As announced earleir, Social Justice group has announced this week its canididate for the senate for the next Federal election, 2010. The lead canididate for the senate is long time human rights activist and freelance journalist, Mr Jamal Daoud. The group also decided to run canidates for few high multicultural seats.
“Real Multiculturalism means equal representation of all different ethnic and religious groups in the decison making bodies. This value is not supported or promoted by the traditional parties” said Jamal Daoud, the media spokesperon of the group and the senate leading canididate. “We understand that the flourishing racism in society is a reuslt of the monopoly by one ethinicty and followers of Jeodo-Chrisitan faiths on decison making bodies”.
With both the government and opposition parties are engaging in racist debate over the issue of boat people and the “homegrown terrorism”, there is high need to challenge these racist claims and accusations. With total lack of progressive force in the parliament to seriously challenge these setbacks to human rights of refugees, asylum seekers and Australian Muslims, the need is very high to run candidates of these targeted communities to lead the struggle.
The group’s decision came after the pro-multicultural coummunities and organisations did not see any party taken decisive steps to promote members of marginlaised groups to the parliament and other decision making bodies. Even the so-called progressive small parties (especially the Greens) have failed the marginalised groups. In this instance they note the total absence of any multicultural faces in Parliament and in traditional parties hierarchies.
“Without equal representation of marginalised groups in decision making bodies, the issues causing their marginalisation would never be in the centre of any debate by decsion making bodies. The group’s desicion to run canididates from marginalised groups is to give these marginalised communites a chance to voice their concerns and highlight their issues”
“The marginalised communites of indegenous people, newly arrived immigrants, refugees and people with disabilities are totally absent from any representation in the federal parliament”.
“Even though these marginalised communites are making up more than 40% of the Australian population, their representation in the Federal parliament is nearly nil”.
“Even the so-called left progressive parties have failed to field any candiate from these marginalised communities in any safe or semi safe seat in the coming election”
“Real multiculturalism and social justice in any society means that the marginalised people should be allowed to have a fair share in having a say in the future of the nation they belong to. It means too that they should have equal access to resources and common wealth”
“The traditional parties, including the so-called progressive ones, are infact part of the problem and definitely canot be part of the solution”
“The history of Australian political life is not so bright when it comes to involving the highly marginalised communites. This is why racism and discrimination was always high on the agenda for political campainging through the Australian history. This election is no diferent”
The group hopes from this campaign to give the marginalised communites hope of possibility to get some share in politico-economical life of this nation. It is not acceptable that marginalised communites and their suffering would be used continually as electoral slogans for some parties to gain more votes. If these parties are serious about its empty rehtoric, they should give some power and voice for these marginalised communities to lead the fight for their rights.
The NSW voters will have the chance to vote for the first Muslim candidate for the Federal senate in this year’s election. This would be the practical effective way to fight growing Islamophobia and racism in the society.
The group will announce later the names of other candidates and the seats they will run for.
For more info about the campaign, you can contact the group’s spokesperson Jamal Daoud on 0404 447 272
