On June 3rd, 2010, more than 1000 of us went to Canberra to voice our protest about the treatment of Sheikh Mansour Leghaei, who, after 16 years of peaceful living in Australia is about to be deported for reasons that the Australian authorities will not divulge.  For a sildeshow of the whole album, click here.

Shortly after this photo was taken, the officer asked the girl to take down her sign

For a sildeshow of the whole album, click here.

Thursday, June 3rd 2010, more than 1000 men, women and children travelled to Canberra to march on Parliament House, calling on the Australian government to heed the request of the United Nations and halt the deportation of Sheikh Mansour Leghaei.

The event was covered on a variety of TV News stations and in all the major papers.

Links to other TV and Newspaper coverage:

• ABC News: Sheikh’s supporters protest against his deportation
• SBS World News: Hundreds protest over sheikh’s deportation
• Bigpond News: Protesters rally over Sheikh deportation
• Brisbane Times: Peace prize winner in bid to save sheikh
• eFarming: Sheikh’s supporters protest against his deportation
• Optus News: Deporting sheikh ‘would breach human rights’
• Seven News: Sheikh’s supporters protest against his deportation
• Sky News: Protesters rally in bid to save Sheikh (video not working)

International coverage:

• RFI.fr (French News): L’Australie expulse un cheikh islamiste accusé d’être un risque pour la sécurité nationale (nb. click icon in top-right corner to replay radio interview).

As Greens Candidate for Grayndler Sam Byrne travelled to Canberra to join the rally in support of Sheikh Mansour, Greens Senator Scott Ludlam submitted these questions in Parliament to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, asking him why no details of an ASIO assessment have ever been provided to the Sheikh:

1. Did the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee (the committee) write to the Australian Government on 21 April 2010 requesting that Sheikh Mansour Leghaei not be deported until it had considered his case.
2. Has the Government responded formally to the letter from the Chief of the UN human rights treaty division who wrote on behalf of the committee.
3. Has Sheikh Mansour Leghaei or his legal representatives been provided with a summary or an indication of the elements of the evidence the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has collected against him.
4. In this regard, how does the Government understand Australia’s obligations under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, taking into account the committee’s General Comment No. 33, paragraph 19 (CCPR/C/GC/33, dated 5 November 2009).
5. Has the Government noted instances where the committee has expressed its indignation and found that the state has committed a grave breach of its obligations under the Optional Protocol, such as the committee’s Report of the human rights committee (UN General Assembly Official Record, 49th Sess., Supp. No. 40, UN Doc. A/49/40, vol. 1 (1994), para. 411) and Piandiong v. The Philippines (Communication No. 869/1999, para. 7.4).
6. Will the Government provide an assurance to Sheikh Mansour Leghaei that he will not be removed from Australia until the committee has finally determined his case on the merits, as required by the committee’s interim measures request of 21 April 2010.
7. Did the current Attorney General write two letters of support for Sheikh Mansour Leghaei describing him as ‘an asset to the Muslim community in particular and the Australian community at large’.

Senator Scott Ludlum

Join us on Thursday June 3rd at 11.30am in Canberra.

Full details can be found at CanberraRally.com and you can download the poster with the details here.

On February 19th Sheikh Mansour Leghaei was given 28 days to leave the country.  That means that as of today (March 4th) he technically only has 15 days left!

We trust that Sheikh will be given a visa extension while the Minister for Immigration considers his formal submission, appealing the decision. Even so, those who would act to protest this terrible injustice must do so NOW!

The most important thing everybody can do now is to sign the Save the Sheikh Petition.  Here’s what you need to do:

1. Right-click here and choose ‘save target as’ to download the petition.
2. Open it and print off multiple copies
3. Sign it yourself and ask others who support the Sheikh to sign it.
4. Send your signed petition back to the Imam Husain Centre by March 14.

nb. The address of the Centre is printed at the bottom of the petition, along with the return date,  so you won’t forget. 🙂

Our hope is that once these petitions are collected we will be able to present them to the Minister for Immigration in person in Canberra.  The trip is currently scheduled for March 17.  If you’d like to join us on the trip to Canberra put this date tentatively aside in your diary now.  Confirmation will be given on this site closer to the date.

Other ‘Save the Sheikh’ activities that are in the pipeline include:

• a formal press conference (probably next Wednesday)
• a supporters BBQ (possibly on Sunday March 14)

I know there’s talk in our church too of holding a 24-hour prayer vigil here at Holy Trinity Dulwich Hill, and inviting the Prime Minister and other Christian political leaders to join us in praying that justice is done.

Updates will be posted to this site as soon as confirmation of events has been given, so stay in touch and keep praying!

P.S. To see the article in the Bankstown Express about the Sheikh and myself, click here.