Dave McKay here. I tried to get the media to take an interest in
this, but no response so far. If people have any contacts, could you
send this on to them? Thanks.
Mother Pleads for her Son
A 34-year-old Iranian nurse recovering in the Woomera town hospital
from a near-fatal suicide attempt, has sent a message to well-wishers
promising that she will continue to seek ways to take her own life in
a desperate attempt to get her seven-year-old son accepted into
Australia.
She fears for her own life and for the life of her son if she returns
to Iran, but she believes that if she dies here, welfare authorities
will allow an Australian family to adopt her son, and he will then be
allowed to live on in Australia.
In a dramatic turn-around from the children overboard myth, here is a
refugee mother who is throwing away her own life in an attempt to
save her child.
"She is not a bad mother at all," said Ross Parry, a representative
from the Refugee Embassy in Woomera, who received a letter from the
woman this week, outlining her plan. "She is, in fact, trying to
make the ultimate sacrifice to save her son. It is time that others
took notice of this tragic case."
In a letter to the Refugee Embassy, received today (Thursday, 19
June), the woman said, "I know you wanted to visit me but they didn't
permit. I didn't succeed in my suicide, but I do again if DIMIA
doesn't accept [my son] get out! I told them one family look after
him if not.
"I know you know my pen friends. Please tell them all my story. I
can't send letter to all them. If you want, you can send letter to
me. I can answer you and you can follow my case."
The woman wrote another longer letter to a woman who tried,
unsuccessfully, to visit her, which was also delivered today. In it
she said, "I don't want to make all my friends sad and upset. You
know my story about going to full federal court. I couldn't tolerate
more."
It is understood that the woman won an appeal against the Refugee
Appeal Tribunal, but the Tribunal overturned the court ruling and
banned her once again from status as a refugee. This information has
not, however, been verified officially as yet.
The letter continues: "I wanted to be free from everything, but
unfortunately [my son] found me and the others stopped me. I
suggested to my doctor for adopting. I must choose [my son's]
happiness with choice like this (between bad and worse) like
sacrifice.
"God has chosen me. I must have suffering more. It was not enough.
I was not angry to him. I satisfy with his decision, but I want to
suffer only, not [my son]. If I need to kill myself (the best way,
not like before), I will do it.
"Recently I had many anxieties, so it moved to [my son]. His
behaviour is changed. I will lose half (or more) of my heart if [my
son] gets out, but I should [do it]. I visited him last Tuesday. He
is not too good. He shout during sleeping, wet his bed, because he
saw me in blood and cry in his heart. He told me himself.
"Pray for all detainees. Immigration play with us, all of us, not
just me. They are cruel to children. They think about dirty policy,
that is just money. All Iranians escaped from dirty policy, but
unfortunately in here we found it [again]. I can't write any more."
Ross Parry and Dave McKay, Refugee Embassy, Woomera 5720
Phone 0407-238805
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