Vic: Refugee group says hypocritical if Aus helps rebuild Iraq
MELBOURNE, April 16 AAP - Australia's policy on asylum seekers means it would be hypocriticalfor the nation to be involved in rebuilding Iraq, a refugee activist group said today.
The Coalition for the Reform of Refugee Policy said Australia could not expect to havea meaningful role in the rebuilding of Iraq until it cleaned up its own backyard.
Spokesman Greg Barns said Prime Minister John Howard had told Australia's Muslim communityin Sydney last Saturday that equality, freedom, justice, civil rights, peace and harmonyshould be the inheritance that every nation strives to provide to future generations.
"Yet less than 24 hours later Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock's spokesperson toldthe media that Australia had no obligation to take into account the safety of the countrywhen it comes to returning the refugees," Mr Barns said in a statement.
"If Australia wants to ride shotgun with the US in supposedly freeing oppressed personsthen it must not leave itself open to the charge of hypocrisy."
Mr Barns' comments followed criticism of Australia's asylum seeker detention policyby Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim cleric Sheikh Sayed Jamaluddin speaking at the first of a seriesof talks intended to allow Iraqis to discuss steps towards an interim authority.
"If you come here and tell us that we need to build an Iraq that is democratic andrespects human rights you should respect the rights of the Iraqis who happen to be inyour prisons," he said.
AAP jt/ce/sek/de
KEYWORD: IRAQ AUST REFUGEE
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