Commission Appeals for Life of Bali Bombers

Friday 1 August 2008

The Bali bombing memorial on the site of Paddy's Pub.

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has appealed for the lives of the Bali Bombers who may soon be executed.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that this action was consistent with the Commission’s commitment to the Church’s Teaching on the death penalty.

Mr Arndt said that this appeal should in no way be seen as minimising the seriousness of the violence perpetrated by the bombers or the enormous personal pain and loss their actions have caused.

“We condemn the actions of the bombers as a gross violation of the dignity and rights of the victims of the bombing of nightclubs in Bali in 2002,” Mr Arndt said.

“Those who have lost family members and who live with injury and disability because of the bombings are entitled to on-going Government and community compassion and support in their efforts to deal with their loss and suffering,” he said.

“Those responsible for this crime deserve the most serious penalty, but this should fall short of the death penalty,” he said.

“The Commission has campaigned for the universal abolition of the death penalty around the world over the course of this year and we must take this action as a matter of principle,” he said.

“Capital punishment should not be used as revenge or retribution or as a deterrent,” he said.

“We must be consistent in our defence of human life, even in the case of people who are responsible for the most appalling actions,” he said.

“Both the Old and New Testaments guide us in this conviction,” he said.

“God ensured that Cain was punished severely for killing Abel, but God also protected him from any attempt to kill him in retribution,” he said.

“In John’s Gospel, Jesus stopped the execution of the woman caught in adultery by demanding that those who were without sin cast the first stone,” he said.

“We will write to the Indonesian Ambassador to Australia and ask him to convey our appeal for the lives of the Bali Bombers to the Indonesian Government,” he said.

“We also ask Catholics to continue to send messages to their local MP, Senators, the Prime Minister and Government Ministers asking them to work for universal abolition of the death penalty,” he said.

“We also ask that Catholics continue to pray for the victims of crime and acts of terror, for those on death row and for their families,” he said.

The Commission’s petition asking for Government action on the issue will be lodged in the Senate at the end of August and further public action will accompany that event.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

American Refugee Film Has Australian Parallels

American Refugee Film Has Australian Parallels

Three Afghan Australians who came to this country as refugees saw parallels between their own experiences and the stories of young Mexicans who sought asylum in the USA.

Reza Jaffari, Shah Hussein Hassani and Hussein Ali Nadiri joined another fifty people who watched the screening of a documentary which tells the stories of young unaccompanied Mexicans seeking asylum in the USA and the work of Christian groups in America who support asylum seekers and refugees.

The award-winning film, Posada, was introduced by its producer, US Jesuit Fr Mark McGregor. He also led a discussion following the screening.

The screening was co-hosted by the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane and the Archdiocesan Centre for Multicultural Pastoral Care.

Both the refugees and refugee supporters who attended agreed that the comparisons between the Australian and American situations were strong.

“Just like in the film, we were treated badly by the Government but were supported by people in the community,” Mr Hassani said.

Fr Mcgregor said that his film encouraged Christians to go beyond offering hospitality and encouraged them to walk in solidarity with those who seek asylum.

The Justice and Peace Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that this is what many Catholics had done here in Brisbane over the last seven years.

“Many Catholics have gone beyond offering food and clothing to asylum seekers and become advocates of compassionate and just treatment of those who come to our shores,” Mr Arndt said.

“We continue to be inspired by the courage of asylum seekers and the good people who walk in solidarity with them, whether it is in America or in our own land,” he said.

“We strongly encourage parishes and schools to get a copy of the film and to use it as a powerful tool to educate people about the meaning of Christian solidarity,” he added.

Copies of the DVD can be ordered on-line .

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Commission To Hand Over Death Penalty Petitions in Prayer Service

Media Release

Commission To Hand Over Death Penalty Petitions in Prayer Service

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission will deliver a death penalty abolition petition to Queensland Senator Claire Moore next Tuesday 1 July at a prayer service at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Wooloowin.

The petition has been signed by over 2000 people from parishes in the Archdiocese and from around the country.

Senator Moore will lodge the petition in the Senate at its next sitting and will seek to speak to the issue on that day.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that it was important for Catholics to continue their participation in efforts to abolish capital punishment in Indonesia and around the world.

“For those who have made a commitment to this cause, it is important to remain active in the long term,” Mr Arndt said.

“The continuing use of the death penalty around the world invites Catholics to commit to solidarity with those whose human dignity is threatened by the prospect of the death penalty being imposed and carried out,” he said.

“Solidarity is one of the four universal principles of Catholic Social Doctrine and is something which the Gospel calls us to put into practice when we see the dignity of our fellow human beings being abused,” he said.

“Solidarity is about standing with those who face the indignity of poverty or injustice and doing this in the long term,” he said.

“It also means being prepared to face unpleasant consequences as a result of this commitment,” he said.

“There are some people who strongly disagree with our opposition to the use of the death penalty in cases like those of the Bali Bombers and that of the three Australians convicted of drug offences in Bali,” he said.

“All these six men have committed very serious offences and, in fact, have been responsible for the deaths or suffering and misery of many other people,” he said.

“But the Church must defend the value of human life if it is to be faithful to the Gospel,” he said.

“Revenge and retribution cannot be in the vocabulary of Christians who follow the example of Jesus,” he said.

“Those who have done serious wrong must face serious consequences, but this should not include death at the hands of the State,” he said.

“The Commission will continue to offer opportunities for more action on the death penalty and especially at the time when our petition is lodged in the Senate,” he said.

“We have had contact with members of the cross-Party parliamentary Working Group working on the death penalty and they are very keen to support our efforts,” he added.

The Commission’s death penalty prayer service will begin at 7.30 p.m. at Holy Cross Church, 28 Chalk Street, Wooloowin. All are welcome.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Brisbane Group Calls for Zimbabwe Support

Brisbane Group Calls for Zimbabwe Support

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has helped to form a group which aims to rally support for the human rights of the people of Zimbabwe.

Australians Supporting Zimbabwe will hold a public Walk for Peace in Zimbabwe this weekend to draw attention to the plight of Zimbabweans in the period leading up to the Presidential run-off election on 28 June.

Images of the Walk may be viewed here.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that many Australians are not aware of how much violence and intimidation is being used by forces loyal to President Robert Mugabe to stop people from voting for his opponent, Movement for Democratic Change Leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.

“Zimbabwe is in a state of almost total economic and social collapse and the people are suffering immensely,” Mr Arndt said.

“Many people are without jobs, homes or sufficient food and their lives are very desperate,” he said.

“We know that groups of war veterans and young men have been sent out to various parts of the country to unleash horrible violence and destruction on those who might support Mr Tsvangirai,” he said.

“Not even Members of Parliament are safe from this violence and intimidation,” he said.

The father of one of our local Brisbane group’s members, Ian Kay, has been arrested and is in leg irons and other influential MPs are being hunted down too,” he said.

“It is a truly horrifying and appalling situation in which there is no respect for human rights, democracy or justice,” he said.

The Walk for Peace in Zimbabwe will be held this Sunday 8 June from 10.00 a.m. It will commence at the Nepalese Peace Pagoda in the Cultural Forecourt of Southbank and will proceed to Davies Park, West End, where there will be speakers, African food and music.

Those who want to enjoy the African food and music are being asked to donate money towards an appeal which will provide emergency assistance to those caught up in the current violence and to public campaigns promoting democracy and justice in Zimbabwe.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

Walk for Peace Rally pdf Flyer

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Women of Zimbabwe Unite

Zimbabwean Dissidents Unite in Prayer for Peace

New Flickr group — Zimbabwe: Peace, Justice, Freedom and Democracy

Professor Lowitja O’Donoghue Reconciliation Speech

Professor Lowitja O’Donoghue Speech

Public Lecture and Prayers for Reconciliation

St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral, Adelaide

Tuesday 27^th May 2008

Professor Lowitja O’Donoghue

Commission Calls For Action On Unfinished Business

Monday 26 May 2008

Commission Calls For Action On Unfinished Business

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission called on Catholics to acquaint themselves with the recommendations of the Bringing Them Home Report on the forcible removal of Indigenous Children from their families and communities in the Twentieth Century and to be active in promoting the implementation of all the Report’s fifty-four recommendations.

The call is being made on National Sorry Day, a day which the Report recommended be set aside each year for remembrance of all those whose lives were affected by this policy.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that the Federal Parliament’s apology to members of the Stolen Generations on 13 February this year ensured that one of the Report’s recommendations was finally implemented, but that most of the 1997 Report’s recommendations have not been acted on by Government.

“The apology is a very important step in the journey of healing, but there is much more to be done before we can close the book on this sorry chapter in our history,” Mr Arndt said.

“This is the tenth year on which National Sorry Day has been marked and Christians should be at the forefront of efforts to challenge our Federal Government to deal directly with the Report’s unfinished business,” he said.

“Funds have been put into family reunion services over the last ten years, but there is still so much to do in terms of community education and reparations,” he said.

“We hope that Catholic parishes and schools continue to mark National Sorry Day on 26 May, National Reconciliation Week from 27 May to 3 June and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday on the first Sunday each year with prayer and rituals because this is an important way of remembering the hurt and injustice of the past and the present,” he said.

“But our prayers and rituals will not mean as much if we do not also try to take action to bring healing,” he said.

“There are many resources available for people to learn more about the issues involved and we encourage Catholics to use them to become acquainted with the story of the Stolen Generations and the Report’s recommendations,” he said.

“The National Sorry Day Committee has also provided a variety of opportunities for individuals, schools and parishes to take action to get all the Report’s recommendations implemented,” he said.

“The Committee suggests that people adopt one of the recommendations and work hard to convince our leaders to implement it,” he said.

The National Sorry Day Committee’s resources are available on its web site.

“Over the next ten years, it would be wonderful if Christians around Australia played a significant part in bringing healing to the many indigenous Australians affected by this unjust policy of the past,” Mr Arndt said.

“We hope that Christians can be inspired by the impact of this year’s apology and find ways to shine the healing light of Christ’s love on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians,” he said.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Commission Welcomes Visa Abolition Decision

Media Release

Monday 19 May 2008

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has welcomed the Federal Government’s Budget announcement that temporary protection visas for refugees would be abolished.

In welcoming the decision, the Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that many Catholics in the Brisbane Archdiocese needed to be thanked for their efforts to promote the human rights of asylum seekers in recent years.

“Since 2002, the Commission has asked local Catholics to sign petitions and to write letters of support for a number of asylum seekers who were seeking Australia’s protection,” Mr Arndt said.

“Many Brisbane Catholics responded with great compassion for people like Zahra Alawi and Kibre Kebede and their efforts helped to gain protection for them,” he said.

“It is due to their efforts, in part, that Zahra and her family became Australian citizens last year and that Kibre will become a citizen this Thursday,” he said.

“Because of the compassion and generous hearts of many people, they no longer have to live in fear that they will be returned where they were persecuted,” he said.

“The abolition of temporary protection visas means that, once an asylum seeker is recognized as a refugee, they do not have to worry that they could be sent back to violence and persecution after their visa expires,” he said.

“They can get on with their lives, secure in the knowledge that they can continue to live in a country where they will be safe,” he said.

“Catholics should know that their efforts have helped to bring about this decision which gives some dignity back to people who seek our country’s help and protection,” he said.

“This work is very much part of our mission in the world,” he said.

Mr Arndt said that the Commission encouraged Catholics to continue to maintain an interest in the welfare of asylum seekers and refugees.

“We encourage everyone to get involved in activities during Refugee Week from June 16 to 22,” he said.

“We also hope that those who wrote letters of support for people like Zahra and Kibre will come to a special celebration at the end of August at which some of the refugees we have helped will be present,” he said.

“We are working with the Centre for Multicultural Pastoral Care to organize an event to say thank you to Catholics who helped us over the past few years,” he said.

“We also want them to have an opportunity to find out what is happening now for the refugees they helped,” he said.

“We also hope that we will have a chance in July for American Jesuit, Fr Mark McGregor, to present a film he produced on Latin American minors who sought asylum in the USA,” he said.

More details of these events will be announced in the next month.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

National Close the Gap Day Event

Monday 21 April 2008

Staff of the Cathedral of St Stephen precinct will join with others from around the Archdiocese of Brisbane in a National Close the Gap Day event in the grounds of the Cathedral at noon tomorrow, Tuesday 22 April

National Close the Gap Day 2008 is promoted by over forty Indigenous and non-Indigenous community organisations as an opportunity for citizens to express their public support for long term, meaningful Government action to close the 17 year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

This event will be one of over five hundred which will take place around the country on 22 April.

One of the organizers of the event, Peter Arndt, who is a Mission Development Officer in the Faith and Life Vicariate and Executive Officer of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane, said that the Federal, State and Territory Governments need to be reminded of public support for effective action to address the poor health standards of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

“While the Council of Australian Governments has agreed to close the life expectancy gap within a generation, we need to make sure that they actually back up their words with adequate funds to make their commitment a reality,” Mr Arndt said.

“Even though they have pledged to halve Indigenous infant mortality rates within ten years, we need to ensure that they are working closely with Indigenous communities and organisations so that programmes have a real chance of working,” he said.

“Although Mr Rudd and Dr Nelson have made a bipartisan commitment to close the gap, we need to make sure that they develop partnerships with Indigenous people and build on the success stories of many Indigenous-controlled health projects,” he said.

“Holding such events keeps the focus on the issue of poor Indigenous health,” he said.

“We do not want a flourish of words and activity now which disappears in a month or two and leaves the life expectancy gap unchanged,” he said.

“This gap is an immense scandal and closing the gap should be a matter of the highest priority,” he said.

“It is a disgrace that Indigenous health in Australia is getting no better while other countries like the USA, Canada and New Zealand have made tremendous improvements in Indigenous health and significantly reduced the life expectancy gap,” he added.

Queensland Stolen Wages Decision Concern

Media Release

Tuesday 8 April 2008

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has expressed its disappointment at the Queensland Government’s recent decision on the distribution of funds from the Indigenous Wages and Savings Reparations Scheme and the now defunct Aborigine Welfare Fund.

The Scheme was established in 2002 to provide reparations payments to Indigenous workers who had wages placed in trust by the Queensland Government over a significant part of the twentieth century and never returned.

Much of the money set aside for the Scheme was not distributed and the Government undertook a process of consultation with Indigenous people over the course of 2007 to determine what would be done with unclaimed funds.

The Premier, Anna Bligh, and the Minister for Indigenous Partnerships, Lindy Nelson-Carr, recently announced that about $15 million from the Scheme would provide top-up payments of either $1500 or $3000 to claimants who have already received payments of $2000 or $4000. $21.2 million from the scheme and $10.8 million from the Aborigines Welfare Fund would be used to establish the Indigenous Queenslanders Foundation, which will provide education and sporting scholarships of up to $20000 to young Indigenous people.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that, after consulting with its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisors, the Commission urged the Government to re-imburse claimants fully for all wages placed in trust and never returned.

It also urged the Government to pay the descendants of deceased workers all wages owed in full.

“We are talking about money earned by Indigenous women and men by the sweat of their brow and taken away from them and used for other purposes,” Mr Arndt said.

“The Queensland Government’s attempts to get away with a token payment which is a small fraction of the actual amount earned by Indigenous workers is unfair,” he said.

“The only just decision would be to pay Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers in full as the New South Wales Government is doing,” he said.

“The Commission is astonished that the State Government has decided to put some of the funds in the Scheme into education scholarships scheme despite the majority of Indigenous people consulted by the Government rejecting such a proposal,” he said.

“This decision continues the same shabby treatment of Aboriginal people which saw their wages taken away from them in the first place,” he said.

“The Government must pay Indigenous workers what is owed to them in full and must pay the families of deceased workers what is owing to them too,” he said.

“It has a responsibility to provide the same standard of education to all Queensland children and should provide educational opportunities to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from the Education Department’s funds and not from money which is owed to Indigenous workers,” he said.

Mr Arndt said that the Commission would talk to its Indigenous advisors about any further action it might take on the issue.

He said it would also keep in touch with Indigenous groups working on the issue and provide support where it could.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Abolition of the Death penalty:Petition and Prayer Vigil

Death Penalty Abolition Petition to the Australian Senate asking it to take action to promote the abolition of the death penalty in all cases everywhere and to save the lives of Australians and people of other nationalities facing execution in countries such as Indonesia.

Please print as many copies as you need and ask people in your parish, school, workplace, organisation and community to sign the petition. Please return all signed petitions to the address at the bottom of the petition by April 30.

Prayer Vigil

 

The Catholic Justice & Peace Commission of Brisbane will hold a prayer vigil in support of all those on death row in Indonesia and in other parts of the world on Good Friday, 21 March, at 12 noon at Christ the King Catholic Church, Randolph Street, Graceville.

 

During the vigil, Lee and Chris Rush, parents of Scott Rush, who is still on death row in Indonesia, and Tanya Richards, Christian World Service Worker for Queensland Churches Together, who visited members of the Bali Nine on death row in Indonesia, will share their reflections on the plight of those who face the executioner.

 

All are welcome.