Aminov family’s ordeal: historical victory over state’s might!

The month of January this year will be historic for the Aminov family, for our political group and for many human rights supporters. Two weeks ago, the minister for immigration decided to end the Aminov family’s 12 years ordeal by granting them permanent visas. This good news does not stop. The son Marat has got his citizenship certificate and soon will hold the first passport in his life.

The end of the Aminovs ordeal is undoubtedly one of the most important victories against the highly inhumane migration system we have in this country. It is a system that we thought would be changed totally after the Labor government was elected to office in November 2007. Such thoughts evaporated soon after the appointment of Senator Chris Evans as the new immigration minister.

The extraordinary nature of this case was made by the unique stubbornness of DIAC officials, and their minister, and their refusal to show any kind of humanity in their decisions about this case. The DIAC officials, including the workers in minister’s office, refused even to meet the family members to listen to their compelling circumstances and to try to find a workable solution to the impasse. Not only this: DIAC officials were taking decisions that were neither practical nor logical. They were operating as if they were on other planet.

The ruthlessness of DIAC officials, the minister and his staff, in dealing with this case was unique and exceptional. These officials closed their eyes, ears, hearts and minds to any documented argument we provided them with to urge them to grant this family a permanent visa. The decision was so simple that it only needed the minister’s signature. No more no less. And there was no untoward consequence. What amazed us was the insistence of the DIAC officials that taking the humane decision constituted a big moral and legal challenge. As if the DIAC officials had not deported Australians, detained Australians and caused many to lose their lives.

What makes this a big victory is the tremendous courage and resilience of the Aminovs to end their ordeal, this way or other. The whole family was determined that their ordeal should be ended soon. This is why they took a decision to declare an open hunger strike outside the Federal parliament. They decided that either the minister’s advisors would be woken up, or they would not care to end their lives. At the end of the day they had enough of just waiting for humanity from DIAC and its officials.

We highly praise and remember the high courage of the Aminovs in facing the might of the Australian state on all levels. At different stages, they were subjected to oppression from Federal government, federal police, ACT state government and police, ACT legal system and ACT health services. At different stages all the family members were subjected to state oppression and were detained illegally. The father was in jail, son in a mental health unit and mother not allowed to see anyone of them. The state might was on its fulliest display to discipline the family that dared to stand up for their rights and challenge inhumane treatment.

The family and supporters (mainly our group) were in fact challenging the whole regressive inhumane political system.

The whole family was on hunger strike outside the federal parliament for months, but was not visited by any federal politicians, including the self-styled self-claimed (without any shred of practical prove) “progressive” politicians.

Ms Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens senator and looking after refugees’ portfolio, indicated on several occasions that she was ready to travel from Adelaide (her state) to Canberra or Sydney to deliver a speech at a pro-refugees rally. But she could not move from her air conditioned office at the parliament house to the outside lawn to speak to the family and ask them about their case and how to help them. We know that at a pro-refuges rally, there is always possibility for media circus and a chance to vend more deceiving promises and claims. But in the case of Aminovs, there were no media showing interest in this case.

The inhumane correspondence from minister’s office regarding this case led us to cancel a preference deal with the Labor candidates in the last council election. We, after the minister’s office showed high ruthlessness in dealing with this family’s ordeal, also warned the minster, his office workers and DIAC officials that they will lose their bid to break the soul of the family, as the family had reached the point of total hopelessness from the humanity of the system. We also warned the minister and his office workers that the consequence for their stubbornness could be dire. But they insisted with their heartless approach to this case.

What makes this case an historic victory, is that is exposed the real faces and agendas of many politicians that were trading the misery of refugees and asylum seekers for thousands of votes just before each election by spreading many deceiving promises and claims.

In our support to this family we proved that there is alternative to our “progressive” politicians - those politicians that are mainly acting as machines of spreading lies and deception, but the end of the day, are very skilful in getting progressive voters support, only.

What amazes us is that many of these politicians are demanding that our federal government cut ties with Japan for killing whales. But they are heartlessly silent over destroying lives of thousands of people, in Australia or abroad. The same politician, who called on the Federal government to cut ties with Japan over whaling, was silent over the treatment of the Aminov family. Such treatment could have at some stage cost lives. He also did not care about the killing of people in Gaza, Lebanon, West Bank, Sri Lanka, …

At some stage, the Aminov mum was asking one of the federal politicians to treat the family as one of his dogs. Would he allow a dog without passport or vaccination? But they were with no passport for 13 years. And they were denied any medical health for about decade.

We are proud that our group’s (Social Justice Party’s) efforts and actions have participated greatly in prompting the government to change many inhumane pieces of legislation. The group’s many representations and active lobbying efforts on behalf of married non-Australians have helped to “convince” the government to introduce new legislation to waive the requirement to leave the country and apply overseas. Our group’s representations and active support of several stateless people helped also “convincing” the minister to adopt complementary asylum legislation.

We deeply believe that Australia and Australians deserve better politicians. And we are working to create some real progressive politicians that will stand up for real issues. Yes, we want to look after whales. But, with due respect, we should care about human lives too.

January 12, 2010

Egyptian and Israeli blockade of Gaza should end now!

To mark the first annual anniversary of the Israeli holocaust against the people of Gaza, the Social Justice party (SJP) has called for a vigil outside the Egyptian consulate in Sydney. The party took such this decision in response to calls from advocates of Palestinian rights around the world to target Egyptian embassies and consulates.

The move to target Egyptian diplomatic missions is necessary to highlight the participation of the Egyptian government in the crime of blockading Gaza from the outside world. This crime has cost so far more than 360 innocent deaths because of lack of medicines. It has also made Gaza the biggest jail on earth, where 1.5 million people are trapped against their will.

“The blockade resulted in horrific circumstances in the sieged strip. Because of this blockade, more than 80% of Gazans are unemployed” said Jamal Daoud, spokesperson of SJP. “This has been confirmed by the very bleak picture of life in the strip testified to by humanitarian agencies after 2 years of total blockade.”

Many humanitarian agencies have indicated that half of the Gazans are suffering from anaemia because of malnutrition. In addition to this, hundreds of students and workers cannot travel to their studies or jobs.

The hospitals in the strip after 2 years of total blockade are definitely unable to deal with the wide-scale catastrophe in the aftermath of last year’s barbaric invasion. The injured and sick people could not receive proper medical treatment as more than 150 important medicines are not available in the strip, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“This total blockade is definitely a war crime against the most populated area on earth. The Goldstone report clearly mentioned this fact many times” said Jamal Daoud, spokesperson of SJP. “And the participation by Egypt in this blockade is definitely a crime against humanity”

In Australia, shamefully, no Australian politician has joined their international counterparts to travel to the strip after the barbaric invasion for solidarity or just for fact-finding. Our group’s efforts to form a wide delegation to visit the strip were lacking only politicians’ participation.

“This gives clear indication about the empty pre-election rhetoric of some so-called “progressive” politicians and “progressive” parties” added Mr Daoud. “In the next Federal election, we will remind the voters, especially those who support Palestinian rights and oppose occupation and colonisation, about this shameful stance of all political parties currently represented in the parliament”.

The vigil will be on Sunday, 17 December 09, outside the Egyptian consulate - 241 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills. The vigil will start at 2 pm.

For more information, Jamal Daoud can be contacted on 0404 447 272