Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion. Freedom of religion is a fundamental and inalienable right of every human being. There is an obligation on those of us in positions of influence to speak out for those who do not have that freedom and cannot speak out. However, we must always be careful to describe the situation in other jurisdictions accurately and in the proper context. There are issues related to religious freedom in Turkey. These cannot be doubted, and I will return to the details of these shortly. The issues in Turkey must be put in perspective, especially when compared to those in some neighbouring countries, for example.

I am particularly concerned about the rights of Christians in Iraq, and I have spoken about this previously in the House. It is hard to conceive that the position of Christians in Iraq has actually deteriorated since the fall of Saddam Hussein. As a member of the coalition of the willing, this government has an obligation to speak up for Christians in Iraq. I am sorry to say that the government’s response has been less than adequate, and I use the forum of this motion to again call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to make representations at the highest possible level to ensure the protection of Assyrians, Chaldeans and Mandeans in Iraq. The government also needs to be doing more in relation to providing safe haven for Christians who have left Iraq. I again call on the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to review the way her department handles applications for refugee status from Christians and Mandeans who have fled Iraq.

Let me now turn to the situation in Turkey in detail. It needs to be noted Turkey is a fiercely secular state and a democratic state. Despite the fact 99.8 per cent of the citizens of Turkey are Muslim, the Turkish constitution gives no special status to Islam. This is one of the legacies of the statesman Ataturk, who abolished the caliphate and modernised Turkey’s administration. We should be building on these foundations. It would be very tempting for a nation like Turkey, with such an overwhelming Muslim majority and so close to nations like Iraq and Iran, to adopt Sharia law, but it is in fact the fierce secularism which has led to some of the problems with religious freedom in Turkey. It is Turkish national policy, for example, that women in public service are not allowed to wear the burkha or hijab in work time or on government premises, and also that women who wear these religious garments in private time not be promoted. That is not a policy, of course, that we would be comfortable with in Australia, despite the well-publicised views of some members opposite.

There have been improvements in transparency and freedoms in Turkey as it continues to negotiate for its admission to the European Union. I note that this is referred to in the amended motion circulated by the honourable member for Mitchell. We need to be encouraging Turkey to build on these reforms. It is true that there is an ongoing dispute about the property of Christian churches and individuals. Turkish law allows the state to expropriate land when the size of a local non-Muslim community falls significantly. The United States Department of State also reports that the state has expropriated the properties of individuals who had left Turkey or died without heirs. All honourable members would join together in calling for this situation to be fixed.

It is also important for the future that the wrongs of the past are acknowledged. I believe the Assyrian people, among others, have a legitimate concern to ensure that the terrible events of 1915 are properly acknowledged and commemorated. The Turkish people and the Assyrian people could then join together in the acknowledgment that we must all work together to ensure that such events can never happen again—just as the Turkish and Australian people joined together in friendship after Gallipoli, especially after the warm words of acknowledgment of Ataturk, who paid tribute to the Australian men he fought against on the shores of Gallipoli.

In conclusion, I support the calls for freedom of religion everywhere and the need for the rights of Christians in Turkey to be respected. I do not believe that the Turkish government is anti-Christian—the Turkish constitution would not allow it to be. But I do believe that Christian communities in Turkey have legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. We need to extend a hand of friendship and cooperation to leaders of secular Muslim nations. While we may not always agree, we can work together towards greater tolerance and understanding of each other.

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