Viva Palestina 5 entered Turkey: Social Justice participant is hopeful and enthusiastic to enter Gaza soon

Social Justice Network’s representative on Viva Palestina 5, Mr Omer Quiader, communicated to the network his high emotional enthusiasm and hope to enter Gaza soon, possibly within the next 10 days. Mr Quaider told us that today they crossed the border of Turkey to a very welcoming reception from officials and civilians.

“While the convoy received warm welcome in each city they entered en route to Gaza, the welcome in Turkey was exceptional” said Mr Quiader “The Turkish officials and ordinary citizens welcomed us with very warm reception and expressed deep support for Gaza people”

The aid convoy travelled from London on 18 September. Then it crossed through to Paris and many other French cities. From there they convoy crossed to Italy, then to Greece and from Greece to Turkey. The convoy is expected to reach Gaza by 10th of October.

“Despite the long journey we travelled so far, all participants of the convoy have high morale and enthusiasm to reach Gaza and participate in breaking the siege”

Mr Quaider through his phone and email contacts in the last few days expressed his satisfaction with the progress of the mission and the goals it achieved so far. He told us that despite all obstacles, he would love to participate in any similar future missions.

“The encouraging messages we are getting from supporters in Australia and in all cities we crossed in the last 2 weeks are highly encouraging. The messages are strong signal of wide spread opposition to the illegal and brutal siege of Gaza. They are clear indication of wide spread support for any mission to end such brutal siege”

“The participants of the convoy are activists from many countries around the globe. We have three activists from Australia participating for the first time in these convoys”

Mr Quiader also praised and thanked all Australians who donated for the campaign to participate in this convoy. It is the first time that Australia was mentioned in the world media of participating in these noble convoys. This itself is very positive step to engage Australian citizens, politicians, media and non-government organizations in the fight to dismantle this highly inhumane siege that imprison 1.5 million Gazanas and deprive them of all vital needs.

For media interviews or comments on the progress of the convoy, you can contact Jamal Daoud, the spokesperson of SJN on 0404 447 272

Detention centres’ crisis: real reasons behind these desperate actions

The death of Fijian asylum seeker in Villawood detention centre on Monday and the rooftop protest of many detainees is a clear indication of mandatory detention regime in deep crisis. All these are also clear indication of Federal parliament empty of any real progressive force that works to dismantle this highly inhumane regime.

“The issue of boat people was high profile issue in the last Federal election conducted 21 August this year. The issue gave boost to especially the Greens, who promised then to work to dismantle the mandatory detention system altogether. Yet after the dust of the election had settled, the Greens failed to act to fulfill their election promises”

“The Greens had the chance to demand even partial dismantling of the system when they negotiated the agreement to back the Labor to form minority government. The Greens failed to do so. It even failed to even mention this highly humanitarian issues during the long negotiation with the Labor”

The Labor - Greens - Independents failure to address this issue was the real reason for the wide spread disturbance inside the centre. The detainees’ hope was dashed after the minority government was formed and the new minister vowed to toughen treatment of asylum seekers and facilitate quick deportation of “failed” detainees.

“The detainees told us before election that the only hope they have then was that the Greens possible hold of balance of power which means ability to bargain with the government for quick fix to detention centres crisis” said Jamal Daoud, spokesperson of Social Justice Network (SJN). “But when the agreement was signed between the Labor and the Greens with no mentioning of their suffering, the detainees expressed deep disappointment and total loss of hope”.

Yesterday, the detainees expressed to us their believe that they were left alone to fight for their freedom. This is why few of them decided to take desperate drastic measures, like committing suicide, rooftop protest and complete hunger strike.

They believe that all parliamentary politicians are treating their plight as political football for own benefits: The Liberals will win more racist votes, The Labor confused and hope to win back some racist votes and the Greens to win more progressive votes.

One Sri Lankan detainee laughed yesterday when he was told that Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young would visit Villawood DC next Wednesday. He commented: “We know that the Greens could end our suffering just in few days if they determine to do so. Without the Greens support in parliament, the government would collapse immediately. The Labor does not want this to happen. So the Greens could use this fact to push for end of the crisis almost immediately. We know that they are treating our suffering just as media stunts to improve their electoral rating for the next election”

The network will continue its campaign to highlight the inhumanity of the mandatory detention system and the need to dismantle it totally. The network understands that the attack on refugees rights is part of continuing attack on multiculturalism. All political parties are participating in this attack, including the so-called progressive parties like the Greens. The clear evidence of this is the lack of any objection from all parliamentary parties of the abolition of “Multiculturalism” from the cabinet departments titles. It is also very evident in lacking Non-English speaking representation in parliament.

The network will continue to fight racism, Islamophobia and all kind of discrimination. This will include encouraging voters to vote away from mainstream parties (Liberals, Labor and the Greens) in the next state election. We are definitely running non-English speaking candidates in the March NSW state election.

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

The latest suicide inside detention: Labor-Greens-Independent coalition government has blood on its hands!

The new Labor -Greens - Independents government has blood on its hands following the suicide of Fijian detainee at Villawood detention centre. The incident caused wide spread protest among detainees who declared hunger strike and few of them staged protest on the rooftop. They are demanding immediate release from detention and review of their cases by either totally independent body or the court.

“The detainees’ desperate action came after their hopes were dashed following the formation of the minority government. The asylum seekers hoped that the Greens will negotiate with the Labor to demand immediate end of inhumane treatment. They apparently swallowed the empty rhetoric of the Greens on supporting the refugees’ rights during the election campaign”.

“Many asylum seekers had expressed to us that they are prepared now to go to the end with their desperate actions after all hopes in the new government was evaporated with the new minister’s comments threatening to deport all asylum seekers whose applications were rejected by his department. The smaller partner of the government, the Greens, was silence on such cruel comments”

Today’s tragic loss of innocent young life is a clear evidence of parliamentary political parties dealing with this highly humanitarian issue as political football for electoral gains only.

The Social Justice Network was right to declare that the new government would be more conservative than the previous one. The network declared rightly that the role of the Greens in this government would not be more than opportunistic voice to get more exposure by spreading more empty rhetoric, with no actual actions.

The network believes that the Greens could play more constructive role in enforcing the government to retreat of its harsh treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. The Greens has proved with no doubt that it prefers to issue media releases and give media talks than take any practical steps to enforce the government to end its brutal treatment of detainees

While the network holds the government responsible for the blood spelt today inside the detention centre, it holds all partners (Labor, Greens and Independents) the same share of responsibility.

The network will continue to expose the true face of political forces, especially the ones that claim to be “progressive”. Progressiveness means for us not only a set of code words, but practical steps to achieve better society.

The SJN vows to take actions to expose the hypocrisy of the Greens and the inhumanity of Labor. We demand that Labor – Greens – independents government release all asylum seekers to community until their claims finalised.

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

SJN condemns the new government’s move to expand Curtin and other detention centres

The new Labor – Greens – Independents government’s announcement of expanding detention facilities, including the notorious Curtin DC, is a clear indication of the direction this government will take on the issues of asylum seekers arriving by boats. This announcement should be condemned by all Australians who believe in human rights.

“The announcement exposes the hypocrisy of the Greens party, the partner of this government that campaigned very hard on more humane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers during the last August election” said Jamal Daoud, spokesperson of SJN. “The announcement proves that all what the Greens were campaigning on were no more than empty rhetoric to win votes from progressive Australians”

“The Greens complete silence on this issue during their negotiation with Labor to form minority government is clear evidence that the Greens is using the suffering of these vulnerable people as political football to win more progressive votes, only”

“The Greens could demand during the negotiation that Labor honour its previous commitments to reform immigration detention system into more humane one”

“The Greens interest during the negotiation was focussed on Carbon Tax and Climate change legislation. While we understand that these issues are highly important, the Greens could use their numbers in parliament and senate to include the issues of asylum seekers “rotten” in detention centres in any agreement with Labor”

“We witnessed how Julia Gillard vowed to seriously consider Carbon Tax in the next few months. She could be enforced to make commitment towards asylum seekers too.”

“The Greens never had any interest to take actions on asylum seekers issues. So far and during the last 2 decades of mistreatment of refugees and asylum seekers, the Greens did not take any practical actions to force the government of the day to change its inhumane treatment of refugees. The Greens are very skilful in issuing media releases about this issue.”

“Today’s announcement is bringing Australia back to dark days of Howard’s era. Even during Howard’s era, Iraqi and Afghani asylum seekers were never forcefully deported back to their homeland”

The SJN vows to take actions to expose the hypocrisy of the Greens and the inhumanity of Labor. We demand that Labor – Greens – independents government release all asylum seekers to community until their claims finalised.

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

SJN announces its official participant in Viva Palestina 5 convoy bounds to Gaza soon

Social Justice Network is proudly announcing that Mr Omer Quiader will be its official representative on Viva Palestina 5, the international aid convoy that aims to break the illegal and inhumane siege of Gaza. Mr Quiader, a very active member of the network since its formation, will leave on 14 September to London to join the gigantic aid convoy. The convoy then bounds to Gaza form London on 18 September.

“The SJN participation is the first Australian participation in these courageous convoys bound to Gaza to highlight the inhumanity and barbarity of Gaza blockade” said Jamal Daoud, SJN spokesperson and coordinator of the campaign. “We are proud that we will be the first Australian organization that will participate in these convoys”.

“We also proud that our campaign in Australia to fundraise enough money to enable us to participate had drawn attention to the devastating consequences of the 4 years illegal blockade of the strip”

“The network is proud also that its campaign had urged other organizations to start discussing their participation in this convoy and future ones. While we are proud to initiate this process, we are welcoming any move in this direction”

The network had hoped from this campaign to bring the debate about Israeli barbaric actions against Palestinians under its occupation back to the Australian political arena. It is very clear that our participation and other organizations following our suit are good moves in this direction.

The network had raised around $8,800 for this mission in very short time. The network has transferred the amount of $6,500 to Viva Palestina organization to pay for half truck full with medical and food supplies. The other money will be used to pay for logistical expenses of sending our activist to deliver aid to Gaza strip.

The network had published the names of major donors on its website of www.socialjustice.net.au

Our team is very happy and proud of their active role in achieving this goal. They are proud to be first Australians to participate in such moves aiming to break the siege of Gaza. While this is the first participation of our organization in these overseas missions, but we are determined not to be the last.

For more information or to arrange media interviews with our representative, you can call Jamal Daoud on 0404 447 272.