Greens Senate candidate for NSW Lee Rhiannon MP, and Greens candidate for Grayndler, Sam Byrne, have added their voices to the large number of community members in the inner west of Sydney who have opposed the deportation of Earlwood based cleric Sheikh Mansour Leghaei.
“It is deeply concerning that without charge Sheikh Leghaei can removed from the community he has called home for 16 years, said Ms Rhiannon.
“There appear to be some vague and ill-defined concerns that ASIO has regarding the Sheikh’s relationship to the Government of Iran, the country he and his wife grew up in. But if that should be a crime then surely a democratic country should test any concerns publicly in a court of law.
“The proposal to deport Sheikh Leghaei is a fundamentally undemocratic and dangerous act, and I call on the Minister for Immigration, Senator Chris Evans, to use his power to halt the proposed deportation.
“It is clear from the broad support that the Sheikh has in the community that not only does he not present a threat, but to the contrary, he is assisting in building a more cohesive and strong community in our area,” said Mr Byrne.
“The Sheikh is a gentle, peaceful man who has done great work with people less well off and, working with people like Father Dave Smith from the Holy Trinity Church in Dulwich Hill, has done much to bring together people of different faiths and cultures. He is no threat.
“While the current Federal Labor Government has taken some important steps towards healing the rifts caused to our community by the Howard Liberal Government’s demonising of refugees and tacit support for the racially motivated fear campaigns of One Nation, it has to do a lot more to end fear in our community of people from different cultures.
“The Marrickville, Canterbury, Ashfield and Leichhardt areas are by and large great examples of where people from around the world have made new communities; communities that are treasured by their residents. Sheikh Leghaei clearly plays an important and peaceful role in building our community, and that role should not be ended by the paranoia of security agencies with a history of getting it wrong, and by legislation which fails to demand that allegations by security agencies be openly and publicly examined,” said Mr Byrne.
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