The Christmas Island orphan must be set free

Meanwhile he should in no way now or ever, be placed in a family that does not share his religious or cultural practices. Is he Sunni, Shia, Sufi, Bahai etc? I doubt if the department knows.

As an allegedly Christian country in full swing of celebrating Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Christ can we avoid remembering the persecution of that little boy and his parents? They had to flee and seek shelter as refugees from oppression over two millennia ago.

Can we also forget about that other little boy left adrift on a river, again to escape being killed. He did not feed or thrive till he was placed with his biological mother and was back in the comfort zone of her arms.

Surely these stories and legends and religious beliefs can guide us and be the metaphor for resolving the immediate needs that need to be addressed for this eight year old boy condemned to an ongoing nightmare of grief till he gets the life enhancing basic comforts any child would need.

I do not imagine for a moment that there can be any thing remotely nurturing in a crowded prison-like facility full of despairing, angry human beings who have lost everything, sometimes their entire family.

Let us think about that when we sit around our tables this Christmas and let us weep for that little boy, if he is not released immediately to where he can get some relief from his ongoing suffering.