Hendry Wan sent me an e-mail (thanks H!) pointing to this article in today's Sydney Morning Herald featuring friends Amir and Hui Rong from church. Both have been in Villawood Detention Centre before being released.
The way we treat our detainees and asylum seekers is a national disgrace, and is one of the issues I'm concerned about in weighing up candidates up as we approach the next Federal Election.
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What I find interesting is talking to those who support the Government's policy. From my (limited) conversations with them, they don't seem to feel that Australia's treatment of refugees is inhumane, and they're amazed to hear that people (particularly those from overseas) do view our treatment in this way. Arguments that they tend to use in favour of the current refugee policy are:
1) We must do this or we'll be swamped by refugees.
2) Those in detention are queue jumpers who could have safely remained in other countries. Their claims of mistreatment are but an attempt to gain public sympathy and bypass proper processes.
2) Those who protest against the immigration policy are the usual suspects: the Howard-hating "land rights for gay whales" lefties, who always paint anything the federal government does in the blackest of black hues. Consequently, their evidence of mistreatment can be discounted - it'll be hopelessly biased.
Many people within our congregations will hold some (or all) of these views. What is the Biblical evidence that we can present them to persuade them otherwise?
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