Detained (Pakistani) man pleads: 'I'm not a threat to Australia'

[Bl[i]tZ]

Salman Ghumman denies he is an extremist. Herald Sun

A PAKISTANI warehouse worker swooped on by intelligence services, who deemed him a security risk, says he is not an extremist and has pleaded to be released.

Salman Ghumman was taken in to custody on December 21 by Immigration Department officials at Merlynston Station, just days after he was quizzed by authorities about phone calls made to Pakistan, NATO attacks, his movements and why he was in the country.


But the 23-year-old denied he was an extremist and said he was not a threat.

"I've got a beard. I can't think of any other reason (my visa was cancelled)," he said.

"I've got no future. I'm not a threat to this country."

Mr Ghumman's Facebook site links to a group backing terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani doctor with extensive terror links jailed for 86 years in 2010.

But authorities won't tell Mr Ghumman why he is being thrown out of the country.

"Then they interviewed me again and they were asking me one by one about my friends ... Most of friends are in Pakistan. I don't have (many friends) in Australia."

Mr Ghumman, who is being held at the Maribyrnong detention centre, came to Australia in July 2010 to study accounting at Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE.

He lived in Melbourne's northern suburbs, worked in warehouses and attended mosques in Fawkner and Preston.

The Department of Immigration declined to say why Mr Ghumman's visa had been cancelled, but said he was now in the country unlawfully.

"The person no longer met the legal criteria to hold a visa, therefore the visa was cancelled making him an unlawful non-citizen and subject to detention," a spokeswoman said.

A spokeswoman for the Attorney-General's department also refused to say why Pakistani authorities had been contacted or whether he faced charges.

"It would not be appropriate to comment on operational matters," she said.

Liberty Victoria president Spencer Zifcak said adverse security assessments from ASIO meant people could be kept in detention indefinitely.

"The problem is these people cannot find out the reasons for these assessments," he said.

"To hold people indefinitely on no charges without appeal is in breach of virtually every human rights convention Australia has signed on to."

Detained man pleads: 'I'm not a threat to Australia' | Herald Sun

This case should be an eye opener for "some" expats on forums (including this one) who support Al-qaeda, Taliban, LeT or their likes.

Either you disassociate yourself from these banned groups and their ideology or know that somebody is watching you!

 

[Roybot]

I feel sorry for this chap. But better to be safe than sorry.

 

[untitled]

Salman Ghumman was taken in to custody on December 21 by Immigration Department officials at Merlynston Station, just days after he was quizzed by authorities about phone calls made to Pakistan, NATO attacks, his movements and why he was in the country.

 

[Roybot]

I never understand(am generalizing a bit), why do Muslims somehow become "more Muslim" when they come to Western countries?

Look at the change in barely 6-7 months.
From this

To this

 

[regular]

Salman Ghumman denies he is an extremist. Herald Sun

A PAKISTANI warehouse worker swooped on by intelligence services, who deemed him a security risk, says he is not an extremist and has pleaded to be released.

Salman Ghumman was taken in to custody on December 21 by Immigration Department officials at Merlynston Station, just days after he was quizzed by authorities about phone calls made to Pakistan, NATO attacks, his movements and why he was in the country.


But the 23-year-old denied he was an extremist and said he was not a threat.

"I've got a beard. I can't think of any other reason (my visa was cancelled)," he said.

"I've got no future. I'm not a threat to this country."

Mr Ghumman's Facebook site links to a group backing terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani doctor with extensive terror links jailed for 86 years in 2010.

But authorities won't tell Mr Ghumman why he is being thrown out of the country.

"Then they interviewed me again and they were asking me one by one about my friends ... Most of friends are in Pakistan. I don't have (many friends) in Australia."

Mr Ghumman, who is being held at the Maribyrnong detention centre, came to Australia in July 2010 to study accounting at Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE.

He lived in Melbourne's northern suburbs, worked in warehouses and attended mosques in Fawkner and Preston.

The Department of Immigration declined to say why Mr Ghumman's visa had been cancelled, but said he was now in the country unlawfully.

"The person no longer met the legal criteria to hold a visa, therefore the visa was cancelled making him an unlawful non-citizen and subject to detention," a spokeswoman said.

A spokeswoman for the Attorney-General's department also refused to say why Pakistani authorities had been contacted or whether he faced charges.

"It would not be appropriate to comment on operational matters," she said.

Liberty Victoria president Spencer Zifcak said adverse security assessments from ASIO meant people could be kept in detention indefinitely.

"The problem is these people cannot find out the reasons for these assessments," he said.

"To hold people indefinitely on no charges without appeal is in breach of virtually every human rights convention Australia has signed on to."

Detained man pleads: 'I'm not a threat to Australia' | Herald Sun

This case should be an eye opener for "some" expats on forums who support Al-qaeda, Taliban, LeT or their likes.

Either you disassociate yourself from these banned groups and their ideology or know that somebody is watching you!

Hey He! Australia is not the country of these Gora pplz . They need to go back to Europe ,where they came from.. It belongs to Aborgese pplz living there. They came over unlawfully to this continent and killed these native pplz mercilessly. They have no right to detain any innocent Pakistani guy who never did anything wrong except to help finance his studies........

 

[Bl[i]tZ]

Hey He! Australia is not the country of these Gora pplz . They need to go back to Europe ,where they come from.. It belongs to Aborgese pplz living there. They cam over unlawfully to this continent and killed these native pplz mercilessly. They have no right to detain any innocent Pakistani guy who never did anything wrong except to help finance his studies........

My history of Australia is rather weak but you can say all you want in Pakistan but when you go to Australia, their law is law of the land!

 

[untitled]

I thing I never understand(am generalizing a bit), why do Muslims somehow become "more Muslim" when they come to Western countries?

One might find two types of immigrants from Muslim countries

1) Who completely assimilate in to the western society
2) Who become more religious than they ever were

 

[Luftwaffe]

One might find two types of immigrants from Muslim countries

1) Who completely assimilate in to the western society
2) Who become more religious than they ever were

3) Or stay the same, whatever "floats your boat" sort of people.

 

[Abhishek_]

One might find two types of immigrants from Muslim countries

1) Who completely assimilate in to the western society
2) Who become more religious than they ever were

they are far easier to get along with and often the true patriots of the homeland.

 

[untitled]

Dude, the second photo is scary!

and people like these are considered role models by some

 

[Bl[i]tZ]

and people like these are considered role models by some

Well, I've no particular love for them but they don't scare me!

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

I never understand(am generalizing a bit), why do Muslims somehow become "more Muslim" when they come to Western countries?

Nothing makes you miss home more than having to leave it.

One reason why immigrants to the West often do retain much of their original culture, even for several generations.

The question is, what does it mean to "assimilate"? If it just means following the law, then that is pretty easy. If it means giving up your old identity completely, that obviously takes much longer.

 

[Bl[i]tZ]

Nothing makes you miss home more than having to leave it.

One reason why immigrants to the West often do retain much of their original culture, even for several generations.

The question is, what does it mean to "assimilate"? If it just means following the law, then that is pretty easy. If it means giving up your old identity completely, that obviously takes much longer.

+1. Actually, you'll find that most Indians and to some extent even Chinese (I won't generalize for them since I don't know a whole lot of them) show more patriotism towards their homeland than they used to when they were at home. At home, you don't have to prove your patriotism but when you're away, things change!

 

[happycanuck]

Hey He! Australia is not the country of these Gora pplz . They need to go back to Europe ,where they came from.. It belongs to Aborgese pplz living there. They came over unlawfully to this continent and killed these native pplz mercilessly. They have no right to detain any innocent Pakistani guy who never did anything wrong except to help finance his studies........

His innocence will be decided by the courts of Australia. Just relax and chill out. Rest of the views of your are off topic.

 

[Roybot]

As long as you are a law abiding person and not insulting you host nation and culture, thats good enough. Assimilation is too big a word for something as small as this.