Political and religious refugees have long been part of the Australian political landscape but now a new class of asylum seekers has put the Refugee Review Tribunal in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. HANNAH FRANK reports.
While Adelaide celebrates sexual diversity at this year’s Feast Festival, homosexuality remains a crime in 77 countries where gay men and lesbians face penalties from flogging to prison and even the death sentenceProgress is slow. In China sodomy was decriminalized in 1997, but homosexuality was still considered to be a mental disorder until 2001.
Refugees who identify themselves as gay and lesbian fleeing persecution can apply for humanitarian visas in more liberal countries like Australia, but despite the well-documented discrimination, harassment and violence that they have often endured the success rate for claims based on sexuality is low. Between 1994 and 2000 only 26% of gay men and just 7% of lesbian applicants for refugee status were granted a visa.
These findings were published in a study by Jenni Millbank, who is the Professor of Law at the University of Technology in Sydney a widely published expert in refugee law. She says the figures reflect the difficulty of being recognized as a refugee on the basis of sexuality in Australia. So why is it so hard getting here when you’re queer?
Those who come to Australia seeking asylum as refugees under the humanitarian visa program for any reason face a grueling series of assessments including the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) before their application can be accepted or rejected. It is this body, the group of final decision makers for the visa program, who have been put in the spotlight for their approach to sexuality claims after the case of Ali Humayun, a 26-year-old Pakistani Christian who was denied a visa after the RRT judged that his homosexuality was a result of his detention in Australia.
Humayun, who said that he feared for his life if he returned home, identified himself as bisexual before entering a relationship with Julio Lorenzo, a 41 year old Spanish citizen, at the detention center in 2006. The judgment rejected Humayun’s claim on the basis of inconsistent evidence, saying that his relationship with Lorenzo was ‘simply a product of the situation, where only partners of the same sex are available…[it] says nothing about his sexual orientation’. Humayun had already told the tribunal that his father had threatened to kill him if he returned home to Pakistan. Interest groups labeled the deicion as ‘homophobic’ and held vigils as part of International Day Against Homophobia.
The central task of the RRT is determining the credibility of the applicants, in other words, whether they really are gay or not. Though the RRT no longer uses the invasive and humiliating techniques of penile plethysmography or anal examinations to determine whether an applicant is gay, before June 2007 members of the RRT had no sexuality training despite making hundreds of determinations which saw visa applicants rejected or accepted based solely on this issue.
This has led to the application of highly generalized, inappropriate stereotypes to determine an applicant’s claim, according to Millbank. This was highlighted in a case where an Iranian asylum seeker, claiming to be gay and in fear of his life if he returned home was quizzed by an RRT member whether he admired Madonna, and what he thought of the work of Oscar Wilde.
When he replied that he had no idea what they were talking about, the member told him that he obviously not gay, because he couldn’t relate to any gay icons. But the case went to the High Court and it was determined that the line of questioning was appropriate in the circumstances. The assumption that an Iranian should identify with gay Western icons was troubling for Millbank and refugee advocacy groups who had supported the case.
How you determine homosexuality is central to the problem, says Millbank. “The decision-makers’ understanding of what homosexuality is and how it is and ought to be expressed is… vital in the decision making process”.
In an article for the Australian Gay and Lesbian Law Journal lawyer Karen Walker says that for applicants who apply for refuge on the basis of their sexuality, they have to make their sexual identity fit in with the pre-conceived ideas that the members of the RRT have about what being a homosexual is. “What such a claim requires is that the individual concerned present [themselves] to the immigration authorities in a way that is cognizable and acceptable to those authorities”.
A landmark decision in 2003 has since given the issue more weight after the High Court considered the case of a gay Bangladeshi couple who had arrived in Australia in 1999 seeking refugee after being sentenced to death by stoning by a religious council in their home country.
The significance of the decision centered on the judgment which indicated that sexual orientation could be considered a ‘social group’ under the international convention on refugees. The barrister for the men, Bruce Levet said the decision would have an impact on jurisprudence around the world.
"It's the first time anywhere in the world that a final appellant court of a country has considered a refugee claim based on the grounds of sexual orientation. Not only is it a statement of what the law is in Australia, but because refugee decision makers around the world look at each other's rulings very closely, it's got a huge potential to influence decision making and jurisprudence in all countries which receive refugees”.
The key issue in this case was discretion, and whether the men could have avoided persecution had they been discreet about their relationship. It’s a consideration that has long been employed by the RRT to determine whether the applicant would indeed suffer persecution if they returned home, and thus, their eligibility for a humanitarian visa. But in his winning appeal Levet argued that the approach was unfair, comparing it to Anne Frank’s story during World War Two.
“To say to a homosexual: ‘Be discreet about it, you'll be all right', was about the equivalent of saying to Anne Frank if she turned up to Australia: 'Go back to your attic . . .keep hiding and you'll be OK’”.
But this has been the ruling on many of the claims that have already passed through the RRT, with applicants forced to return to their home countries and, often from family members and police officers.
According to a submission to the Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission by the Alternative Life Styles Organisation, this has meant that homosexuals who have been denied refugee status in Australia have been forced to live secret lives in their home countries and are treated differently to other classes of refugees, who are protected when they express their beliefs.
But for some applicants ‘discretion’ is only achievable through celibacy. In one case involving a Chinese lesbian applicant who had been rejected by her family and harassed by authorities, a visa was denied on the basis that if she didn’t have any sexual partners then she wouldn’t have harassed.
The RRT saw this as an acceptable resolution. But for those who wish to express their sexual identity and enter same sex relationships, keeping secret can be difficult. If discovered, many face threatened and actual violence, harassment and even execution, from family members but also religious fundamentalists sometimes police.
The High Court case challenged this process after an appeal was sought for the two Bangladeshi men who had been told that they, similarly to other applicants, could have avoided persecution if they had been discreet about their relationship.
In an ABC interview for the Law Report in June 2007, Millbank explained the decision of the RRT and the impact it would have on the way that the RRT determines claims.
“What the case said was, 'Well, first of all the Australian system cannot impose or require that [discretion] of anyone; it's not the place of the [Refugee Review Tribunal] to tell people how to live their lives; the role of the process is to ask the question: How will you live your life? And why, if you have lived a life of secrecy, why have you done so? And if you've done so because of terrible risks or really significant fears, then does that rise to the level of persecution as defined by the Refugees Convention?'
And the High Court very powerfully said there's so many more components to a gay identity which may include expression of that identity through having a same-sex partner, through living with them, through wanting to have a social life in which you mix with people who are also gay, and express that aspect of your life in a really wide range of ways, that go far beyond a simple sexual act.”
So whilst applicants now have a slightly better chance of succeeding in their claims for a visa, the RRT continues to be plagued by attacks on their so-called ‘independent’ sources of information which are used to discredit applicants.
Government cables from the Department of Trade and Foreign Affairs were used in 48% of cases between 1994-2004, but they have been proven wrong. One said that homosexuality is not illegal in Bangladesh It is. Millbank found that where DFAT evidence was used, almost 90% of applicants were unsuccessful – more than double the general fail rate of refugee applicants.
More troubling perhaps is the use of gay travel magazine ‘Sparatacus’ by the RRT as a source of law. Because the RRT is not bound by the normal rules of evidence, which would make the system unusable due to the reliance on verbal testimony from applicants, members can use sources of information that would never be permitted in a normal court of law.
Between 1994-2000 the magazine, which is a tourist publication filled with advertisements featuring naked and half naked men, was used as a source of law in 26 cases. Despite being publication especially for gay men, Millbank says the RRT also found no qualms in applying the information it contained to lesbian applicants.
She says in one 1999 case from Columbia citing venue listings for porn cinemas and bath houses as evidence that the two women would not suffer persecution if they returned back to their country. It’s enough to incense legal experts like Millbank. “There is no logical reason to think that any lesbian should know where to find a gay men's bath house”. In every case where Spartacus was applied to lesbian applicants in the six-year study, they lost.
All in all, the RRT clearly still struggles to cope with the concept of sexuality as the basis for refugee claims, but the upside of the many cases in which vias have been denied is that flaws in the system have allowed expers like Millbank to embark on campaigns to change things for the better.
In June 2007 after the RRT rejected the application of 26-year old Ali Humayun’s visa on the basis of his ‘situational homosexuality’, the ABC reported that the RRT had confirmed it’s ‘commitment to developing sexuality training for its members’ after Greens Senator Kerry Nettle took up the issue with Principal Member Steve Karas AO at a Senate Estimates Committee meeting.
However at November 2007 the RRT website still maintains the Guidance on the Assessment of Credibility - October 2006 as the manual to determining claims for refugee status. No part includes any mention of sexuality of guidelines for determining claims based on sexual orientation. Clearly, progress for recognition of gay and lesbian rights is not only slow in developing countries like China.
Australia still has a long way to go in terms of its support systems for refugees and issues like mandatory detention will continue to occupy much of the current debate on refugee issues. The High Court decision offers some limited hope for applicants in specific situations but more broadly the indicators point to a continual under-representation of refugees granted a visa on the basis of their sexual orientation.
The decisions that the RRT makes in their day-to-day dealings can be the difference between a life of relative freedom and one of fear, but it remains to be seen if RRT members will be given enough tools to make accurate and fair determinations on the lives of refugee applicants. But if this happens and politicians, interest groups and government work together towards a new system, maybe one day gay and lesbian refugees will stand alongside other loud and proud performers at the Feast Festival and tell their own stories in newfound pride and freedom.
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Friday, 5 October 2007
United for Peace
While the Middle East continues to form the backdrop to religious conflict and play stage to US foreign policy, a group of young Adelaide professionals are uniting to show us that interfaith peace is possible, as HANNAH FRANK reports.
It’s well past a respectable closing hour on a Tuesday night when I pull up to the Digimob phone shop in Pultney Street; the last customer left hours ago but the lights are still shining through the showroom windows into the street. I’m here to catch the end of a committee meeting for new not for profit organisation United for Peace. After dark, the store has been transformed into a theatre for animated debate between the committee of Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims, Orthodox, Catholic and Maronite Christians and Druze members, who form a ‘mini-UN’ as they sit on a mix of office chairs and armchairs around the perimeter of the showroom.
Well into their agenda items when I arrive through the back door, it’s clear this dispute has nothing to do with religion. Instead, the committee is debating the performance fee for a well known Lebanese singer, who they are flying from interstate for the next United for Peace fundraiser. This is no small event; talk of television advertising, contracts and media coverage fills the room as each person volunteers their time to contribute to the project. In the Middle East, where religious segregation and cultural conflict form part of everyday life, such a scene of interfaith dialogue and cooperation is a long way from realized.
United for Peace formed last year after the 2006 Lebanon War, which saw a 34 day military conflict between Lebanon and northern Israel end in more than 1000 mainly Lebanese deaths and displaced more than 1.5 million people. It was the result of fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces; after the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers the country sought to enforce air and naval blockades against Lebanon whilst inflicting massive airstrikes which damaged the international airport in Beirut as well as much civilian infrastructure. More than 1.5 million people, approximately two thirds of whom were Lebanese, were displaced. Both Lebanon and Israel supported a United Nations resolution to end the conflict on 11 August and the ceasefire came into effect on 14 August.
Set up to educate Australia about the the complex political, cultural and social issues in the Middle East, United for Peace also aims to provide financial aid to the region through fundraising events. Sitting next to me at the meeting is Faten Shahin, a 20 year old university student and a ‘full Palestinian’. Last year her relatives in Lebanon were devastated by the war along with thousands of other families. ‘My dad’s nephews have a plastic company where they manufacture all the plastic equipment for hospitals, like IV tubes. That whole company got destroyed and it cost them about $20million dollars. Now they’ve started to rebuild it, but just a fraction, just one [production] line, not twenty. They had to start again from scratch…each person is affected in different ways’.
The chair of the organisation is Houssam Abiad, who at 31 is the CEO of Digimob, which he proudly tells me is the second largest mobile phone repair company in Australia; this is his shop. He’s also got a double degree in biomedical science with honors, and is currently studying for an MBA. There’s no shortage of qualifications on the UFP committee; at tonight’s meeting there’s also Hala Abokamil, 26, a graduate psychologist ‘but still kind of attached to uni at the moment’, and Heba Najjar, 22, who has a double degree in Health Science and Social Science. She is currently studying for a Masters of Audiology. Among the other committee members are a property developer, a lawyer, several business owners, and more than a handful of management and finance students.
The strength of the committee in business and finance has obviously served United for Peace well. In just over a year, UFP has raised more than $10,000 for a variety of organisations, including a recent quiz night which attracted more than 100 people in support of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Faten considers the night her favourite moment so far in the short life of the organisation. ‘I was put up to be MC –they know I hate public speaking! So when they put me up for it I was a nervous wreck, but once I did the intro it was fine’.
Other events have included a 600-strong concert with famous Lebanese singer Ramy Ayash as well as highly successful film nights, bowling and karaoke fundraisers and participation in the Government funded ‘Bringing Communities Together’ event in Rundle Mall. This in particular is the kind of event UFP seeks to participate in. Hala cites this as one of the most important activities for United for Peace, most importantly because it allowed the public to interact with Muslim people and see that they aren’t so different.
It hasn’t always been easy to fulfill that goal. ‘I think a lot of the events that we do we tend to attract the converted anyway – which is great that our family and friends come and support us, and we get such a great level of support from the Lebanese community – we wouldn’t be where we are right now without it – but I think the best thing for us to do is to get out there and reach out to the wider Australian community, and get our message across and let them know what’s going on. You know, make them more informed… we wouldnt just want to make ourselves a cause for the Lebanese people or the Middle Eastern Community, we want to be a cause for everyone.’
This task is undoubtedly made more difficult in the current political climate post-September 11 and the Iraq War, where foreign governments and the media have invariably linked the phrase ‘Middle East’ with Islamic fundamentalism, dictatorships and terrorism. But Hala has a surprising assessment of the influence of US foreign policy on the portrayal of Middle Easterners. “I wouldn’t fault the agendas of any certain governments”. It seems odd that this intelligent and well spoken woman would hesitate to acknowledge the vilification the Middle East has suffered, so when I press her about the influence of media on Middle Eastern stereotypes, she admits that her position has more to do with her self-critical nature than any desire to validate US foreign policy.
‘I will acknowledge that [the media have made it more difficult] but at the same time I will fault the Middle Eastern community and say: “Why aren’t we going out there and presenting a positive image of ourselves to counteract what’s going on?” Personally, I think we do a very poor job of that. We have a very long way to go in presenting a good image. I don’t know why we let certain media organisations run away with that stereotype that they’re trying to paint of Middle Eastern people… I think we need to get a bit more organized and get involved in the community. You just have to appeal to people’s humanity, and make them understand that the value of a child in Palestine is as great as the value of a person who died in September 11.’
Ranim Kaddoura, one of the youngest committee members at 18, was in Saudi Arabia when September 11 happened. Being in an Arabic country rather than a Western one, ‘I didn’t feel it as much. When I came to Australia, I had my headscarf on. Some of my family members were quite concerned before we came here, and they thought “careful, discrimination”. But I am quite surprised and very pleased to say that I have not been bothered by anyone. Everyone’s been very understanding. I just think that the way you treat people reflects on the way you are treated, and I haven’t had any difficulties with it.
Like most people on the committee, Ranim, now a first year university student studying food science has complex ties back to the Middle East. ‘I was born in Saudi Arabia, although I’m Palestinian, but in the Middle East it doesn’t work that way. We came here in 1995, got the citizenship and then went back to Lebanon’. On her return to Australia following a series of moves around the Middle East ‘it was because of my Dad’s work’ she got involved in United for Peace when the 2006 Lebanon War broke out. ‘I really wanted to do something to help…the only thing that I could do personally was to contact Mars chocolate fundraising and I started selling that chocolate. One of the places that I selling it was at a Flinders [University] lecture by Dr David Palmer and Houssam [Abiad] was there and he saw me and asked me if I wanted to get involved’.
Sitting in his office after the meeting, I ask Houssam about his vision for the organization. ‘Obviously we’re a very young organisation… what I’d like to see is something that is beyond me. I might not be around to see it, but I think my ultimate goal at the end of the day is, living in Australia we must all be Australians.’ The statement seems an ill fitting answer to the question, but it’s obviously something he feels need to be said, so I drop the line of questioning and ask him what he means by ‘being Australian’. ‘To me? It means opportunity. It means freedom of speech, freedom of thought…having the ability to express myself at any time of the day without having to feel fear…without having to feel inhibitions.’ His words remind me that many Arab-Australians now feel more pressure to prove themselves as ‘’fair dinkum” Australians, especially after some gave the rest a bad name at the 2005 Cronulla riots.
Heba has experienced the feeling, too. ‘I’ve had to justify myself in a number of situations. Although I’m not Muslim I still have attachments to the Middle East. A lot of people would make assumptions of what my stance was on certain situations. On the other hand, it’s made me think twice about how I look at other people and races. There are extremes in all cultures. You have to give people the benefit of the doubt’.
But personal identity takes a backseat here: more important is the task at hand, developing the policies and direction of United for Peace. Houssam tells me that it is ‘completely apolitical’, and ‘purely humanitarian’, but at present their fundraising channels seem to have a heavy bias towards Lebanese and Palestinian interests. It’s a young organisation but from the outside, the partiality seems to work in noticeable contrast to their mission statement of impartiality.
So does that mean United for Peace, whose committee members are ‘mainly Lebanese and Palestinian’ according to Ranim, would raise money for an Israeli cause? ‘Absolutely’, says Houssam. ‘In fact, just recently Anthony Loewenstein came down and talked’. However, the fact that the Sydney based author of ‘My Israel Question’ is Jewish is not enough. His book has been criticized for being ‘overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian’, and containing ‘aggressive public criticisms of the state of Israel’. These comments formed part of a review in the Sydney Morning Herald written by Philip Mendes, a senior lecturer in social policy at Monash University. Mendes also suggested that Loewenstein ‘depicts the Palestinians as largely defenceless and innocent victims and provides only limited discussion of the long history of Palestinian hatred for and violence towards Israel’.
Given these comments, United for Peace may need to make a more concerted effort in order to avoid being seen as taking a political stance; fundraising on a broader scale and the inclusion of some Jewish committee members could all go a long way to achieving the objective of the organisation. This perhaps, more than anything, would ensure there is a true representation and balance within the group. In the meantime United for Peace continue to build a very important organisation and with a savvy, professional and enthusiastic team, they look set for success in achieving the interfaith and intercultural dialogue that they have set out to accomplish.
It’s well past a respectable closing hour on a Tuesday night when I pull up to the Digimob phone shop in Pultney Street; the last customer left hours ago but the lights are still shining through the showroom windows into the street. I’m here to catch the end of a committee meeting for new not for profit organisation United for Peace. After dark, the store has been transformed into a theatre for animated debate between the committee of Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims, Orthodox, Catholic and Maronite Christians and Druze members, who form a ‘mini-UN’ as they sit on a mix of office chairs and armchairs around the perimeter of the showroom.
Well into their agenda items when I arrive through the back door, it’s clear this dispute has nothing to do with religion. Instead, the committee is debating the performance fee for a well known Lebanese singer, who they are flying from interstate for the next United for Peace fundraiser. This is no small event; talk of television advertising, contracts and media coverage fills the room as each person volunteers their time to contribute to the project. In the Middle East, where religious segregation and cultural conflict form part of everyday life, such a scene of interfaith dialogue and cooperation is a long way from realized.
United for Peace formed last year after the 2006 Lebanon War, which saw a 34 day military conflict between Lebanon and northern Israel end in more than 1000 mainly Lebanese deaths and displaced more than 1.5 million people. It was the result of fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces; after the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers the country sought to enforce air and naval blockades against Lebanon whilst inflicting massive airstrikes which damaged the international airport in Beirut as well as much civilian infrastructure. More than 1.5 million people, approximately two thirds of whom were Lebanese, were displaced. Both Lebanon and Israel supported a United Nations resolution to end the conflict on 11 August and the ceasefire came into effect on 14 August.
Set up to educate Australia about the the complex political, cultural and social issues in the Middle East, United for Peace also aims to provide financial aid to the region through fundraising events. Sitting next to me at the meeting is Faten Shahin, a 20 year old university student and a ‘full Palestinian’. Last year her relatives in Lebanon were devastated by the war along with thousands of other families. ‘My dad’s nephews have a plastic company where they manufacture all the plastic equipment for hospitals, like IV tubes. That whole company got destroyed and it cost them about $20million dollars. Now they’ve started to rebuild it, but just a fraction, just one [production] line, not twenty. They had to start again from scratch…each person is affected in different ways’.
The chair of the organisation is Houssam Abiad, who at 31 is the CEO of Digimob, which he proudly tells me is the second largest mobile phone repair company in Australia; this is his shop. He’s also got a double degree in biomedical science with honors, and is currently studying for an MBA. There’s no shortage of qualifications on the UFP committee; at tonight’s meeting there’s also Hala Abokamil, 26, a graduate psychologist ‘but still kind of attached to uni at the moment’, and Heba Najjar, 22, who has a double degree in Health Science and Social Science. She is currently studying for a Masters of Audiology. Among the other committee members are a property developer, a lawyer, several business owners, and more than a handful of management and finance students.
The strength of the committee in business and finance has obviously served United for Peace well. In just over a year, UFP has raised more than $10,000 for a variety of organisations, including a recent quiz night which attracted more than 100 people in support of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Faten considers the night her favourite moment so far in the short life of the organisation. ‘I was put up to be MC –they know I hate public speaking! So when they put me up for it I was a nervous wreck, but once I did the intro it was fine’.
Other events have included a 600-strong concert with famous Lebanese singer Ramy Ayash as well as highly successful film nights, bowling and karaoke fundraisers and participation in the Government funded ‘Bringing Communities Together’ event in Rundle Mall. This in particular is the kind of event UFP seeks to participate in. Hala cites this as one of the most important activities for United for Peace, most importantly because it allowed the public to interact with Muslim people and see that they aren’t so different.
It hasn’t always been easy to fulfill that goal. ‘I think a lot of the events that we do we tend to attract the converted anyway – which is great that our family and friends come and support us, and we get such a great level of support from the Lebanese community – we wouldn’t be where we are right now without it – but I think the best thing for us to do is to get out there and reach out to the wider Australian community, and get our message across and let them know what’s going on. You know, make them more informed… we wouldnt just want to make ourselves a cause for the Lebanese people or the Middle Eastern Community, we want to be a cause for everyone.’
This task is undoubtedly made more difficult in the current political climate post-September 11 and the Iraq War, where foreign governments and the media have invariably linked the phrase ‘Middle East’ with Islamic fundamentalism, dictatorships and terrorism. But Hala has a surprising assessment of the influence of US foreign policy on the portrayal of Middle Easterners. “I wouldn’t fault the agendas of any certain governments”. It seems odd that this intelligent and well spoken woman would hesitate to acknowledge the vilification the Middle East has suffered, so when I press her about the influence of media on Middle Eastern stereotypes, she admits that her position has more to do with her self-critical nature than any desire to validate US foreign policy.
‘I will acknowledge that [the media have made it more difficult] but at the same time I will fault the Middle Eastern community and say: “Why aren’t we going out there and presenting a positive image of ourselves to counteract what’s going on?” Personally, I think we do a very poor job of that. We have a very long way to go in presenting a good image. I don’t know why we let certain media organisations run away with that stereotype that they’re trying to paint of Middle Eastern people… I think we need to get a bit more organized and get involved in the community. You just have to appeal to people’s humanity, and make them understand that the value of a child in Palestine is as great as the value of a person who died in September 11.’
Ranim Kaddoura, one of the youngest committee members at 18, was in Saudi Arabia when September 11 happened. Being in an Arabic country rather than a Western one, ‘I didn’t feel it as much. When I came to Australia, I had my headscarf on. Some of my family members were quite concerned before we came here, and they thought “careful, discrimination”. But I am quite surprised and very pleased to say that I have not been bothered by anyone. Everyone’s been very understanding. I just think that the way you treat people reflects on the way you are treated, and I haven’t had any difficulties with it.
Like most people on the committee, Ranim, now a first year university student studying food science has complex ties back to the Middle East. ‘I was born in Saudi Arabia, although I’m Palestinian, but in the Middle East it doesn’t work that way. We came here in 1995, got the citizenship and then went back to Lebanon’. On her return to Australia following a series of moves around the Middle East ‘it was because of my Dad’s work’ she got involved in United for Peace when the 2006 Lebanon War broke out. ‘I really wanted to do something to help…the only thing that I could do personally was to contact Mars chocolate fundraising and I started selling that chocolate. One of the places that I selling it was at a Flinders [University] lecture by Dr David Palmer and Houssam [Abiad] was there and he saw me and asked me if I wanted to get involved’.
Sitting in his office after the meeting, I ask Houssam about his vision for the organization. ‘Obviously we’re a very young organisation… what I’d like to see is something that is beyond me. I might not be around to see it, but I think my ultimate goal at the end of the day is, living in Australia we must all be Australians.’ The statement seems an ill fitting answer to the question, but it’s obviously something he feels need to be said, so I drop the line of questioning and ask him what he means by ‘being Australian’. ‘To me? It means opportunity. It means freedom of speech, freedom of thought…having the ability to express myself at any time of the day without having to feel fear…without having to feel inhibitions.’ His words remind me that many Arab-Australians now feel more pressure to prove themselves as ‘’fair dinkum” Australians, especially after some gave the rest a bad name at the 2005 Cronulla riots.
Heba has experienced the feeling, too. ‘I’ve had to justify myself in a number of situations. Although I’m not Muslim I still have attachments to the Middle East. A lot of people would make assumptions of what my stance was on certain situations. On the other hand, it’s made me think twice about how I look at other people and races. There are extremes in all cultures. You have to give people the benefit of the doubt’.
But personal identity takes a backseat here: more important is the task at hand, developing the policies and direction of United for Peace. Houssam tells me that it is ‘completely apolitical’, and ‘purely humanitarian’, but at present their fundraising channels seem to have a heavy bias towards Lebanese and Palestinian interests. It’s a young organisation but from the outside, the partiality seems to work in noticeable contrast to their mission statement of impartiality.
So does that mean United for Peace, whose committee members are ‘mainly Lebanese and Palestinian’ according to Ranim, would raise money for an Israeli cause? ‘Absolutely’, says Houssam. ‘In fact, just recently Anthony Loewenstein came down and talked’. However, the fact that the Sydney based author of ‘My Israel Question’ is Jewish is not enough. His book has been criticized for being ‘overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian’, and containing ‘aggressive public criticisms of the state of Israel’. These comments formed part of a review in the Sydney Morning Herald written by Philip Mendes, a senior lecturer in social policy at Monash University. Mendes also suggested that Loewenstein ‘depicts the Palestinians as largely defenceless and innocent victims and provides only limited discussion of the long history of Palestinian hatred for and violence towards Israel’.
Given these comments, United for Peace may need to make a more concerted effort in order to avoid being seen as taking a political stance; fundraising on a broader scale and the inclusion of some Jewish committee members could all go a long way to achieving the objective of the organisation. This perhaps, more than anything, would ensure there is a true representation and balance within the group. In the meantime United for Peace continue to build a very important organisation and with a savvy, professional and enthusiastic team, they look set for success in achieving the interfaith and intercultural dialogue that they have set out to accomplish.
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
Old Lion Hotel - Restaurant Review
My favorite animal is steak.” ~Fran LebowitzIt’s hard to go past the Lion’s famous steaks when you’re after seriously satisfying food. A spontaneous culinary stop late on a weekday night, our corner table looked out over groups of suited business men, a birthday gathering and a few older couples sipping their way through bottles of good reds. Comfort food also calls for favourtie wines, and tonight an ordered glass of Rockford Alicante Bouchet turned into a bottle when the waiter pointed out the mere allocation of two-and-a-bit glasses per person between us. Nice one.
With my hypochondriac of a dining companion declaring he definitely needed steak ‘because I’m all pale, I probably have anemia’ we decided that the Coorong Angus MSA Graded Scotch Fillet with Coriole Olive Oil Mash, Beerenberg Tomato and Beetroot Relish and Peppercorn Sauce would be the best cure for his clearly morbid announcement.
Perfectly tender and juicy on the inside, our request for them to be well done was dutifully executed in the most skillful fashion, the fat slightly blackened and crisp. The distinctive Coriole characteristics of the olive oil shone through the mash and the peppercorn sauce was delectably rich and meaty but surprisingly un-peppery for its name.
Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat. ~Fran Lebowitz
Unfortunately the arrival of our Asparagus and Brocollini with Sweet Lemon Emulsion a few minutes after we has swept up the last few drops of sauce from our steaks meant that they probably weren’t enjoyed to their full potential. They were, however, delicious and the emulsion that dressed broccolini and asparagus certainly livened the dish up to create something of an accidental palate cleanser before dessert. The mistake was dealt with graciously by the staff, who were clearly lacking in numbers on a night where folks like us - ‘walk-ins’ to those in the industry - and a couple of people off sick had thrown the carefully considered tables/waiters proportion off balance. We were generously offered a dessert each on the house as well as the cost of the vegetables deducted from our bill.
I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason Love
We finished our evening with a silky hazelnut truffle desert and a tangy lemon pudding whose beautiful sauce pooled onto the plate once the spoon penetrated the centre of the pudding. Once again the waiters recommendation was spot on, and to their credit they remained helpful and cheerful until we, as the last table, left the building, contended, full, and determined to return soon.
Number Ten - La Cucina e Bar review
This is a review for Number Ten, a resturant on O'Connell St, North Adelaide. It was formely Adelaide institution Cibo Ristorante and #10 La Cucina e Bar. Since this visit I have returned several times and updated reviews will be posted here and at the original site shortly.
Published May 2007 on www.webmenu.com.au
Bring your expectations from the old Cibo restaurant and you might be disappointed. Unfortunately it seems that this restaurant is still finding its feet and its own style after adopting a significant part of the old menu. I have visited this place twice in recent weeks in the hope to see such a transformation take place; whilst the pizzas maintain the authenticity of the old restaurant, and indeed compare well with those I have tasted in Rome, the meat dishes from the main menu seem to lack confidence and the robust flavors that you would expect from a good Italian restaurant.
The exception to this would be the soup that I ordered on my first visit. The special of the day, it was a delicious thick pumpkin and basil topped with honey mascarpone – absolutely divine, and full of flavor. Full marks here. I could barely eat my main course, but that proved not much of a problem as the The Galleto alla Diavola that followed, a whole chicken simply flavoured with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sage & thyme. It was pretty underwhelming, lacking softness in the meat and any delicious juices to meld the flavours together. A disappointment considering the luxury and prospect of a succulent whole bird.
The Pancia di maiale con mella balsamica (crispy skin pork belly) was beautifully presented without a doubt, with a tiny, glazed apple on one side and the sweet potato puree in a little – perhaps too little - mound on the other. But the promised crispy skin was somewhat soggy by the time it reached me (disappointing, as it is the delicious element of the dish. The pork lacked the necessary salt to bring out the flavor of the meat, which was presented in two wedges arranged in the middle of the plate. Overall I’d expect a little more, and a little more attention to the basic requirements – salt and crispiness - for my $29.90.
As an aside, a lack of crispness was also the issue with a salt and pepper squid entrée, which, while tasty, once again focused on a beautiful presentation rather than the two essential elements of flavor and texture true to the nature of the dish. The aeoli presented with it had very little flavor at all. On the other hand, the little rocket salad that came with the dish was exquisite, perfectly dressed in olive oil and salt.
For what the restaurant currently lacks in gastronomic potency it could just about make up with their service. Clearly quality staff have been sought after (as a regular patron of the previous establishment I didn’t notice any wait staff that survived the transition) and our waiter was gracious, speedy and attentive. A charming, accented man, he immediately wished my mum ‘Happy Mothers Day’ on arrival, managed to communicate well with the kitchen about her egg allergy, and presented her with a single tulip at the end of the meal to the bemusement of my family.
No doubt the culinary memories of Adelaideans will continue, for a time, to draw bookings, but the hit and miss menu has disappointed this gastronome for now. I look forward to seeing the development of the restaurant into a true local identity of its own, as it has more than enough potential to become another must eat Adelaide restaurant.
Published May 2007 on www.webmenu.com.au
Bring your expectations from the old Cibo restaurant and you might be disappointed. Unfortunately it seems that this restaurant is still finding its feet and its own style after adopting a significant part of the old menu. I have visited this place twice in recent weeks in the hope to see such a transformation take place; whilst the pizzas maintain the authenticity of the old restaurant, and indeed compare well with those I have tasted in Rome, the meat dishes from the main menu seem to lack confidence and the robust flavors that you would expect from a good Italian restaurant.
The exception to this would be the soup that I ordered on my first visit. The special of the day, it was a delicious thick pumpkin and basil topped with honey mascarpone – absolutely divine, and full of flavor. Full marks here. I could barely eat my main course, but that proved not much of a problem as the The Galleto alla Diavola that followed, a whole chicken simply flavoured with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sage & thyme. It was pretty underwhelming, lacking softness in the meat and any delicious juices to meld the flavours together. A disappointment considering the luxury and prospect of a succulent whole bird.
The Pancia di maiale con mella balsamica (crispy skin pork belly) was beautifully presented without a doubt, with a tiny, glazed apple on one side and the sweet potato puree in a little – perhaps too little - mound on the other. But the promised crispy skin was somewhat soggy by the time it reached me (disappointing, as it is the delicious element of the dish. The pork lacked the necessary salt to bring out the flavor of the meat, which was presented in two wedges arranged in the middle of the plate. Overall I’d expect a little more, and a little more attention to the basic requirements – salt and crispiness - for my $29.90.
As an aside, a lack of crispness was also the issue with a salt and pepper squid entrée, which, while tasty, once again focused on a beautiful presentation rather than the two essential elements of flavor and texture true to the nature of the dish. The aeoli presented with it had very little flavor at all. On the other hand, the little rocket salad that came with the dish was exquisite, perfectly dressed in olive oil and salt.
For what the restaurant currently lacks in gastronomic potency it could just about make up with their service. Clearly quality staff have been sought after (as a regular patron of the previous establishment I didn’t notice any wait staff that survived the transition) and our waiter was gracious, speedy and attentive. A charming, accented man, he immediately wished my mum ‘Happy Mothers Day’ on arrival, managed to communicate well with the kitchen about her egg allergy, and presented her with a single tulip at the end of the meal to the bemusement of my family.
No doubt the culinary memories of Adelaideans will continue, for a time, to draw bookings, but the hit and miss menu has disappointed this gastronome for now. I look forward to seeing the development of the restaurant into a true local identity of its own, as it has more than enough potential to become another must eat Adelaide restaurant.
Thursday, 30 August 2007
Cuisine of the Barr Smith Lawns
Move over, sausage sizzles. With the weather hotting up it seems that every club on campus is out to boost their bank accounts (no doubt to fund their rather enjoyable end of year piss ups) by flogging cheap and delicious food to hungry students. But it isn’t just greasy sausages anymore – you can now pick anything from falafel, to noodles, to
Last week the Evangelical Union, the Malaysian Students and Godless (the atheist club) competed for punters, with the EU giving away noodles and Godless hosting endless BBQ’s – in fact, one would be forgiven for thinking they had set up shop, with this reporter spying them on the lawns all Election Week too.
The Malaysian Students Association also busted into the BBQ market on this particular day so we thought a BBQ round up would be in order. Both groups had a selling price of $1 per sausage so we had to look a bit further to make up our minds about Godless were our first visit and though the set up was a bit confusing, the organizers soon pointed us in the right direction and they scored major points when my veggie friend got a massive veggie pattie sandwich (that’s right, they didn’t skimp on the bread) for the bargain price of $1. The sausages weren’t particularly inspiring but we liked that you could get a sticker that said ‘no thanks, I’m an atheist’ free with your snag.
Venturing over to the Malaysian BBQ, we couldn’t really find any veggie options unless you wanted to eat bread with onion and sauce – quite a reasonable proposal given that the onion serving was so generous my entire hand was enveloped along with the sausage and bread. The sausages here were definitely better quality and these guys were super organized, strategically placing themselves opposite their stall. The girls who were running it were great PR people - they should run in student elections the way that I was accosted, leafleted and invited to an event in one smooth move.
However, pick of the month for Food of the Barr Smith Lawns goes to the Israeli club who gave away free falafel rolls during their event on Wednesday of Election Week. They were awesome guys – and if you’re reading this, send me your hummus recipe.
Last week the Evangelical Union, the Malaysian Students and Godless (the atheist club) competed for punters, with the EU giving away noodles and Godless hosting endless BBQ’s – in fact, one would be forgiven for thinking they had set up shop, with this reporter spying them on the lawns all Election Week too.
The Malaysian Students Association also busted into the BBQ market on this particular day so we thought a BBQ round up would be in order. Both groups had a selling price of $1 per sausage so we had to look a bit further to make up our minds about Godless were our first visit and though the set up was a bit confusing, the organizers soon pointed us in the right direction and they scored major points when my veggie friend got a massive veggie pattie sandwich (that’s right, they didn’t skimp on the bread) for the bargain price of $1. The sausages weren’t particularly inspiring but we liked that you could get a sticker that said ‘no thanks, I’m an atheist’ free with your snag.
Venturing over to the Malaysian BBQ, we couldn’t really find any veggie options unless you wanted to eat bread with onion and sauce – quite a reasonable proposal given that the onion serving was so generous my entire hand was enveloped along with the sausage and bread. The sausages here were definitely better quality and these guys were super organized, strategically placing themselves opposite their stall. The girls who were running it were great PR people - they should run in student elections the way that I was accosted, leafleted and invited to an event in one smooth move.
However, pick of the month for Food of the Barr Smith Lawns goes to the Israeli club who gave away free falafel rolls during their event on Wednesday of Election Week. They were awesome guys – and if you’re reading this, send me your hummus recipe.
Student Radio 2008
Congratulations to Johnathon Brown who has been elected as the 2008 Student Radio Director in this year's Adelaide University Union Elections.
John currently produces the Breakfast show for Radio Adelaide and has some exciting new plans in the works for Student Radio in 2008.
You can contact him at johnathon.brown@student.adelaide.edu.au
John currently produces the Breakfast show for Radio Adelaide and has some exciting new plans in the works for Student Radio in 2008.
You can contact him at johnathon.brown@student.adelaide.edu.au
Sunday, 19 August 2007
AUSR at Open Day 2007
AUSR will be hosting Open Day at the University of Adelaide on Sunday 26th August. Meet the Student Radio Directors, Franky and Sunshine from The Director's cut along with with all your favourite presenters including Geoff, Kye and Ben from Vincent and Gumpch, Andrew and Will from the Slightly Political Party and Kristian, Jimmy and Toby from The Dissident Conformists.
Resident DJ's Pete and Simtech will be bringing smooth tunes and chilled out vibes to your weekend. You can catch Student Radio from 11am to 3pm on Hughes Plaza. Don't miss it.
Resident DJ's Pete and Simtech will be bringing smooth tunes and chilled out vibes to your weekend. You can catch Student Radio from 11am to 3pm on Hughes Plaza. Don't miss it.
The Director's Cut
The Director's Cut is a fortnightly show on Radio Adelaide 101.5FM hosted by Hannah Frank and Tyson Shine. The show is open mic and there are different guests, ranging from revolutionary youth movements, to politicans, musicians and comedians.
Each week the Student Radio resident DJ's, Simtech and Pete bring your ears alive with a new musical theme. Past themes have included TV Shows, Songs That Have Been Ruined By Advertising and Songs You Didn't Know Were Covers.
Still to come this year on The Director's Cut is the Swing Music Special, Soundtracks and more. The show is broadcast on Radio Adelaide 101.5FM every Tuesday night at 10pm.
Each week the Student Radio resident DJ's, Simtech and Pete bring your ears alive with a new musical theme. Past themes have included TV Shows, Songs That Have Been Ruined By Advertising and Songs You Didn't Know Were Covers.
Still to come this year on The Director's Cut is the Swing Music Special, Soundtracks and more. The show is broadcast on Radio Adelaide 101.5FM every Tuesday night at 10pm.
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