savethesheikh.com

Christian leaders from around the world continue to voice their support for Sheikh Mansour Leghaei as the Australian government continues to ignore the United Nations demand to hold off on his deportation.

Dr Tony Campolo, President of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education and a world-renowned speaker and author, recently voiced his concern over the Sheikh’s case (see his comment here).  And now Father Kevin Dance, who represents the Passionist Community (of the Catholic Church) to the United Nations has written to the Australian Prime Minster in the letter reprinted below.

These men join other prominent Christian leaders world-wide, including Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and Bishop Riah of Jerusalem, in appealing for justice for Sheikh Mansour.

From the representative of the Passionist Community to the United Nations

The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister of Australia
Parliament House Canberra
ACT 2600

June 9, 2010

Dear Mr. Prime Minister

Re: Request to prevent the deportation of Sheikh Mansour Leghaei in accordance with the communication of the United Nations Human Rights Committee of 21 April, 2010.

I write this letter in support of the petition that Sheikh Mansour Leghaei not be deported  from Australia until the United Nations Human Rights Committee has completed its investigation of the matter.

I presently represent the worldwide Passionist community at the United Nations. Here I am involved in much interfaith cooperation in the service of peace.  Prior to this assignment, I was Parish Priest of St. Brigid’s Catholic Church in Marrickville which is adjacent to Earlwood where the Imam Husain Islamic Centre is located.

I do not know Dr. Leghaei personally, but I have confidence in the sound judgement of many within the interfaith community, including my successor Father John Pearce, who know him as a man of peace. He is committed to promoting harmony in his own community and within the wider community of Sydney.  Surely, in our multicultural society of Australia, we need people of the caliber and with the leadership that this man has shown.

He has lived at peace in Australia with his family for more than 15 years.  His application for Permanent Residence in Australia has been denied, but he has never been given a chance to clear his name as the allegations made against him by ASIO have never been made known to him. This is a denial of natural justice and of his civil and political rights.

I ask you to intervene and call for a stay in executing the deportation order on Dr. Leghaei until the Human Rights Committee makes its report. This is not a sign of weakness but, rather, a statement of the basic decency and respect for human rights that does and should represent the best that is Australian.

Yours sincerely,

Father Kevin Dance, C.P.
REPRESENTING THE PASSIONIST FAMILY AT THE UNITED NATION

Sydney, June 7: Nobel peace laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu has joined an international human rights campaign condemning Australia’s decision to deport a leading Iranian cleric later this month.

Sheikh Mansour Leghaei, a moderate Shia cleric, has been living peacefully with his family in Australia for 16 years. He has never been granted permanent residency due to two adverse security assessments made against him by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) several years ago.

Contrary to the right to a fair hearing in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Australia is a signatory, Australia has never informed Dr Leghaei of the nature of the allegations against him. A leading proponent of interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance in Sydney, Dr Leghaei strenuously denies he is a threat to Australia’s national security.

“In South Africa we used to have detention without trial. In Australia you have deportation without trial,” said Bishop Tutu.

In April the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) formally requested Australia not to deport Dr Leghaei while it considered whether his human rights had been breached. On May 17 the Australian Immigration Minister, Senator Chris Evans, ignored the UN’s request and announced that Dr Leghaei had six weeks to leave.

“The impending deportation of Sheikh Mansour Leghaei is a travesty of justice. There is no doubt at all that his human rights have been violated,” said Dr Chandra Muzaffar, a leading Malaysian political scientist, Islamic reformist and activist.

A week after Amnesty International criticized the Australian Government for putting political self-interest ahead of human rights in its treatment of asylum seekers from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, international human rights advocates have rallied behind Dr Leghaei, including:

• Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal, retired Bishop of Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
• Máiread Corrigan-Maguire, Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
• Dr Chandra Muzaffar
• Professor Hans Köchler, president of the International Progress Organization.
• Dr Norman Finkelstein, American political scientist.
• Bishop Desmond Tutu

Helen Signy +61 425 202 654
Father Dave Smith +61 409 620 009
Ben Saul +61 424 365 146

Labor Abandons Human Rights: Sheikh, Family Pay Terrible Price

Greens Candidate for Grayndler, Sam Byrne, has condemned the Rudd Labor Government’s decision to deport Sheikh Mansour Leghaei.

“After 16 years in Australia, the Sheikh and his family are paying a terrible personal price for the government’s cowardice in the lead up to the Federal election,” Sam Byrne said.

“Labor’s desperation to pander to racism has led to this decision, in defiance of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and any principles of natural justice.”

“Once again Labor is abandoning any principle. If they don’t stand for human rights, what do they stand for?”

“I call on the Government to reverse its decision, and at the very least release these secret old ASIO allegations against the Sheikh and give him a chance to respond.”

“Sheikh Leghaei has made a substantial contribution to multi-faith dialogue and our local community, and we will continue to support him.”

Sam Byrne

Contact Sam on 0408 231 509

Also from the Greens:

1. Dale Mills writes in Green Left that the deportation of Sheikh Mansour is another instance of the Australian government silencing people it doesn’t agree with (click here).
2. Senator Scott Ludlam of the Greens has advised that he will ask questions on notice in parliament to the Minister for Immigration and to ASIO about Australia’s failure to respond to the UN’s request to put a halt to Sheikh Mansour’s deporation.
   

Sydney, May 17: Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans’ decision to deport Sheikh Mansour Leghaei is in direct contravention of the UN’s wishes, who sent in a formal request to the Australian Government last month.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva issued a request on April 21 asking the Australian Government not to deport Dr Leghaei and his accompanying dependants while it is considering his case.

Dr Leghaei’s legal team sent a petition to the UN Committee last month claiming the Government’s treatment of his case contravened the his human rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Australia is a party. Under the First Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, individuals in Australia may lodge complaints with the UN Committee if all domestic remedies have been exhausted.

Under Rule 92 of the UN Committee’s Rules of Procedure, a complainant may request urgent “interim measures” to prevent deportation where “irreparable harm” would occur if the deportation proceeded. Such measures remain in place until the complaint is finally determined, which usually takes about one year.

“Dr Leghaei was denied his human right to a procedurally fair hearing in the issue of an adverse security assessment by ASIO and in the decision to deport him which relied upon that assessment,” said Associate Professor Ben Saul, Co-Director of Sydney University’s Sydney Centre for International Law and one of the barristers who prepared the petition.

“Like numerous others who have been subject to adverse security assessments by ASIO, Dr Leghaei has never been told the basis of the allegations against him.

“Our strong case will have ramifications for others in Dr Leghaei’s situation both in Australia and internationally, where a person is unable to see or challenge any of the evidence against them.”

Dr Leghaei and his family, who have lived peacefully in Australia for 16 years, have never been granted permanent residency due to adverse security assessments issued against the Sheikh by ASIO several years ago.

In March Dr Leghaei appealed to the Minister to exercise his ministerial powers and allow him to remain in the country. On May 17 Senator Evans granted visas to Dr Leghaei’s wife and son but denied a visa to the Sheikh. He has been given six weeks to leave the country.

Australia is being accused of violating Articles 2, 13, 14, 23, 24 and 26 of the ICCPR .

His petition details that:

• Dr Leghaei has been denied a fair hearing in ASIO’s issue of an adverse security assessment, in the Department of Immigration’s decision to rely upon that assessment to refuse him a visa, and in all proceedings before the Migration Review Tribunal and Federal Court of Australia;
• He has been discriminated against because was denied procedural fairness because he was not an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
• The deportation cannot be justified because, in the absence of proof he is a genuine threat to national security, it would split his family and deprive his 14 year old daughter, an Australian citizen, of both her parents.

Media Contacts
Helen Signy 0425 202 654 email
Ben Saul 02 9351 0354, email
Father Dave Smith 02 9569 1255, email

Greens Senate candidate for NSW Lee Rhiannon MP, and Greens candidate
for Grayndler, Sam Byrne, have added their voices to the large number
of community members in the inner west of Sydney who have opposed the
deportation of Earlwood based cleric Sheikh Mansour Leghaei.

“It is deeply concerning that without charge Sheikh Leghaei can
removed from the community he has called home for 16 years, said Ms
Rhiannon.

“There appear to be some vague and ill-defined concerns that ASIO has
regarding the Sheikh’s relationship to the Government of Iran, the
country he and his wife grew up in. But if that should be a crime then
surely a democratic country should test any concerns publicly in a
court of law.

“The proposal to deport Sheikh Leghaei is a fundamentally undemocratic
and dangerous act, and I call on the Minister for Immigration, Senator
Chris Evans, to use his power to halt the proposed deportation.

“It is clear from the broad support that the Sheikh has in the
community that not only does he not present a threat, but to the
contrary, he is assisting in building a more cohesive and strong
community in our area,” said Mr Byrne.

“The Sheikh is a gentle, peaceful man who has done great work with
people less well off and, working with people like Father Dave Smith
from the Holy Trinity Church in Dulwich Hill, has done much to bring
together people of different faiths and cultures. He is no threat.

“While the current Federal Labor Government has taken some important
steps towards healing the rifts caused to our community by the Howard
Liberal Government’s demonising of refugees and tacit support for the
racially motivated fear campaigns of One Nation, it
has to do a lot more to end fear in our community of people from
different cultures.

“The Marrickville, Canterbury, Ashfield and Leichhardt areas are by
and large great examples of where people from around the world have
made new communities; communities that are treasured by their
residents. Sheikh Leghaei clearly plays an important and peaceful role
in building our community, and that role should not be ended by the
paranoia of security agencies with a history of getting it wrong, and
by legislation which fails to demand that allegations by security
agencies be openly and publicly examined,” said Mr Byrne.

Contact: Lee Rhiannon on 0427 861 568 or Sam Byrne on 0408 231 509