The Federation of Australian Muslim Students and Youth (FAMSY) President, Seyed Sheriffdeen, today sent the attached open letter to Muslim embassies in Australia and to the international Muslim media, asking them not to judge the Australian people too harshly for the present reprehensible Government policies towards asylum seekers detained in desert camps.

He asked them to understand that these policies do not reflect the attitudes of vast numbers of Australians and that some of Australia’s best citizens have taken a firm stand in defence of justice for all refugees.

February 5, 2000: We, the Federation of Australian Muslim Students and Youth (FAMSY) Inc., write to ask you not to judge too harshly the Australian nation because of the policies of its present government towards asylum seekers and refugees.

We know that the treatment of asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children, in detention centres in Australia is being widely reported and that this is creating an image of this nation as a narrow-minded, racist, Muslim-hating country.

We know that the vilification of asylum seekers, many of whom are from Muslim countries subject to crippling sanctions or war, is being understood as a reflection of Australian anti-Muslim prejudice.

We accept the truth of the claim that fear of asylum seekers, focused largely around the Norwegian ship the Tampa, was cynically whipped up and used in the recent federal election campaign to try to win the racist and anti-Muslim vote.

However we do not, as Muslim citizens of this country, accept the claim that this anti-refugee campaign and the recent Howard government election victory are proof of a deep-rooted racist and Islamophobic attitude amongst the people of Australia.

Australians tend to vote according to family tradition, being a deeply conservative people. The lack of a clear distinction between the two major parties on the asylum seeker issue gave the incumbent party the advantage, for there was no compelling reason to remove it. Some of the minor parties did well, but not enough to shift the balance.

There are already signs within the membership and supporting groups around both major parties that policy changes will be brought about due to the reactions of the millions of Australians to current events. Many outstanding Australians, from former Prime Ministers to leading authors, religious leaders and lawyers, have made a strong public stand in defence of the rights of asylum seekers and in opposition to the use of racist fears for political purposes.

It should also be noted that State Governments like that of Queensland, Tasmania and particularly Victoria, take a very different position on refugees, offering to welcome them into their communities.

While we understand that it is our responsibility, as Australian Muslims, to carry out the task of spreading an awareness of the real nature of Islam to the rest of our Australian community, we consider it imperative for Muslim countries to seek to improve relationships with Australia and for embassies and Muslim media to make special efforts to inform this nation about Islam and Muslim culture.

At the very least, we urge you, whether through your government or it’s agencies, to refrain from judging Australia too harshly in the present situation. We are sure that we can rely upon the basic good nature of the Australian people to bring about change.

Yours faithfully