"Behind the Wire" goes to Orange

Janice Harris, reporting in the Central Western Daily, tells the story of Iranian refugee Shahin Shafaei, who brought the human face of the Australian Government's refugee policy to the people of Orange this week.

Shahin, who told his story and played himself in the Ros Horn play "Behind the Wire" at Orange Civic Theatre, is an high-profile Muslim-born refugee who has taken his story to the Australian people through the media and theatre. He believes he is playing a part in changing community attitudes to refugees behind bars.

As a playwrite in Iran he risked jail by challenging the oppression in Iranian society, including attitudes to women, in his work. Many of his friends suffered that fate.

"I went into hiding for two days while a friend arranged to get me out of the country. When they realised I had gone, my parents' house was raided and my father was taken away for interrogation.

"I know if I go back I will be sent to prison."

Shahin made his way to Malaysia and bought a ticket to Australia through a people smuggler.

"I knew nothing about Australia but time had run out for me," he said.

He told of his 11-day journey in 2003, aboard a tiny vessel crowded with 112 men, women and children, and the events that led to his 22-month internment in Curtin Detention Centre.

"When I look back it was like a dream - almost surreal and I think that was my way of dealing with what was happening to me at the time," he said.

Shahin criticised the Australian Government's slow processing of asylum seekers saying there was no excuse for long delays.

"For the first 11 months in Curtin nothing happened and when I was finally told I would be released it took another four months after my application was lodged to be accepted as a genuine refugee.

"Then it took another five months for me to be released."

There are so many stories like this. It is vital to be able to put a face to injustice. Hopefully the efforts of Shahin and his collaborators will help counterbalance the dehumanising consequences of branding people 'illegals'.