Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, can I welcome the members of the Baha'i community to the Federation Chamber this evening. We are honoured and it is our privilege to have you here. While I have not known the member for Canberra for very long, probably much to her gain and my detriment, it has been a matter of great privilege for the short time I have known her. Unfortunately this is my first term and she announced recently that it would be her last, and, while I would prefer to see her replaced by a Liberal member for Canberra, in the likely outcome of that, whoever does become the next member for Canberra in the next parliament will have a very hard act to follow, and this motion is an example of that. I have the privilege of representing one of—if not the—most significant houses of worship for the Baha'i in the Southern Hemisphere. Baha'i is a religion that teaches us the importance of peace, tolerance, unity and harmony, so I assume no member of the Baha'i has a Twitter account. And the reason I assume that is that those of us who enjoy the art of politics do not often get any of those sentiments on social media.

A high principle of liberalism is freedom. It's in fact one of our core beliefs, and part of that is freedom of religion, freedom to practice one's religion as one sees fit and also—to guarantee that—the separation of church and state. No person should be able to use the government in any way, shape or form to impose their views, their religious beliefs, on others. We believe in the rights of individuals, and a core part of that is the ability to practice your beliefs as you see fit. This motion says it all, as I have said previously: 'The Baha'i community in Iran is subject to a widespread and systemic campaign of persecution' for no other reason than the fact that the government of Iran does not like or tolerate other religions. In 2012 and 2015, this House, the Australian parliament, condemned the treatment of Baha'i in Iran. This is both fit and proper. The discriminatory and unjust persecution continues, however, despite President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, promising justice and equal opportunity for all Iranians—a promise easily made but not easily kept.

Australia was, as other speakers have noted, a co-sponsor of the December 2017 resolution by the General Assembly of the United Nations, which expressed serious concern about ongoing severe limitations and restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief in Iran, and 'serious concern' in diplomatic speak is a very serious term. Persecution of Baha'is has recently spread to Yemen, where a death sentence was passed against Mr Hamed bin Haydara—and I apologise for my pronunciation—in January 2018 due to his religion. The resolution calls for the immediate release of all Baha'is currently in prison in Iran for no other reason than the fact that they choose to practice this religion, including the remaining Baha'i leaders imprisoned since 2008. The Iranian government should repeal all discriminatory legislation and practices, including the 1991 Baha'i question memorandum of the Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council.

Respect for the rights of freedom of religion and belief for all and an end to the persecution of Baha'is in Iran and the repeal of the death sentence against Mr bin Haydara and the immediate release of all Baha'is currently imprisoned in Yemen for their religion is something that this parliament has no trouble expressing and no trouble unanimously passing. What is happening is wrong. It is something that would never occur in Australia. It is wrong that it occurs in other parts of the world. While ever any person is subject to the tyranny of the state for no other reason than what they choose to practise and believe in, all of us are imprisoned.

We are privileged by your presence here today and we stand with you against this horrible tyranny.

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