Bipartisan support for faith groups: Chris Minns pledges $15 million

Aftershocks continue to rattle Southern Turkey after the massive earthquake on Monday 6 February in Turkey/Syria where the death toll has climbed to over 50,000 dead, over a hundred thousand injured and more than a million rendered homeless.

During a soccer match between Besiktas and Antalyaspor, fans threw thousands of soft toys onto the pitch to donate to children affected by the earthquakes with criticism of the relief efforts by the Turkish government for the victims of the earthquake.

Because the government does not allow freedom of assembly and expression, football games are seen as opportunities by crowds who’d like to chant protests.

The Turkish government has expanded a criminal probe into individuals responsible for buildings levelled by the deadly earthquake that has left millions without homes.

Turkish President Recep Erdogan has acknowledged the shortcomings of his government’s response to the disaster. He is due to face the elections after being 20 years in power on 14 May where calls have continued for the government to resign over its response to the disaster.

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Working together, Faith Communities have secured a multimillion dollar pledge from both the Coalition government as well as from NSW Labor for making religious institutions safe and secure for their congregations to meet, worship and preach with freedom.

NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns together with his leadership team met leaders and members of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist communities on Monday 27 February in Parramatta to pledge $15 million grants program going towards the security of religious institutions.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet while addressing a similar forum in Parramatta last week on Wednesday 22 February had earlier pledged $10 million grants program for faith organisations to strengthen safety and security of places of worship, schools, community centres, and buildings with religious symbols.

During his address, Mr Minns also gave the assurance that if he wins government after the elections scheduled for Saturday 25 March, the Labor Government would make religious vilification unlawful by amending the Anti-Discrimination Act within 100 days of taking office.

He was accompanied at the meeting by Deputy Leader and Shadow Minister for Education, Prue Car, treasury spokesman Daniel Mookhey, Jihad Dib, Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Julia Finf, Shadow Minister for Youth and Stephen Kamper, Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism.

The event was moderated by Bilal Rauf, spokesperson and advisor for the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) who welcomed the Labor politicians, representatives of various faith groups and the general audience calling on the Labor leader for his address before taking up questions.

Mr Minns started his address by saying, “Tonight is the culmination of the journey my team and I have been on for the last 20 months, a journey which began when I became leader of the New South Wales Labor Party. It was my belief that New South Wales Labor needed to do better in our engagement with people of faith, that for too long we had focused on our differences and we’d forgotten the values and principles that we all share.” continued on page 3

Israeli settler terror in Palestine

There has been a dramatic escalation of Israeli settler terror with at least 300 attacks backed by the Israeli army on Sunday 26 February, including shootings and arson of more than 30 houses, over 100 cars, businesses, mosques and schools in a rampage through Palestinian villages in the Nablus area of the occupied West Bank.

Earlier, a Palestinian on the ground described it as, “It truly is an Israeli state-sponsored #pogrom in Huwara tonight. 20 Palestinian houses set on fire. Countless cars were burnt. Ambulances & firetrucks were attacked with stones. 98 reported injuries among Palestinians, including people who were stabbed or hit with metal rods. Palestinian officials say, in what has been described as a “pogrom”.”

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said in a statement, “Scenes of burning houses and cars, assault on citizens, preventing fire trucks from reaching burned houses and assaulting ambulances transporting patients and injured – all these crimes must face international intervention soon to hold the occupation authorities and stop them.” continued on page 2