for aylan, and others, we must never forget

The pictures of deceased three year old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi on the shores of Turkey has outraged the world and, at least at this very moment, got the attention that all refugees deserve. No one should have to die for refugees to be given empathy and their stories heard but that is what our world has come too. The conflict in Syria started in 2011 due to an uprising against the ruling regime. It has now come to be known for the presence of ISIS. Terrorists get airplay, when their victims aren’t westerners, they don’t. We hear of the horrors of ISIS on the news. The Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the government, try to tell us in Australia they are the biggest security threat we have, and will do anything, even take illegal means, to protect us. Yet for the people living in the same country, where ISIS is destroying their towns, killing, raping and abusing them, we do nothing. How do the government and the people of Australia really justify this? How has the world become so divided and uncompassionate?

After seeing the image of young Aylan Kurdi the Tony Abbott said this, "we saw yesterday… a very sad and poignant image of children tragically, tragically dead at sea in illegal migration… and thankfully we've stopped that in Australia because we've stopped the illegal boats”. Yes, that was exactly appropriate, use the death of an innocent child that has only known war his whole life and died trying to survive and find a new life to justify your illegal and disgusting policies. Mr Abbott has said a lot of stupid and insensitive things in his life, but that one might have just taken him to a new level. No selling of your policy was needed Tony, only pure compassionate and heart.

The New York Times have said it perfectly, "it is inexcusable that some [asylum seekers] find themselves today in situations that are more hopeless and degrading than the ones that prompted them to flee". How can anyone justify a situation where people flee from war, from terror, from abuse, to be placed in a situation that is the same or worse? The image of Aylan Kurdi is horrible. Every picture of this refugee crisis is, and we need these pictures to remind us that we are so lucky to live in safety and that there are so many people in this world that don’t. The luck to live in Australia should give each of us the capacity to be grateful for everything we have and compassionate to all those they don’t. There is absolutely no room for fear of refugees, compared to them, you have no idea what real fear is.

The United Nations has estimated that more than 1.5 million refugees have fled Syria. In Lebanon, a country with a population of 4.3 million has nearly 2 million Palestinian and Syrian refugees. Yet in Australia, a country of over 23 million we are sending boats of tens or hundreds away. Families of Palestinians living in refugee camps have taken in Syrian refugee families, but some people in Australian suburbs don’t want one refugee family living in the same street. Are we naïve, selfish, insensitive or just the most uncompassionate, self-righteous society?

Tony Abbott is starting to make John Howard look left-wing. We currently have a government that would rather push their agenda than give basic human rights to its own people and the most vulnerable people around the world. We as human beings have a right to safety, food and shelter at the most basic level. The next time you fear allowing more refugees into your country or think to support the government’s despicable policies, remember the image of Aylan Kurdi. Think to yourself if you would like to live in fear of being murdered, raped and beaten each day. Think to yourself if you would like to have nowhere to live, no food to eat and no hope of that changing. Because the world cannot survive without compassion, and each day you are lucky enough to wake in Australia have a thought for those who weren’t. Tony Abbott might be a Rhode Scholar, but that doesn’t mean his words and policies are right. Great words come from great minds, greater words come from great hearts.