There’s a bitter irony to the postscript of Abdul Karim
Hekmat’s piece about Ashkan and Nima, (“I am not a ‘death meat’ of Australia”, Saturday Paper 15-22 September 2018). It's the contact for Lifeline 13 11 14.
Nima is dying on Nauru. His partner Ashkan is helpless.
Over months, Ashkan has asked for help. Lots of well-placed
people went to work. But so far the only person who can save Nima is deaf tohim.
Anna Brown from the Human Rights Law Centre appealed to
Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop who referred her to Peter Dutton. Brown found
Mr Dutton “unresponsive”, “unsympathetic and “not compassionate”. She asked Tim
Wilson, then the Human Rights Commissioner, to raise the case with Mr Dutton. The response of Mr Dutton and The Department of Immigration
and Border Protection was disdainful and risible.
If Nima and Askan are
refouled to Iran they will be killed. The Cambodia option presents
extrajudicial killings, and warrantless and arbitrary arrests, even though
homosexual activity is not illegal. Staying on Nauru exposes the men to
bashings and police indifference.
My gay friend can live happily with his partner, my lesbian friend
can live with hers without being terrified of thugs breaking in and bashing
them. They can go shopping together with as much safety as my wife and I can..
A week ago I fell over. Within a few seconds I had help. I
was staring up at the faces of about ten people. Within a couple of hours my
osteotherapist mate was at my door. I had access to a full range of pharmaceuticals
and professional people – including Lifeline if I needed it - to help me. But I'm not effectively locked up on Nauru.
What can I do to make sure Nima and Ashkan get the help the need.
What can I do to make sure Nima and Ashkan get the help the need.
If Brown and Wilson can’t help them how can I?
The short answer is I can’t.
The longer answer is that I can write letters to a not-compassionate,
unresponsive minister and my invisible local Labor member. I can write tweets. I can write 200 words on my blog.
All totally futile. I can work as a volunteer paralegal for a refugee legal
service. Slightly less futile.
Someone tell me please, what can I do to stop Nima dying in Ashkan’s
arms?
