God Does Not Hear My Screams

I wouldn’t class myself as one of the Green Left Weekly types, so I was a bit nervous when i headed down to Royal Perth Hospital to take part in a vigil for a Refugee who is on a hunger strike.
Saeed Hassanloo is a Christian who, with his brother, sought asylum in Australia after fleeing Iran five years ago. If he is sent back, he will face persecution and, quite possibly, death for his beliefs. Saeed has been on a hunger strike after exhausting all avenues to try to stay here. he’s now in RPH where he is still refusing food. His brother, instead of being allowed to be by his side, was shipped off to Christmas Island last week.
Last night, a group of people gathered outside the hospital to remember and pray for him. During the vigil, one of the ladies read out a poem written for Saeed by another Refugee in detention. There were 2 lines in that poem that ran something like this: “I have cried out to God
But God does not hear my screams…”

I went along to this vigil because I’m increasingly concerned about the way our government is treating the poor, the orphan, the foreigners among us. I’m looking out at Australia and I don’t like what I see and hear. The tone and tenor of our country has changed over the last 5 years or so, we’ve become angrier, more selfish, more fearful and more abusive towards others. I think this is a direct result of our government’s policies, and the hard-line rhetoric they are using to justify their actions.
On Good Friday, Tony Abbott went to church. He even took part in the service. People have told me that Tony Abbott has a strong catholic faith. I wonder how he reconciles his faith with his government’s treatment of the very people that Jesus (most likely) would have hung out with. Scott Morrison (apparently another Christian) was once quoted as saying that detention centres are run for (among other things) ‘the benefit of taxpayers’. I look at Saeed Hassanloo, dying on a hospital bed, and wonder what benefit I, as a taxpayer, will receive from his situation.
This government is engaging in policies and actions that will have consequences. I think this is hurting us, and I think we will pay a heavy price in the future, because of our behaviour now.

And in the future, we may be the ones crying out that God does not hear our screams.