BY BRADLEY SIMS
On October 4, 200 people crammed into Albany's Senior Citizens Hall, to support Albany's Hazara Afghan refugees and to show public opposition to deporting the Afghans who have made Albany home for three to four years.
No advertisements or classified ads were placed in the local newspapers and only about 20 photocopied posters were put up in town. The event was organised by Action for Albany Afghan Refugees (AFAAR), an action network hastily put together since the first deportation letters arrived in August. No political party was involved.
Local man David Sims spoke first. Recalling the effect on the community of the death of two local people in car accidents, he asked how devastated friends, neighbours, workmates, teachers and others will be when up to 40 people are forcibly deported. He then asked the audience to imagine the tragedy the Afghans had experienced.
Sims said he'd had things stolen from him in the past — a car, his wallet — but he'd never had a friend stolen before. He said, "Albany is looking for a yellow brick road to follow so we can find hearts for the tin men and women in our government". It was a moving speech.
Professor Frank Stilwell spoke next. An economics professor from Sydney University, he has authored 11 books on economic and regional development and the report "The economic impact of Afghan refugees in Young, NSW".
Stilwell spoke about the positive economic impacts the Afghans have on a regional community and Australia, he estimated the impact of the Afghans in Albany would be approaching $2 million a year. He explained how he sent the Young report to the former immigration minister Philip Ruddock, the immigration department, various political parties and MPs and senators, and how shocked he was at the lack of interest.
He told everyone the Greens were the only political party to answer him — Greens Senator Bob Brown had sent "a wonderful hand-written letter, along with letters from other Greens party members", all of whom valued the work he had done. Stilwell explained that the Young local council, mayor and various business and community leaders had written to the Coalition government and were also ignored in the same manner.
Hassan Ghulam spoke next. Ghulam is the president of the Hazara Ethnic Society of Australia. He explained that Hazaras have been persecuted for more than 200 years. He explained that the word Afghanistan translates literally as "the land of the Pashtuns", denying all other ethnic groups inclusion in the national identity. He pointed out that the US calls Afghanistan a combat zone and asked, "What combat zone is safe?". He brought tears to the eyes of many as he begged for the Australian people and government to "please, help us".
Colin Penter from the West Australian Refugee Alliance spoke last. Penter explained that the Coalition government is breaking agreements with the UN and has set an international precedent with temporary protection visas.
Many community leaders gave spontaneous speeches. Councillor Roland Paver promised to put a motion at the next council meeting resolving to support the Afghans' claims for permanent protection visas.
Fletchers' meatworks manager Greg Cross explained how Fletchers is committed to non-discriminatory employment practices. He said that the meatworks' Afghan workers were trained and skilled and would be hard to replace — even advertising nationally, the meatworks is still 120 workers short.
At the end of the meeting, Rafiq, one of the Afghan refugees, made a surprise announcement. He invited all those attending to a feast at a hall they had hired where they supplied a full Halal meal to thank everyone for their support.
From Green Left Weekly, October 15, 2003.
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