AUSTRALIA 1500 PEOPLE DEMONSTRATORS IN SWELTERING HEAT RALLIED IN SUPPORT OF REFUGEE RIGHTS IN CANBERRA AS ONE SAY HE FELT RESPONSIBILITY TO BREAK DOWN THE NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES ABOUT ASYLUM SEEKING BY TELLING STORY Published: October 25, 2014 - 4:47PM Sweltering heat did not deter hundreds of demonstrators who rallied in support of refugee rights on Saturday as part of the co-ordinated Walk Together 2014 campaign. Organiser John Minns, of the Refugee Action Committee in Canberra, estimated more than 1500 people turned out to march on Parliament House to let refugees know they were welcome in the capital. An extraordinary turnout here today, he said. It really shows very clearly there are millions of people in the community who arent happy and dont want to see a country based on xenophonbia and fear. Hazara refugee Hyder Ali Naseemi said now he was settled in Australia he felt a responsibility to break down the negative stereotypes about asylum-seeking by telling his story. Mr Naseemi, who recently moved to Canberra to take up studies at ANU, recounted spending 15 months in Australian detention centres after arriving in Christmas Island. Hazaras are being targeted by Islamic extremists in suicide bomber attacks. If people get to know the reason behind why people are risking their lives and come by boat to Australia it will make sure they dont consider refugees as a threat to their community, or a threat to their security, he said. Territory and Municipal Services Minister Shane Rattenbury said it was vital people continued to speak up against policies they disagreed with. I think there is a sense that Australia has gone too far and we can [take] a more compassionate approach and perhaps the policies we have put in place have simply been too harsh, he said. In light of Thursdays attack on the Canadian parliament in Ottawa, Mr Rattenbury said it was vital concerns for security did not blur the debate on immigration. The Canadian experience has underlined for me there is a limit to what security measures can do where you are going to see disenfranchised individuals mounting attacks, he said. It really points to the fact we need to build social cohesion and to ensure young people dont feel marginalised or disenfranchised but in fact feel part of our society.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 03:36:49 +0000
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