https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/817699#M231170 <P>This is not a reversal of the debate. Just more of the same old, same old hatred for new refugees.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>Certain Danger – No Option but to Flee<BR />By SQNLDR Munjed Al Muderis, Specialist Reserve<BR /><BR />‘My birth place, once utopia, broke my heart with a single gun shot –<BR />my faith and determination to escape a murderous political regime,<BR />didn’t’.<BR />‘Today, after life-on-the-run from Iraq and memories of detention and<BR />solitary confinement in Australia; I’m happily married. My robotic limb<BR />surgery skills are now part of the public health system and the Air<BR />Force Reserve … thank you Australia!’<BR />SQNLDR Munjed Al Muderis SR, a descendant from the 2nd family of the<BR />Iraq Royal Family when the country was under British rule, doesn’t talk much<BR />about life-on-the-run. His escape, mostly by stealth, was a snap decision<BR />after witnessing the shooting murder of a senior doctor by an Iraqi<BR />commander at Baghdad Hospital.<BR />That shooting, the result of the doctor’s refusal, including a joint refusal by<BR />other doctors to mutilate Iraqi military deserters, occurred in 1999, eight<BR />years after the Iraq invasion of Kuwait. The murder by a single pistol shot<BR />resonates to this day through SQNLDR Al Muderis' every sense of decency. Photo: DGRES-AF<BR /><BR />SQNLDR Munjed Al Muderis SR met<BR />SQNLDR Peter Meehan SR, Editor<BR />News Breakers to share his<BR />remarkable story of survival during his<BR />escape from Iraq and his medical<BR />achievements in Australia as a leading<BR />robotic limb surgeon.<BR />SQNLDR Munjed Al Muderis SR, exemplifies Reserve diversity. His medical<BR />skills add significant weight to Air Force civil skills capability.<BR />Doctor Al Muderis joined the Reserve to thank Australia. And, to offer his<BR />orthopaedic robotic limb surgical skills to the ADF; thus adding to Australia’s<BR />orthopaedic capabilities for use in both developed and under-developed<BR />countries.<BR />SQNLDR Al Muderis SR, shared his story with the Editor …<BR />‘I’d graduated as a doctor from Baghdad University about two years before<BR />the Hospital shooting – a murderous act that occurred within minutes of the<BR />Iraq military ordering&nbsp;<SPAN style="line-height: 14px;">doctors to cut the ears from three bus loads of Iraqi&nbsp;</SPAN></P><P>deserters. The doctor’s murder was simply to get our attention’.<BR />‘Soldiers herded us forward to conduct the heinous act of surgery. A gap<BR />in surveillance enabled some of us to flee the scene. I hid in a toilet block<BR />and lost contact with the others’.<BR />‘I headed for Jordon knowing that Iraqi intelligence officers<BR />may not be far behind’.<BR />Photo: DGRES-AF<BR /><BR />‘I could hear soldiers searching room-to-room calling for doctors who<BR />couldn’t be accounted for – my heart was pounding – my stomach was<BR />churning – then came a moment of silence. I seized the opportunity to run<BR />through the Hospital corridors to the outside world; I kept running until de<SPAN style="line-height: 14px;">ep&nbsp;</SPAN></P><P>into the outer suburbs of Baghdad’.<BR />‘I knew that there was no turning back!’<BR />Doctor Al Muderis became a moving target as he travelled 100km across<BR />country to the old family home, west of Baghdad. He contacted his mother,<BR />Kamila Al Turck through relatives. His father, Abdul Razak, an Iraqi Supreme<BR />Court Judge passed away in 1995.<BR />SQNLDR Al Muderis said, ‘My mother was very distressed because Iraqi<BR />intelligence officers had already been at the house looking for me’.<BR />‘Mother quickly arranged for documentation that showed my profession as a<BR />tradesman – she fed me – I rested – she gave me money and kissed me<BR />goodbye’.<BR />‘I then fled into the darkness. My dream to become an orthopaedic robotic<BR />limb surgeon was under threat, as was my life ’.<BR /><BR />SQNLDR Munjed Al Muderis SR,<BR />seen on a recent brief familiarisation<BR />tour of Melbourne, is hoping to<BR />introduce cutting-edge robotic limb<BR />technology to the ADF and help<BR />bring Australia forward in his field of<BR />orthopaedic and trauma surgery.<BR />‘Escape by stealth became a more open affair when my aunt<BR />suggested I should go to Malaysia’.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>‘Travelling by bus, I headed for Jordon knowing that Iraqi intelligence officers<BR />may not be far behind. As the bus approached the Iraq/Jordon border, my<BR />heart again began to race; it was as if time stood still, a surreal experience<BR />not knowing if my newly acquired papers would bring about my arrest’.<BR />‘I was recorded at the border as a tradesman – thanks mother – the bus,<BR />with me on board, passed into Jordon’.<BR />‘It was a 500km journey to Amman where I contacted my aunty,<BR />an American citizen: for the first time, life-on-the-run, had a sense<BR />of calm and safety’.<BR />‘After a day or so, escape by stealth became a more open affair<BR />when my aunt suggested I should go to Malaysia. She assisted<BR />me with travel arrangements via Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur. It<BR />was here that I met with a contact, a complete stranger, who was<BR />to assist me with passage to Indonesia’.<BR />‘He asked for money and said he would meet me the next day – I<BR />paid him, he then disappeared into a sea of humanity – I believed<BR />I’d never see him again. To my surprise, he returned the following<BR />day with a ticket to Jakarta’.<BR />‘Recommendation to throw the navigation equipment<BR />overboard and to make sure the motor was disabled, upon<BR />arrival at Christmas Island’.<BR />&nbsp;<BR /><BR />Advanced Orthopaedics led by Dr Al Muderis with<BR />skilled specialists at Westmead Hospital, NSW. ‘Another contact met with me in Indonesia to say that I was in a<BR />queue-to-travel; possibly a six months wait. Next day, the contact<BR />told me that he knew I was a doctor – not a tradesman’!<BR />‘Now that got my fearful attention’.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>‘He said I’d be jumping the queue-to-travel as three pregnant women,<BR />with important connections, were about to board the next boat for<BR />Christmas Island – he even supplied medical items to assist the three<BR />mothers-to-be’.<BR />‘Things were moving pretty fast’.<BR />‘I was placed in a group of about 60 people and headed east, over<BR />night by road, to a point on the Indonesian coast. At first light, I<BR />noticed that we’d been followed by other busses; the passengers who<BR />alighted looked desperate. They were destined to join our group and<BR />face an open sea journey on the same boat – 165 people in all<BR />crammed on board, all standing, no room to sit, no privacy’.<BR /><BR />‘With no guarantees of safety, the boat set off into a rising sea which<BR />immediately caused distress and induced mass vomiting – the food<BR />bars and water we were given amounted to nothing’. ‘The journey<BR />was chaotic’!</P><P><BR />‘At the Austin Hospital I studied to fulfil my dream to<BR />become an orthopaedic robotics limb surgeon’.</P><P><BR />‘Once in international waters, the so-called skipper stopped our boat<BR />and asked for someone to take charge as he was going to leave us at<BR />this point – a much larger vessel then came alongside’.<BR />‘A volunteer came forward and received instructions from the skipper<BR />on compass headings, including a strong recommendation to throw the<BR />navigation equipment overboard and to make sure the motor was<BR />disabled, upon arrival at Christmas Island’.<BR />‘The skipper alighted onto the waiting vessel which disappeared in the<BR />direction of our wake within seconds. Our new skipper successfully<BR />guided our fragile flotsam to Christmas Island in about 36 hours’.<BR />‘When taken into custody, most people were exhausted. Those who<BR />were ill and seriously dehydrated were given medical support’.<BR />Detention in WA …<BR />‘Time at Curtin Detention Centre, Western Australia followed our<BR />Christmas Island arrival.&nbsp;</P><P>Facilities were primitive to say the least – it<BR />was a tent settlement – no provision of clothing – food was an issue<BR />due to the faith of many – riots were frequent’.<BR />‘My 10 months of detention at Curtin included a period of solitary<BR />confinement until my visa was granted which included Centrelink and<BR />Medicare Cards. On release, a Curtin detention official told me to head<BR />for Broome and wished me well in discovering my new life’.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>‘I travelled by bus from Broome to Perth, through Adelaide<BR />then on to Melbourne. Upon arriving in Victoria, my mother<BR />sent me copies of my Baghdad University medical degree<BR />and proof of employment in Iraq’.<BR />‘Next stop was Mildura Base Hospital where I worked as a<BR />junior medical officer in the emergency department. After<BR />four months in Mildura and unable to conduct orthopaedic<BR />surgery; I was offered a job as Surgical Registrar at the<BR />Austin Hospital in suburban Melbourne after which<BR />employment followed at Bendigo, Wollongong and<BR />Canberra Hospitals’.<BR />‘It was during my time at Austin Hospital that I studied to<BR />fulfil my dream to become an orthopaedic robotics limb<BR />surgeon; a most fascinating and rewarding profession<BR />working with cutting-edge technology to assist those who<BR />have lost legs in combat, or through other health and<BR />accident reasons’.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>Joining the Reserve …<BR />SQNLDR Al Muderis added, ‘I want to serve as a Reservist for as long as I<BR />can in the development of robotic limb technology that may be of assistance<BR />to ADF personnel who have suffered injuries while serving in harm’s way.’<BR /><BR /><BR /><BR />Footnote<BR />Today, Dr Munjed Al Muderis is Senior Lecturer at Macquarie<BR />University Hospital and School of Advanced Medicine, Ryde NSW and<BR />visiting Medical Officer at Norwest Hospital, Bella Vista, NSW and<BR />Sydney Adventist Hospital.<BR />Dr Al Muderis and his wife Irina have a daughter Sophia. His aged and<BR />infirmed mother Kamila Al Turck, now lives in Sydney.<BR />The fate of other family members in Iraq is unknown.</P><P>&nbsp;</P> Thu, 14 Nov 2013 03:21:59 GMT freakiness 2013-11-14T03:21:59Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815703#M230591 <P>Do you think that illegal entry into Australia should not be allowed?</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>How would you address that situation?</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 07:55:10 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815703#M230591 poddster 2013-11-13T07:55:10Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815725#M230593 <P>Do you mean all those people who fly into Australia and overstay their short term visa's? The ones that work for cash in their relatives businesses?</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:00:29 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815725#M230593 cherry*135 2013-11-13T08:00:29Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815741#M230600 <P>Try reading the OP again <span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":slightly_smiling_face:">🙂</span></P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>Buit yes those people who overstay fall into the category too.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>So what would you suggest is the way to handle it am*3?</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>&nbsp;</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:04:22 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815741#M230600 poddster 2013-11-13T08:04:22Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815745#M230602 <P>I travel on a British pasport. If I absentmindedly let my reentry visa expire while I was overseas, I guess that would make my return &nbsp;an illegal entry.<img id="smileysurprised" class="emoticon emoticon-smileysurprised" src="https://community.ebay.com.au/i/smilies/16x16_smiley-surprised.png" alt="Smiley Surprised" title="Smiley Surprised" /></P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:05:26 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815745#M230602 the_great_she_elephant 2013-11-13T08:05:26Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815759#M230606 <P>Yup.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>But&nbsp;I doubt that you would be so slack <span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":slightly_smiling_face:">🙂</span></P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:07:48 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815759#M230606 poddster 2013-11-13T08:07:48Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815769#M230610 I would like to see the govt do a clean out of refugees who spend all their time whining about new refugees. Send them back or throw them on manis, then get a fresh bunch with better, less insular attitudes. Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:10:01 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815769#M230610 just_me_karen 2013-11-13T08:10:01Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815793#M230618 <P><EM>Asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat are neither engaging in illegal activity, nor are they immigrants. </EM></P><P><EM>&nbsp;</EM></P><P><EM>The UN Refugee Convention (to which Australia is a signatory) recognises that refugees have a right to enter a country for the purposes of seeking asylum, regardless of how they arrive or whether they hold valid travel or identity documents. </EM></P><P><EM>&nbsp;</EM></P><P><EM>Australian law also permits unauthorised entry into Australia for the purposes of seeking asylum. Asylum seekers do not break any Australian laws simply by arriving on boats or without authorisation. </EM></P><P><EM>&nbsp;</EM></P><P><EM>Australia has a proud history of boat people and other asylum seekers becoming good citizens.</EM></P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:20:05 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815793#M230618 cherry*135 2013-11-13T08:20:05Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815797#M230620 <BLOCKQUOTE><HR /><a href="https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/545382">@just_me_karen</a> wrote:<BR />I would like to see the govt do a clean out of refugees who spend all their time whining about new refugees. Send them back or throw them on manis, then get a fresh bunch with better, less insular attitudes.<HR /></BLOCKQUOTE><P>&nbsp; 'wipe your feet shut the door after yourself'</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:20:27 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815797#M230620 lakeland27 2013-11-13T08:20:27Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815799#M230621 <P>Are you referring to those that came through the proper channels, fought and bled for this country, contributed to the country's welfare and are now Australian citizens&nbsp;after spending 7 years in a displaced persons camp?</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>No doubt that there a lot of long awaiting refugees in camps at the moment who would agree withe me.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>But you seem to favour the illegal invaders who muscled their way in, Is that a Labor thing?</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:22:56 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815799#M230621 poddster 2013-11-13T08:22:56Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815803#M230623 Get rid of visas and passports.Come and go as you please. Didn't need them before. I think I'd be quite happy in Rio or Buenos Aires or Madrid or Paris or...... Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:26:27 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815803#M230623 spotweldersfriend 2013-11-13T08:26:27Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815809#M230626 <P>Reverse the debate or try and let us forget that 10 boats have arrived since tonyliar made an election promise he could not keep, kind of like the carbon tax.....</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>He look, look what's over there look (points away from boats)....look look!</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>You should address this&nbsp; post to the party you voted for /thread</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>&nbsp;</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:29:10 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815809#M230626 topsidesoul 2013-11-13T08:29:10Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815811#M230627 <P>Try entering those places without a visa and claim asylum spot, see how you get on <span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":slightly_smiling_face:">🙂</span></P><P>&nbsp;</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:29:12 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815811#M230627 poddster 2013-11-13T08:29:12Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815815#M230628 No plodz I was talking about refugees who come here, then whinge about any other refugees who may want to come here. They're the worst, I reckon. Lock em up on manis with a bag of flour.<BR /><BR />I like spot's idea, one world (but retain manis island for whingers) Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:30:08 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815815#M230628 just_me_karen 2013-11-13T08:30:08Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815817#M230629 Was Capt.Cook in the Labor Party? Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:30:09 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815817#M230629 spotweldersfriend 2013-11-13T08:30:09Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815821#M230631 <P>Do you think that illegal entry into Australia should not be allowed?</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>You seem to have evaded that question</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:31:26 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815821#M230631 poddster 2013-11-13T08:31:26Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815823#M230632 <BLOCKQUOTE><HR /><a href="https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/437353">@poddster</a> wrote:<BR /><P>Are you referring to those that came through the proper channels, fought and bled for this country, contributed to the country's welfare and are now Australian citizens&nbsp;after spending 7 years in a displaced persons camp?</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>No doubt that there a lot of long awaiting refugees in camps at the moment who would agree withe me.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>But you seem to favour the illegal invaders who muscled their way in, Is that a Labor thing?</P><HR /></BLOCKQUOTE><P>&nbsp;a labor thing ? its a labor policy slowing traffic now. i dont agree with labors policy so i think you can leave them out. that observation is mine.</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:34:45 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815823#M230632 lakeland27 2013-11-13T08:34:45Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815825#M230633 <BLOCKQUOTE><HR /><a href="https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/437353">@poddster</a> wrote:<BR /><P>Are you referring to those that came through the proper channels, fought and bled for this country, contributed to the country's welfare and are now Australian citizens&nbsp;after spending 7 years in a displaced persons camp?</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>No doubt that there a lot of long awaiting refugees in camps at the moment who would agree withe me.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>But you seem to favour the illegal invaders who muscled their way in, Is that a Labor thing?</P><HR /></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Can you name these refugee camps?</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:32:02 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815825#M230633 topsidesoul 2013-11-13T08:32:02Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815827#M230634 When I said get rid of them podster,I meant worldwide. Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:32:11 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815827#M230634 spotweldersfriend 2013-11-13T08:32:11Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815835#M230637 <P>Living in the past Spot?</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>But you are right of course he too was an invader</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:33:39 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815835#M230637 poddster 2013-11-13T08:33:39Z https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815843#M230640 <P>50 years ago, as long as you were reasonably white, all you had to do is to apply, pay10 pounds you were on a ship for Australia.&nbsp; There were always sailors who jumped a ship in Australian port and just settled.&nbsp;</P> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:36:05 GMT https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Community-Spirit/Let-s-reverse-the-debate-shall-we/m-p/815843#M230640 ***super_nova*** 2013-11-13T08:36:05Z