Dally Messenger III

Spare a thought for those 11 women and 23 children. They almost made it home. They are now “forgotten about”, caught up in the fog of war and the new headlines. Albo, Angus, and Pauline were all trying to outdo each other in condemning them.

They have been locked away for six years in isolated and oppressive camps. They longed to come home. Yet our political leaders, in their merciless way, were intent on thwarting and impeding the return of these women and children on the grounds that they don’t conform to “our Australian values”. Pray tell, leaders of the pack, what values are you talking about?

It is pretty well indisputable that most of our core ethical values have come down to us from the Judeo-Christian tradition, i.e., from the Jews and the Christians.

Our society has also been shaped by the ancient Greeks — Socrates, Plato and Aristotle — and by modern humanist philosophers such as Bertrand Russell, Peter Singer, Richard Dawkins and Alain de Botton. Canon and Roman law lie at the foundation of our legal system.

Let’s start with the Christians. Much of their moral teaching is written down in simple, memorable stories. In the back garden of the college where I once studied stood a statue of a man holding a stone, poised to throw. Beneath the statue were the words: “Chi è senza peccato, scagli la prima pietra.” It recalls the story of Jesus saying to those ready to stone a woman accused of adultery, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

That, Angus, is an Australian value. So too is the saying about care for others: “As often as you did it to one of these, my least brethren, you did it to me.”

Then there is the story of the prodigal son. For our purposes, let’s make them prodigal daughters. They leave home, travel afar, misbehave perhaps, see the error of their ways and want to return. Back to the original story. The father rejoices. He embraces his son. He throws a party. He declares that he who was “dead” is “alive” again.

Here’s an idea for a demo. Led by Albo, Angus and Pauline, after the war, why not welcome our daughters and their children home? Forgive them any wrongs. Rejoice that they have returned. Help them resettle in every way we can.

In our Australian litany of values there is more “love your neighbour”, “treat others as you would be treated”, and “there but for the grace of God go I” than the other stuff.

And we do practise these values. Australia is widely regarded as one of the most caring societies in the world. Thanks to Mr Whitlam, we have universal health care. We provide unemployment benefits so people do not starve in the street. We assist the disabled. We subsidise the arts so our people receive some spiritual nourishment.

Do I sound religious? Let me move to the non-believers. They tell us to use reason. “Up here for thinking ”.

Mat Tinkler of Save the Children, speaking recently on ABC radio, pointed out—as others have — that those who have already returned from Middle Eastern camps under previous governments have caused no trouble. They have settled back into Australian life. Their innocent children are at school, being educated, on the path to becoming civilised citizens who can contribute to our humane and caring society.

You may reply that justice requires people to pay for their crimes. As Albo’s mother reportedly said, ‘They make their bed, they lie in it.’

But if we cling to the legal principles we inherited from canon and Roman law, we must also hold to this: everyone is innocent until proven guilty. As far as we know, these women—and certainly the children—have committed no crime under Australian law. We cannot judge that until there is a proper process and we have heard their stories.

To my friend Albo I say: stop pretending you have no compassion. Appealing to the basest instincts of the electorate does not become you. It is not convincing.

To you, Angus: stop invoking Australian values until you find out what they are.

And to you, Pauline: there may be arguments about immigration levels. But they do not apply here. These 34 women and children are Australians. Your case against Muslims is overstated. Remember the extraordinary courage of Ahmed Al Ahmed, the Muslim man at Bondi who disarmed the extremist with the gun. There are extremists in every society, from Neo-Nazis to the Ku Klux Klan.

I agree with Mat Tinkler. After the war, or perhaps before it ends, those children should not be left in Europe or the Middle East, fostering hatred within themselves for the Australia which did not give them a fair go.