Letter to the Religious Freedom Review Panel 20 March 2018
The Hon Philip Ruddock Chairman Religious Freedom Review Panel c/o Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet PO Box 6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600 Email: [email protected] Dear Mr Ruddock and Members of the Expert Panel, I write on behalf of the Council of Middle Eastern Apostolic Churches of Australasia to follow up on our meeting of 25 January 2018. I have felt the need, compelled as I am to take this opportunity to write to you, as I have abiding concerns with respect to the matters upon which your just and sincere deliberations will settle upon to express what are my concerns in this letter to you, in support of the submission that we have made as the Maronite Eparchy of Australia, dated 13 February 2018 as well as the submission on behalf of the above-mentioned Council. At the outset, can I reiterate firmly our opposition to the diminishing and seeming erosion of any further religious freedom as seems to have been concomitant with the enactment of the legislation as it percolates throughout the community, by reason of its enactment. Our position is one of trepidation as to religious freedom in this country and the recent legislation regarding marriage is, in my humble perception, set to be the beginning of the imposition of constraints in respect of religious freedom, to be enjoyed and exercised in all areas of the community, which will be developed by this sad and, it seems, inevitable erosion of the freedoms that have been in place and constitutionally guaranteed but for this legislative intervention. The areas that I am referring to within the community are centred in our Church institutions, in particular our parishes and schools, as well as our families, from whom our adherents are drawn and for which we rely upon, with respect to the provision of the nucleus of not only our particular societal components but ultimately upon which this beloved nation is built upon and blessed with, as citizens. I would like to reinforce our disappointment as to how this legislation was prepared without the public given any ability to comment upon the parameters of the legislation, let alone its provision, before the plebiscite was held. There was no dissemination before the conduct of the plebiscite to enable what I consider to be a fully informed vote upon the provisions of the legislation and its impact, which in turn has deprived many of my parishioners of reaching an informed position which, in turn, had the rather convenient consequence of allowing the vote to be secured in favour of same sex marriage where, if it were more properly and, in terms of the perspective, better informed in respect of the legislative impact, the populace would have possibly reconsidered their vote if the legislation had been made known to them as proposed well in advance of the plebiscite being undertaken. We were equally disappointed to see that the legislation has bipartisan support, without it being given a chance to have any debate or amendment, which in turn defies the normal legislative process of having the bill introduced, debated for the First and Second Reading stages in the Lower House before it is referred to the Senate for its assent and then returned to the Lower House, for the ultimate entry into law. Such processes have been the hallmark of our legislative government and to not adhere to them, yet again, arouses suspicion and distrust. Therefore, it is considered both necessitous and appropriate to write to you to ensure that we are not doubly disappointed to receive amendments to the legislation so that it will, as a Bill, serve and respect religious freedom as a value of such a constitutional right, albeit implied, to preserve and proactively enable the confidence in all facets of society that their right to religious freedom will not be trammelled upon by this seemingly insensitive response and a legislative reflex coming as it does on the heel of the plebiscite being undertaken. No doubt you would be acutely aware of the justified apprehension within the religious community throughout Australia, who have taken the time to make submissions to you and your Panel, that you need as we would respectfully submit, to both pay due adherence to their submissions but more importantly their concerns embodied in those documents, as served, which we feel require the bipartisan attitude as undertaken by the Hon Prime Minister and the Hon Leader of the Opposition who, having agreed to go forward should nevertheless not see their consensus as being able to ignore, conveniently, for the sake of the compact as publicly declared, the right and freedom of all religious groups within Australia to have their religious freedom neither impinged upon nor demeaned as a sacrifice for public appeal. I refer to the meeting with the Prime Minister on 14 December 2017 at 4.00 pm at his Commonwealth Parliamentary offices, Bligh Street, Sydney, when the members of the Council of the Middle Eastern Apostolic Churches and myself were honoured to meet with him and the Hon Scott Morrison; and also to our meeting with the Leader of the Opposition, when we met on 12 December 2017 at 3.00 pm at St Thomas Chaldean Cathedral, Bossley Park. As I have indicated, we were both honoured and delighted to meet with our Leaders for the Government and the Opposition, respectively; however, what we are equally concerned about is that such a meeting and the opportunity to do so, are not to be seen as “cameo opportunities” which in turn, having been undertaken, will be totally disregarded with respect to the enactment of a legislative provision that does not foster and preserve the religious freedom that we have enjoyed to date and for which we do not deserve to have any diminution therefrom, as citizens of this great nation. In concluding, might I remind you that you have been reported on record that “I want to identify how we protect religious freedom in a way that’s in keeping our broader commitment to human rights”: (Philip Ruddock, speaking to Michelle Grattan on 22 November 2017). It is hoped and fervently prayed in that regard that we will see the enactment of legislation that ensures Australian law adequately protects the human right to religious freedom and to this end we pray that God will bless, preserve and inspire you in your deliberations, along with your panelists, in undertaking this solemn exercise for the protection and wellbeing of all Australians whose right to religious freedom is in their hands. May God bless each of you in your work. Yours faithfully, + Antoine-Charbel Tarabay Maronite Bishop of Australia On behalf of the Conference of the Australian Middle Eastern Apostolic Churches in Australasia. Church Members: • Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Australia and New Zealand • St Thomas the Apostle of the Chaldeans in Australia • Antiochian Orthodox Church of Australia and New Zealand • Syrian Orthodox Church • Coptic Orthodox Church of Sydney & its affiliated Region & Singapore • Ancient Church of the East of Australia & New Zealand • The Armenian Apostolic Church of Australia and New Zealand • The Armenian Catholic in Australia • Syrian Catholic Church • Coptic Catholic Church in Australia |
