CNN Website:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/255982/1/.html Surprise, surprise ALP! The Australian Labour Party, the ruling party of the state of New South Wales, Australia, woke up to find out that in next months state elections they will not be up against a Harvard graduate but one from the notorious Guantanamo Bay camp.
Mamdouh Habib, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay has declared his intentions to run for the New South Wales state elections and will be pitting himself against more popular Anglo-Saxon politicians. He is particularly fighting for a seat in Auburn, a suburb home to a large number of Muslims and migrants. Mr. Habib has stated that his intention was to end “the scapegoating of Aborigines, Muslims and migrants”.
I suppose it helps that the suburb he’s running in has people of the same ethnic background as he does. However, I really think that even if Mr. Habib won the elections, how much of an impact would he be able to make on the way the Aboriginal people, Muslims and migrants are treated in Australia? The struggle for respect and equality is a familiar story for any minority group in any country across the world. With his “sterling” credibility, as an ex Camp X-Ray detainee, I’m sure Mr. Habib would be able to touch the lives and capture the hearts of the Australian People. In your dreams Mr. Habib.
If he really wants to make an impact, Mr. Habib would be better off setting up an awareness group to educate people about equality for all races. Being an ex-con in that sense could be a good thing as it is publicity. However, what kind of publicity would you really be receiving? Even after being elected, I’m sure many people would spare the time to hear what Mr. Habib has to say, after all the stories of life in Camp X-Ray could be as entertaining as Arabian Nights.
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