Friends just a few days ago the Australian Senate released its report into conditions and circumstances on Nauru - one of our regional processing centres for people who try to seek asylum in Australia. And the report told us what we didn't want to hear - abuse is rampant on Nauru.
Nazanin is the latest of sexual abuse victims on Nauru and is currently in hospital in Brisbane because of her injuries. She is suffering from kidney failure and psychological trauma and yet could eventually still be sent back to Nauru. This is heartbreaking.
It is hard to continually hear about these atrocious matters but as Paul writes in Galatians, “We must not grow weary in doing good.” So let us persevere today and do some good for people seeking asylum - including Nazanin.
The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce has put the call out for people to contact Senator Michaelia Cash. She is the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. By contacting her with the request that these women and children - including Nazanin - be granted amnesty we can hopefully see them protected permanently by seeing them kept in Australia.
So… below is an email that you can copy and paste and send to [email protected]. Don't forget to add your name on the end.
Our suggested subject line is: Grant Amnesty to Abused Women and Children
And we'd love you to take the email we've given you below and make it your own. Change it, personalise it, include your own stories or why this is important to you.
Once you’ve done that we’d love to know that you’ve contacted the Senator. You can do that by adding your name on the right.
__________________
To the Honourable Senator Cash, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection,
Please grant amnesty to the abused women and children who are being transported to Australia so they can remain here rather than being sent back to the dangers and possibility of further abuse on Nauru.
Senator I struggle to understand how people in our care on Nauru could be subjected to abuse. However I am glad that women and children are being brought to Australia for treatment. Please grant them amnesty so they can remain in Australia and not be placed at risk of further abuse on Nauru.
It is especially important that Nazanin is granted amnesty because of the seriousness of her injuries that she has suffered from rape. She is suffering from kidney failure and I think it impossible that she could be sent back to Nauru rather than receive the comprehensive medical and psychological care she so obviously needs here in Australia.
Furthermore the Senate Inquiry that was released a few days ago reveals the very serious abuses of power against people that are occurring regularly on Nauru. Nazanin is not the only person whom this has happened to. These abuses are of great concern to me and it is the responsibility of my government to uphold every person's human rights. Furthermore as a Christian I believe it incredibly important that all people are treated with the dignity they have as people created by God, and it is the responsibility of my government to ensure this happens for the people in their care - including Nazanin.
It is unacceptable that anyone in our care should become victims of abuse from those that are employed to protect them.
Consequently it seeems that the bare minimum that can be done for these women and children - especially including Nazanin - is to ensure they are protected from such further abuse.
Senator Cash, please ensure their safety and protection by granting them amnesty so they can remain in Australia.
I look forward to hearing from you about this matter,
Yours Sincerely,
[Insert Full Name here]
To the Honourable Senator Cash, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection,
Please grant amnesty to the abused women and children who are being transported to Australia so they can remain here rather than being sent back to the dangers and possibility of further abuse on Nauru.
Senator I struggle to understand how people in our care on Nauru could be subjected to abuse. However I am glad that women and children are being brought to Australia for treatment. Please grant them amnesty so they can remain in Australia and not be placed at risk of further abuse on Nauru.
It is especially important that Nazanin is granted amnesty because of the seriousness of her injuries that she has suffered from rape. She is suffering from kidney failure and I think it impossible that she could be sent back to Nauru rather than receive the comprehensive medical and psychological care she so obviously needs here in Australia.
Furthermore the Senate Inquiry that was released a few days ago reveals the very serious abuses of power against people that are occurring regularly on Nauru. Nazanin is not the only person whom this has happened to. These abuses are of great concern to me and it is the responsibility of my government to uphold every person's human rights. Furthermore as a Christian I believe it incredibly important that all people are treated with the dignity they have as people created by God, and it is the responsibility of my government to ensure this happens for the people in their care - including Nazanin.
It is unacceptable that anyone in our care should become victims of abuse from those that are employed to protect them.
Consequently it seeems that the bare minimum that can be done for these women and children - especially including Nazanin - is to ensure they are protected from such further abuse.
Senator Cash, please ensure their safety and protection by granting them amnesty so they can remain in Australia.
I look forward to hearing from you about this matter,
Yours Sincerely,
[Insert Full Name here]