Uniting Church leaders are among two groups of Christians holding simultaneous sit-in prayer vigils at the Sydney office of Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the Melbourne office of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. The peaceful action is a response to Australia’s cruel treatment of asylum seekers and an appeal to the two major parties to end the bipartisan tragedy of offshore detention, especially of children. The sit-in vigils included invitations to the staff in both offices to join the groups in prayer for asylum seekers and also for both political leaders. Among the sit-in participants are two Catholic priests, a nun, two Baptist pastors, an Anglican Priest, five Uniting Church ministers, and a number of lay church leaders. They are refusing to leave the offices until both major parties commit to releasing children from detention. For the first time in Australian history, leaders of a major Christian church have chosen to take part in civil disobedience: the Moderator of the Uniting Church in NSW and ACT, Rev Dr Brian Brown, is participating in the sit-in at Mr Abbott’s office; and former President of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev Dr Alistair Macrae, is participating in the sit-in at Mr Shorten’s office. “Churches have exhausted all formal channels of policy debate on the issue of asylum seekers, that’s why we are risking arrest today. There comes a time when such grave injustice must be confronted directly through peaceful acts of civil disobedience, we believe that to be silent is to be complicit in the injustices being perpetrated against asylum seekers,” said Rev Dr Brian Brown, Moderator of the Uniting Church of NSW and ACT, who is taking action today at Mr Abbott’s office in Sydney. “Through our peaceful direct action we seek to challenge the government’s cruel approach to the treatment of asylum seekers, and to encourage other Australians to embrace a more welcoming response to those who seek asylum here,” said Rev Dr Alistair Macrae, past President of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia, who is taking action today at Mr Shorten’s office in Melbourne. “We appeal to our political leaders to work together to find a solution that brings 1023 children out of detention centres and into our communities as soon as possible,” said Shane Fenwick, a former humanitarian support worker at Australias offshore processing centre on Manus Island, who is taking action today at Mr Abbott’s office in Sydney. “Churches across Australia are speaking out in one voice about the cruelty of imprisoning children in detention centres and we are here today to ensure these calls for justice for the most vulnerable in our society are not ignored,” said Sister Brigid Arthur, a Catholic nun from the Brigidine order, who is taking action today at Mr Shorten’s office in Melbourne. All participants in today’s actions have been previously involved in advocacy for asylum seekers. They felt moved to participate in nonviolent direct action in light of the complete failure of both major parties to protect the wellbeing of people seeking asylum, or even to respond in good faith to the concerns raised by Australian churches and refugee experts. Australian church denominations have been united in their concern for asylum seekers for over a decade. Recent statements by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and the Anglican Archbishops of Australia have denounced the cruelty of the current asylum seeker policies supported by both major parties. The Uniting and Baptist churches have also recently offered to house and care for asylum seekers. Today’s sit-in actions are inspired by recent peaceful protests in the offices of Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. The sit-ins use the theme “Love Makes a Way” (#LoveMakesAWay on Twitter) which is a response to the Australian Government’s “No Way” advertising campaign.
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 02:07:53 +0000
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