Merry Christmas, everyone!

I note in our papers that much of the world, both Christian and non-Christian, is about to enjoy Christmas this year: ie ignoring the religious message but giving gifts to each other anyway, so my greeting is indeed to the whole world.

I will be updating my Hot News properly within the next few days but I wanted to take this opportunity to say that I’m thinking of David Hicks this Christmas Eve. He is the only Australian in Guantanamo Bay and he happens to come from Adelaide, my home town. He’s been in Guantanamo for five years without ever having been charged, which breaks the trial laws of all Western democracies. Most of this time he has been imprisoned in a cage open to all weather and then in solitary confinement where he has been for so long that he doesn’t know whether it’s night or day, December or June, Christmas or Easter.

His devoted father Terry Hicks took six months to set up a Christmas phone call but David was too depressed this week and too disturbed to take the call. According to his inspirational American military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, the powers that be will not allow David to have the psychiatric treament he so desperately needs. Even though no charges have yet been laid! Is this what ‘the New World Order’ has come to? If so, those of us of Christian persuasion need to crawl with shame and ask Christ’s forgiveness.

I have never supported and will never support terrorism as a way of solving anything, nor for a moment do I support any terrorist, so if you’re wondering why I am so exercised over David Hicks watch the space in my Peace File. Within a week I will have posted the article I wrote for our Sunday paper, The Sunday Mail, last week. It will explain everything.

May love, peace and forgiveness be yours and mine this Christmas.

Mem Fox xxx