Religious Organisations Are Joining Forces To Demand Refugees Are Released From Detention
"Compassion is the core of every faith."
Religious leaders are urging both sides of Australian politics to get asylum seekers and refugees out of detention at the Park Hotel and Australia’s various offshore detention centres.
More than 30 leaders from across the country have joined forces to demand that Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese work together to solve the ongoing asylum seeker detention issue in Australia after Novak Djokovic drew international attention to the issue earlier this month.
The campaign was launched at Melbourne’s St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday morning alongside campaign video #SetThemFree — directed by Richard Keddie of ‘Ride Like A Girl’ and ‘Oddball’ fame.
Leaders representing multiple faiths met this morning to call on @ScottMorrisonMP to end the inhumane, indefinite detention of refugees and asylum seekers. pic.twitter.com/qBgUAXWF3Q
— SetThemFreeAustralia (@SetThemFree_AU) January 27, 2022
Considering Morrison’s own strong religious ties, Baptist Minister Reverend Tim Costello has called on him to show compassion for those in indefinite detention, noting that “compassion is the core of every faith”.
“It is significant that religious leaders are urging the prime minister, a man of faith, to meet with the Opposition leader and together do something that is ultimately good for all Australians – agree on releasing refugees and asylum seekers in indefinite detention,” said Costello.
“There is currently no legislated end to indefinite detention. The refugees have been sacrificial lambs to the politics of border control and immigration for many years. This could be a watershed moment in which Australians can feel good about embracing a kinder approach.
“In his Maiden Speech to Parliament Mr Morrison said he ‘derived from his faith the values of loving kindness, justice, and righteousness, to act with compassion and kindness, acknowledging our common humanity and to consider the welfare of others; to fight for a fair go for everyone to fulfil their human potential and to remove whatever unjust obstacles stand in their way’. We call on the Prime Minister to draw on these values now,” he said.
While Costello is the spokesperson for the campaign, the movement is a multi-faith initiative with more than 30 signatories including the Islamic Council of Victoria, the Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria, the Hindu Council of Australia, Melbourne Multicultural Centre Mosque, and many more faith groups.
The campaign comes after it was revealed the Morrison government will spend a staggering $220 million of taxpayer money to fund just six months worth of operating costs for the Nauru offshore detention centre. This is in addition to the $11,000 per day it is estimated to cost to detain each of the 81 refugees and 26 asylum seekers currently at Nauru.