Senator Fierravanti-Wells notice of motion Nov 2012

Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Liberal Party, Senator for New South Wales has raised notice of motion in the Senate regarding the plight of Assyrian Christians in Iraq and has called upon the Australian Federal Government to raise the significant human rights concerns of Christian Assyrians with the Iraqi Government.
On behalf of the Alliance and the Assyrian Australian community, we would like to thank Senator Wells for the attention given to our plea and for her sincerity and outstanding effort over the years in raising the Assyrian concerns with the Australian Government. We also extend our appreciation to Mr. Paul Azzo for his unrelenting commitment to lobby the Assyrian case for many years.
Senator Fierravanti-Wells moved the following motion on Wednesday 28 November 2012; calling on the Senate To:
(1) recognises that:
(a) Christian Assyrians, a minority religious and racial group in Iraq, are subject to ongoing violence, intimidation, harassment and discrimination on religious and ethnic grounds.
(b) On 31 October 2010, 58 Christian Assyrians were killed in an attack on a church in Baghdad, in an act of violent extremism targeting this minority group.
(c) Christian Assyrians are actively discriminated against by having their land illegally occupied and transferred to squatters.
(d) Six hundred thousand Christian Assyrians have now fled Iraq, including many thousands to Australia.
(e) Assyrians remaining in Iraq are denied many basic human rights and subject to ongoing harassment, intimidation and discrimination.
(2) condemns violence, intimidation, harassment and discrimination on religious and ethnic grounds wherever it may be found; including in Iraq.
(3) calls upon the Government to raise the significant human rights concerns of Christian Assyrians with the Iraqi Government.
More information can be found on page 10 of the following link :
NOTICE OF MOTION
Assyrian Universal Alliance – Australian Chapter
PO Box 34, Fairfield NSW 1860 Australia.
E-mail: auaaustralia@optusnet.com.au