Liberal Democrats Senator Duncan Spender has called for the return of the Sharroufs.
“This Easter, our Government should work to return the Sharroufs to Australia, in line with the Christian ethos of presuming the best rather than the worst in people,” he said.
“Our Government officials in Turkey and Iraq should ask the Red Cross to facilitate the extraction of the Sharroufs from Syria.
“Their father Khalid Sharrouf was a foreign fighter. This does not mean that his children should be treated as guilty by association.
“The children did not leave Australia by choice; they were taken to a warzone by their parents, who have since both been killed.
“The Sharroufs are children. No Australian child should be dismissed as a lost cause.
“The Sharroufs are Australian citizens, so even if they have sympathies with Islamic State, they are Australia’s problem. We shouldn’t fob them off to other countries.
“We can’t ignore the individual impacts of the decisions of our big government. If Australia does not facilitate the return of the Sharroufs, what will happen to them? They are individual Australians like you and me, with hopes, fears and needs. We should have as much regard for the Sharroufs as we would have for any of our neighbours.”
The Sharroufs are just three of roughly 70 Australians in Syria associated with Islamic State. Australia has responsibility to deal with each of these Australians.
“If there is evidence that Australians in Syria have broken Australia’s far reaching laws, they should be prosecuted. Australia’s foreign fighters legislation involves penalties of up to ten years’ imprisonment, and in some instances, life imprisonment. Australia also has far‑reaching surveillance laws and laws empowering authorities to pre‑empt terrorist acts,” Senator Spender concluded.
