Humanity is at a "crossroads" as the world deals with the rise of Donald Trump-style politics and divisiveness, the Anglican Dean of Brisbane Peter Catt says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Speaking at a Walk Together rally in Brisbane celebrating diversity on Saturday, Dr Catt said the old way to build community was by groups settings themselves against the "other".
"We pitted ourselves against everyone else as 'other'," he said.
"And we gave them names, which were always dehumanising. We do it to people seeking asylum in this country, we call them asylum seekers, not people, but things.
"They become the enemy and we feel safe when we set ourselves against them."
In February, Dr Catt said he would provide church sanctuary to asylum seekers, and said he was prepared to put himself between refugees and authorities to prevent them being returned to Nauru.
Dr Catt said "the last gasp" of the old way could be seen through the rise of Donald Trump.
"It's becoming to be seen for what it is, divisive and hateful and hurtful and in the end, divides everyone against everyone else," he said.
"There's hardly a group now that Donald Trump isn't against - he's even against his own party."
Dr Catt said humanity needed to come together to look after each other.
"I'm deeply encouraged as movements like this grow and swell and the Australian population in the last year has changed its attitude towards people seeking asylum and we just need our political leaders to catch up with the people," he said.
People marched from Kurilpa Park at South Brisbane to Emma Miller Place in the CBD as part of Brisbane's Walk Together event on Saturday, with participants holding placards welcoming refugees and playing music.
Brisbane co-ordinator Glen Veitch said the influence of politicians such as Mr Trump and Pauline Hanson was detrimental to the community.
"It's frustrating to see because these are people who are allowed to say what they want ... And the fact-checking always comes post the speech," he said.
"These are people who are using their words to build a culture of fear and fear doesn't take a lot to get people to be scared of each other.
"The effect that they're having is an overwhelmingly negative one that takes a lot of effort to combat."
Mr Veitch said it was important to hold events such as Walk Together because there was an increase in the rhetoric of fear and division in politics and at the grassroots level.
"Holding events like this actively works against that by being a voice of inclusion, respect and tolerance," Mr Veitch said.
"It's our intention to come up against that rhetoric of fear."
Walk Together events were held in several cities on Saturday, including Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
The event aims to celebrate diversity and declare that Australia can be a nation known for compassion, generosity and welcoming.
Islamic Council of Queensland spokesman Ali Kadri told the crowd in Brisbane he had been asked about 13 or 14 times to "go back to where you came from" in the time he had lived in Australia.
He asked Aunty Maroochy, who performed the Welcome to Country and blessing, if he should go back to where he came from.
"Aunty Maroochy, I'll only go back where I came from, if you tell me to go back to where I came from because this land belongs to you and your ancestors. So can I stay?" Mr Kadri asked.
Aunty Maroochy replied: "Everybody's welcome, if there's enough room and enough water and enough resources, everybody's welcome."
Mr Kadri said: "Thank you, today I think I got my citizenship."
He said everyone needed to stand together to fight ignorance and injustices around the world.
"This is why I think it is very important to stand up to the people who want to lock up the refugees who come across the seas into a detention camp," he said.
"[Australia] is not about red-headed women who own fish and chip shops, it is about all of us."
Yeronga State High School deputy principal Jessica Walker, who supported Brisbane asylum seeker Mojgan Shamsalipoor's bid for freedom, said at last year's event, she was calling for Mojgan to be released from detention.
"[It's] a very different mood and feeling to when I was at Walk Together last year," Ms Walker said.
"Last year we were carrying placards and posters and banners saying please free Mojgan, please free all young people from detention.
"And today, 12 months later, a miracle has happened and Mojgan and her brother Hossein were released from detention."
Ms Walker said Ms Shamsalipoor was very grateful for everyone's support.
"However, the journey isn't over yet because while Mojgan has been released, in that she's not living in detention any more, she's certainly not free," she said.
"She has a three-month bridging visa and she has guarantee of being able to live in the community with her husband and she still can't apply for a partner visa to stay with him as a permanent resident.
"So the fight for Mojgan continues. But this small win has generated so much hope, for her, and for other people who are in similar situations.
"Celebrate today, it's a beautiful day, and let's continue to walk together."
