angeles and Melbourne!
Is this sheer coincidence or is there something more sinister out there?
At the same time, a US peace activist, on a six month visitor visa to Australia, has been locked up and is to be deported because he is a "security threat" to this country! One lone peace activist who was on a rally in Sydney???
