Board of Directors
Human Appeal Australia

Subject: Grave Concern Over Invitation Extended to Jason Clare MP

Dear Human Appeal Australia,

We are writing to express our deep disappointment and concern regarding your decision to invite Jason Clare MP to the Year 12 High Achievers Awards ceremony in Sydney on 23 February. While we understand the importance of community engagement and recognition, we urge you to reconsider aligning with a politician whose track record has been anything but supportive of the Muslim community in Australia.

Mr Clare has remained conspicuously silent in the face of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, failing to condemn the mass slaughter of innocent Palestinians. As a sitting MP, his duty is to stand for justice and human rights, yet he has chosen political convenience over moral responsibility. Furthermore, despite the disturbing rise in violent Islamophobic attacks right here in Sydney—including within his own electorate—he has taken no meaningful action to protect the safety and concerns of his Muslim constituents. His inaction speaks volumes.

Beyond his silence on these atrocities, Mr Clare, in his role as Education Minister, has engaged in clear political interference regarding the funding review of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, a distinguished academic and a proud Palestinian-Australian woman. His willingness to suppress critical academic voices, particularly those advocating for Palestinian justice, is a testament to his alignment with the Zionist lobby rather than with the values of fairness, free speech, and genuine democracy.

It is disappointing that Human Appeal, an organisation that represents a marginalised community, would seek the validation of someone who does not care for our safety, rights, or dignity. While we understand the complex realities of Muslim community being a migrant community in this country and the desire for mainstream acceptance, we must not fall into the trap of appeasing those who uphold colonial violence. Australia itself was built on the genocide of its Indigenous people, and we must remain steadfast in our solidarity with First Nations communities rather than seeking the approval of a government complicit in both their oppression and the genocide in Palestine.

Decolonisation begins with the courage to stand firm in our principles. We must stop seeking validation from a system that does not value us and instead invest our energies in genuine solidarity—both with First Nations peoples and with those resisting oppression globally. It is time for Human Appeal to reflect on its priorities and reconsider who it chooses to uplift and legitimise in the name of community recognition.

We strongly urge you to reconsider inviting politicians in the future and ensure that our communities are represented by those who genuinely stand with us, not those who bow to forces that seek to silence and oppress us.