“I’m in hiding! I don’t want to be asked by Australian law enforcement agents whether I’m an Australian first and a Catholic second or vice versa,” writes Father Bob Maguire. Bob says that asking whether Australian Muslims put global Islam before local loyalty reminds him of the way Catholics were persecuted in the 1920. “That atmosphere is not good for clear thinking. You and I need to maintain the right to think deeply and clearly before we ratify political decisions to destroy lives and property.”
Fed Police chief proposes “Reprogramming”
You probably missed it, but last week Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty actually proposed forcibly “reprogramming” people’s political beliefs.
Speaking on ABC TV’s Lateline on 8 March, Keelty says we should look at techniques which have been used “successfully” in such bastions of human rights as Indonesia, Singapore and Pakistan — even referring to it as “best practice”.
Keelty equates reprogramming people to convincing an informer to give evidence, and says this is the next step… to re-program somebody who has a belief or holds a belief. It has already been discussed with the government in the context of anti-terrorism control orders.
Commissioner Keelty, just in case you’ve forgotten Articles 18 and 19 of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, here’s a refresher…
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