Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday afternoon I attended an extraordinary event in my electorate organised by the Whittlesea Interfaith Network. The event was a forum entitled: The courage, determination and faith in the journey of a refugee.

I was pleased be able to say a few introductory remarks at that forum, but what made it an extraordinary event were the stories that were told by three refugees who now live in the Scullin electorate: Ms Nasrin Khodadadi, an Iranian; Ms Ghada Marcus, a Chaldean originally from Iraq; and Mr Haran Thanabalasingam, a Tamil from Sri Lanka.

These people in a room filled with people from the diverse faith communities that make up the northern suburbs—many Christian denominations, people of the Islamic faith, Hindus and others—shared their stories, powerful stories that took great courage to tell of unimaginable cruelty, of great hardships overcome and a determination to make a contribution to this society.

It is disappointing that debate about asylum and refugees in this place has such a low tone. In the community, however, people are willing to listen to stories and I feel that events like Saturday show a better way for us to become the community that Australia is at its best.