Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) since 2014, Daesh (also known as ISIL) has been carrying out terror campaigns against Christians, Assyrians, Mandaeans, Yezidis, and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria;

(b) these campaigns have taken the form of mass murders, torture, rape, kidnappings, sexual enslavement and other crimes; and

(c) these atrocities constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide;

(2) noting that the United Nations mandated Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria has declared that Daesh's actions against the Yezidi people amount to genocide, calls on the:

(a) Australian government to refer to the Daesh atrocities as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide; and

(b) United Nations and member states to co-ordinate measures to prevent further atrocities occurring in Syria and Iraq and take all necessary action to hold those responsible to account; and

(3) commends:

(a) the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Lebanese Republic, the Republic of Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, for their ongoing support and efforts to shelter and protect those fleeing the violence in Syria and Iraq; and

(b) those nations that are providing a permanent home for Syrian and Iraqi refugees who are escaping persecution and violence.

In the Middle East we are facing the largest displacement of people since the Second World War. However, in this motion I specifically want to deal with the atrocities committed and the horrific means deployed by Daesh in their efforts to achieve their abominable objectives.

Daesh has engaged in abductions, systematic rape, enslaving women and girls and torture, coupled with the mass murder of civilians, and yet there seems to be a reluctance for these atrocities to be called out for what they really are: crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. We have all been shocked by Daesh-inspired attacks on the people of France, Kuwait, Tunisia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Here in Australia we have not been immune, with the attacks at the Lindt cafe and the killing of Curtis Cheng outside the police headquarters in Parramatta.

All these are acts of terror in support of Islamic State and its perverted objectives. Daesh has deliberately set out not only to destroy those who disagree with their extreme ideology but to destroy the very evidence of the existence of those who it deems to be infidels—particularly the Christians, the Assyrians, Mandaeans, Yezidis and other minorities. It has destroyed churches, blown up monasteries and desecrated cemeteries.

Daesh is genocidal by its nature, by its ideology and, clearly, by its actions. The systematic destruction of the monuments and artefacts of the Assyrian people, who have been indigenous to the region for over 6,000 years demonstrates the resolve of Daesh to recast history devoid of this ancient civilisation. In the Sinjar, Daesh tried to wipe the Yezidis from the very face of the earth by killing, enslavement, sexual slavery, torture and starvation.

Daesh kills Christians because they are Christians. Daesh kills Yezidis because they are Yezidis. It kills and destroys those who refuse to follow its extreme interpretation of Islam. The United Nations council has condemned the systemic violations and abuses of human rights by Daesh. On 13 March 2015, the Office of the UNHCR reported:

It is reasonable to conclude that some of these incidents, … may constitute genocide. Other incidents may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The US secretary of state, John Kerry, went further when he said:

In my judgement Daesh is responsible for genocide against groups ... under its control, including Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims.

Indeed, in June this year, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria concluded that Daesh is committing genocide against the Yazidis. In respect of military action currently on foot in Mosul, the UNHCR reported:

Abductions and forced removals of tens of thousands of people from their homes … effectively using [these] men, women and children as human shields.

They went on to say that 232 civilians were shot for refusing to comply with ISIL's instructions.

Motions similar to mine have already been moved in the United Kingdom, the United States and the Council of the European Parliament, recognising the actions of Daesh as genocide. Given Australia's involvement in and commitment to the Middle East, it is appropriate that we now formally recognise that Christians, Assyrians, Mandaeans, Yazidis and other religious and ethnic minorities from Iraq and Syria are suffering genocide at the hands of Daesh. We call on the UN Security Council to have these matters referred to the International Criminal Court, where the perpetrators can one day be brought to justice.

I am proud of our efforts to assist the Syrian refugees, particularly in taking an additional 12,000 people. But the global community owes an enormous debt of gratitude to Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their disproportionate efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and safe haven to the majority of people fleeing the violence of Syria.

I call on the government to do all that is necessary to bring this motion to a formal resolution of the House.

See this speech in context