Churches offer sanctuary to asylum seekers

[bluecat*dancing]

Good on them.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/churches-become-potential-flashpoint-after-off...

Churches have taken the extraordinary step of offering sanctuary to asylum seekers facing deportation in the wake of a High Court verdict, raising the prospect of police raids on places of worship and possible charges for clergy.

Ten Anglican churches and cathedrals have invoked the ancient Christian tradition to offer protection to the 267 people - including 37 babies - facing imminent transfer to Nauru after the court on Wednesday upheld the legality of the government's offshore processing regime.

"This is a hugely significant action for any Australian church to take. Historically churches have afforded sanctuary to those seeking refuge from brutal and oppressive forces," Dr Catt said on Thursday.

"We offer this refuge because there is irrefutable evidence from health and legal experts that the circumstances asylum seekers, especially children, would face if sent back to Nauru are tantamount to state-sanctioned abuse.

"This fundamentally goes against our faith, so our church community is compelled to act, despite the possibility of individual penalty against us."

Dr Catt called it a "fledgling movement".

"What we expect to happen in the course of the day and the next few days is that many churches from many denominations will sign up," he said.

The sanctuary offer came as the United Nations urged Australia to put the interests of children first.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child believes Australia has an inadequate understanding of the rights of asylum seeker children.

"This decision by the High Court greatly concerns us as these children and their families face a great risk in being sent to a place that cannot be considered safe nor adequate," said committee chair Benyam Mezmur.

[bluecat*dancing]

Vic, NSW, QLD, SA and QLD premiers, and, ACT Chief Minister are all on board,

5 Cathedrals, 41 churches, 1 order of Catholic nuns and 1 Mosque have now formally offered sanctuary.

[***super_nova***]

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@djilukjilly wrote:

If they were legal illegal immigrants then they would not be on Nauru.  

If they are genuine refugees than they would be granted a visa to live in the wider community.

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That is TOTAL rubbish.  Australian government decided that anybody who come by boat will not be allowed on mainland and will never be resettled here.  And that is the whole reason why so many people object to our refugee policies.  The shock jocks stir up anti refugee feelings claiming that most people in detention centres are not genuine, and when they are processed and over 90% are deemed genuine, it does not get mention in the gutter press. 

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@djilukjilly wrote:

They are not legal so that is why they are in detention and they will not accept anything else but Australia that is the reason they have been there for a while, and that is the reason they will be deported back to Nauru.

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If they were refused refugee status, they could be deported to wherever they came from. 

[***super_nova***]

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@djilukjilly wrote:

Is that even legal? to post a confidential letter from a MP?

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What makes you think that it is confidential?

[village_person]

Allied to the circus surrounding the campaign to keep these 250 or so people here in Oz is the alleged rape of a 5-year-old boy. It was widely reported by "Your ABC" and accepted as fact. Not one aspect of the case was questioned. Now the truth is being teased out:

ABC acknowledges error in reporting of Nauru child sexual assault story, paediatrician says she provided correct information

The ABC has issued a correction over claims an asylum seeker child was sexually assaulted, as a paediatrician who raised the alarm says she provided "factually accurate" information.

The ABC last week reported a five-year-old boy was allegedly raped, but faced the prospect of being returned to the offshore detention centre, where his alleged attacker remained.

Immigration Department officials today told a Senate estimates committee the alleged victim in the story was actually over 10 years of age and had suffered "skin-to-skin" contact with another detainee child on the island.

Department of Immigration and Border Protection secretary Michael Pezzullo said media reports on the issue had been deeply misleading.

[...]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-08/abc-acknowledges-error-in-reporting-nauru-child-sexual-assault...

[bluecat*dancing]

From your link

But the ABC has acknowledged there was an error in its reporting of the story.

"Our source, the treating doctor told our reporters about two cases. One was an older child," the ABC said in a statement.

"The doctor stands by her statement that this child was allegedly raped on Nauru.

"She also told our reporters about another of her patients, a five-year-old who was allegedly sexually assaulted on Nauru.

"Our story incorrectly used quotes about the older child in referring to the younger child.

[moonflyte]

More untrue propaganda from the ABC.

[azureline**]

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@djilukjilly wrote:

More untrue propaganda from the ABC.

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Is there some supporting evidence of this?

[***super_nova***]

indefinitely

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@djilukjilly wrote:

More untrue propaganda from the ABC.

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Does it really matter that the details were slightly wrong?  Instead of 5 yo who has been rapped, it was 10 years old, while the 5 years old was "only" sexually assaulted.  The fact is the camps are full of very stressed people, some have left their wives and small children behind thinking they will be able to bring them later, and now they are incapable doing anything for them.  The camps are breeding ground for mental illness, nobody should be held there for longer than it takes to process them = few weeks, couple of months.

This is just ridiculous, I cannot believe that so many Australians are willing to pay billions just to keep the few thousands of unfortunate people in the detention.  I cannot believe that the shock jocks have such a power that they manage to whip up such hysteria about this handful of people.  And I cannot believe that so many Australians are incapable of empathy for the refugees,  If the area you live in would look like this you would also leave and look for another place.  Do you think you would deserve to be locked up indefinitely and treated as a criminal?

[moonflyte]

It has now been revealed that the whole story was made up by the fervent advocates. ABC has had to apologise for the "error"

[moonflyte]

If a media organisation starts printing the news that suits their agenda then that's it for truth in publishing and announcing. YES it does matter that any story is factually correct, not what you feel it should be.