Q: When is a journalist a potential terrorist? A: When s/he’s interviewed Osama Bin Laden - according to the Australian Federal Government.

Prominent UK editor and outspoken critic of the Iraq War, Abdel Bari-Atwan, has finally been granted a visa in an about-face by Australian immigration officials. But only after taking his case against the government to the Australian media.

The editor of Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper, who has been invited to speak at the Brisbane Writers Festival this weekend, was intially refused a visa without explanation. Dr Bari-Atwan told the ABC's AM program he believed he was a victim of direct racism. “If I am going to be banned, simply because my name is Abdel Bari Atwan and because I am Muslim and because…I don't have white skin, because I don't have blue eyes... It is racial discrimination.”

Within two days of the interview being aired, he was granted that elusive visa and he's now making his way to Australia. For its part, a spokesperson for the Department of Immigration says the visa application was never denied… it was just delayed. Maybe it went missing in the same place they lost Vivien Solon and Cornelia Rau? Or perhaps, like Dr Haneef, he was just deemed, without evidence, to be of ‘bad character’.

Dr Bari-Atwan was the last Western journalist to interview Osama Bin Laden and he’s a regular guest on CNN, the BBC and Al Jazera. But as he pointed out on AM, interviewing a terrorist and taking a contrary stand to the Iraq War don’t make him a terrorist. “I don't have a criminal record. I have never been indulged in any sort of Islamic fundamentalism. I am a secular person so why they are treating me like this?” He asked.

He’s also been a frequent visitor to the US, where he’s been granted visas to deliver lectures at bastions of extremism such as Harvard University. That makes us more security-conscious than the justifiably paranoid US of A.

Banning journalists and political opponents; discriminating against visitors on the basis of their religion and skin colour…what’s next? Detention without charge? Suppression of free speech? Restrictions on freedom of movement and association? Our government using fear as a political tool? Oh yeah, we're already there.    [read more]

If I hear one more journalist or commentator pointing to our Prime Minister’s nickname, ‘Honest John’, in an effort to explain the electorate’s regard for the man’s integrity, I’m afraid my head may explode.

It’s an ironic label people! Like a tall man called ‘Shorty’ or a red-head nick-named ‘Bluey’ – get it?

In John Howard’s case, it was a nick-name first bestowed in the late 70's by a political enemy within his own party after the then Federal Treasurer reneged on promised tax cuts. It was also adopted by the ALP and wry scribes to ridicule 'Honest John' over his broken election promise. In the wake of a decade of broken ‘core’ and ‘non-core’ promises it’s a nick-name that still has currency.

The fact that Howard and his henchmen have managed to capitalise on this label, as though it were an indicator of his integrity and decency, is testament to the skill of their spin-doctors, the lack of historical knowledge of many journalists and community ignorance.

So, are we clear? ‘Honest John’ is an ironic nick-name. Not like rain on your wedding day (apologies to Alanis Morissette, but how ironic are that song's lyrics?) but like this:

Honest John
Brilliant George
Stupid Einstein
Ugly Angelina
Etc etc etc

OK, I’m glad we’ve got that straight!

Supporters of Howard's long-suffering deputy, Peter Costello, are now probably wondering what to make of 'Honest John's' promise to hand over power mid-term if he wins the next election. And, Howard Government Minister, Jo Hockey's, claim the PM is the 'Don Bradman of Australian Politics' seems deliciously ironic. 'The Don', of course, failed to score a single run in his last test match... . 'Out for a duck', his innings track record was diminished by the performance.

It's also worth noting that Howard's opponents within the Liberal Party now call him by the decidely unironic nick-name, "The Lying Rodent".    [read more]