A ‘Reclaim Australia’ rally, Pauline Hanson, and guards entrusted with protecting Australia’s vulnerable asylum seekers — all in the same place. What’s wrong with this picture?
Eight guards from Nauru detention centre have been temporarily stood down from their positions after the surfacing of a controversial photo on Facebook.
The image shows the men — who are entrusted with caring for vulnerable people seeking asylum in Australia — posing with politician Pauline Hanson.
Yes, that Pauline Hanson. The Pauline Hanson who has previously linked halal certification to terrorist organisations, and has made several calls to “ban the burqa”.
The men – members of the emergency response team at Nauru, and employees of Transfield subcontractor Wilson Security — participated in the Reclaim Australia rally in Brisbane on April 4, at which Hanson was a speaker.
The Reclaim Australia movement involves self-proclaimed “patriotic Australians” calling to stop the “Islamisation” of Australia, including the cessation of the Halal tax and Sharia Law.
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Sadly, the photo of the men at the rally is not the most shocking display of racial hate on these mens’ Facebook pages: Guardian Australia reports several instances of derogatory comments regarding Islam.
Prior to the rally, guard Beau James posted a photo likening Muslims to Germans who enabled the rise of Nazis through inaction, captioned: “See yas tomoz boys!!! Bring your pitch forks,” while several of the men have also seized the word “infidel” as a sort of slogan — having it tattooed on their bodies and printed on t-shirts.
One of the guards, Simon Scott, previously wrote of Halal products: “Don’t be UnAustralian and buy these products. Let the filthy sub human genetic Islamic filth have it.”
These men are supposed to be trusted with protecting those who seek asylum in Australia — people in detention, who often need high levels of specialised care.
So it’s, quite frankly, disturbing to see them smiling alongside one of the nation’s most notorious racists and anti-immigration pioneers, at a rally which specifically rejects aspects of the religion of a large number of refugees.
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Is it really the belief of these men that Islam is “the enemy”, that its followers are “sub human”, and pitch forks are required to “reclaim” Australia?
If so, it’s difficult to see how those in their care can expect support.
Related content: It’s time to give children in detention their childhoods back.
An investigation is now underway about whether the Facebook image violates the organisation’s social media guidelines.
Top Comments
So their only 'crime' is to attend a peaceful rally purporting to 'reclaim Australia'. It doesn't prove that they have had an dereliction in their duties, when on the job.... which is all that matters in this regard.
It was their facebook messages. It violated certain policy in regards to their contract.
Urgh, racist idiots. I find the irony in these situations unbelievable! Unless you are indigenous, the land isn't yours to reclaim imbeciles! I guess there's no point arguing with stupid.
Australia isn't just a piece of land is it? It is infrastructure, buildings, and social institutions. How many asylum seekers would head for Australia if it was still as it was in 1786? The asylum seekers are asking for a slice of that which has been created by Europeans. The British introduced the western industrial economy and democracy to Australia. They didn't sail into an established society with education and welfare systems in place, and demand a share of a culture built by others. Those who built the country have the right to decide who they will share it with. I don't want to be forced to share the fruits of my labour with people who believe the legal testimony of my daughter is worth half that of a man.
The aborigines were just as guilty of land grabbing as the British were. Those who were living in Australia when the British arrived, were the ultimate beneficiaries of tens of centuries of low level warfare. They or their forebears gained their occupancy the same way the British did: by killing aborigines. Read the memoirs of William Buckley, an escaped convict who lived with the aborigines for 30 years before they had much contact with whites.
What difference does it make whose grandfather got here first?