RISE refugee eX-detainee members in “Australia” are deeply alarmed and highly condemn the current military thuggery unleashed by Israel across the Middle East. The aggressive military actions by Israel, backed by the US, Europe and the international community, is pushing the region further towards devastation, destabilisation, crimes against humanity, mass murder, extermination and the forced displacement of 1000s of human beings – adults and children.
This is not a “Middle East crisis”. It is a crisis caused by continued subjugation by white colonial powers and self-interested corporations through hyper-militarisation, with the abused blamed for their own suffering.
We eX-detainee Refugees, who sought asylum by boat in “Australia” know this devastating pain firsthand. It should not surprise people that in a world of white supremacy and islamophobia, all of us eX-detainee refugees are people of colour and many of us are from middle eastern countries and the majority of us are from muslim communities. Many of us have lived under militant bombs raining down on our roofs and backyards, forcing us to flee and be subjected to continuous state sanctioned torture and persecution even when crossing borders. All of us have faced detention torture by the “Australian” government.
Hundreds of Iranian and Afghan eX-detainee members in “Australia” are currently living the nightmare of their families in Iran facing attacks by Israel and suffering from the fact that their families do not have the privilege of being able to cross borders to safety. This is on top of the torturous horror that Palestinian eX-detainee members in our community continue to experience due to unchecked genocide conducted by Israel in Gaza and the rest of occupied Palestine.
Meanwhile we watch the shameless charade conducted by most state actors in the international community including governments of neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey who “condemn” the genocide in Gaza and/or the actions of Israel – while actually facilitating or participating in Israel’s atrocities. All leaders of these governments are responsible for genocide and war crimes and crimes against humanity and the earth.
Even if humans were not maimed or killed directly by billions of dollars worth of weapons used in this war – the impact of the lethal contamination just from weapon debris, as well as the physical destruction of natural and human made structures that nurture and sustain life on earth, is irrevocable and immeasurable.
We demand an immediate end to this violence. The war fueled by Israel’s brutal military campaign backed by the US and its allies must stop now — for the sake of all ordinary human lives caught in the crossfire, from Gaza to Beirut, Sanaa to Tehran, Damascus to Baghdad and potentially the rest of the world.
Government leaders, their families and those with capital are the first to be prioritised for safety and evacuation. It is us, the ordinary people from communities on the ground, who are paying the price.
Enough is enough – all countries including rogue Israel must down their weapons NOW!
RISE eX-detainees