Community support for the lunch with Villawood detainees: strong message of refusal to mandatory detention system.

21 June 2010

This year, Social Justice group has decided to celebrate its annual World refugee Day celebration inside the detention centre. The community lunch with detainees would send practical message to politicians not to turn the plight of highly vulnerable people into election bazaar.

“The group’s decision to take such practical step was highly welcomed by community leaders, active members and even business owners” said Jamal Daoud spokesperson of the group. “Many community leaders are participating in this lunch. The list of participants includes: Rev. David Smith, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, Dr Fida Al Majzoub, Sheikh Younis Al Muzafer, Emad Ashour and many others”.

“The businesses we approached showed high sympathy with the asylum seekers plight and donated generously for the community lunch”

“On recent previous occasions, community members donated generously when we approached them to donate electrical appliances”.

All this is as clear sign that our politicians in Canberra do not represent their constituents. Indeed, it sends strong message that community members are expecting a lot of their politicians to help these vulnerable people, not to detain them or return them to their death.

The group decided to celebrate the occasion in very practical way away from empty rhetoric and more electoral promises from different political parties. The group believes that actions are usually louder than talks.

This year’s celebration of WRD is a good opportunity for the group to assure its commitment to continue fighting until we see the mandatory detention system abolished altogether. The group is also advocating for Australia to increase significantly the quota of refugees it accept annually. This would reduce the numbers of boat people arriving to our shores.

“The inhumane treatment of asylum seekers proved to be not the solution. On the contrary. It created more troubles for Australia and Australians”.

The community leaders and active members will take multicultural food to participate it with the detainees. But in fact, they will participate with the detainees their hopes that their plight will finish soon.

The community leaders and active members will gather outside Villawood detention centre main gate at 15 Birmingham Ave – Villawood at 1 pm. Then they will take food and soft drinks to the inside of the detention where they will enjoy lunch with detainees from different backgrounds.

For more information, you can contact Jamal Daoud on 0404 447 272