Edmund Rice Justice Bulletin

A fundamental principle of Catholic Social Teaching is that as beings created in the image of God, all people are endowed with dignity and have inherent rights and responsibilities.

At a global level sadly all too often this principle is ignored. It is especially troubling however when this occurs at the hands of our elected representatives or their agents. Several events in the past week in particular raise questions as to whether western society is becoming de-sensitised to the abuse of human rights.

Buried amidst the media stories applauding the tracking down and killing of the terrorist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was a reference to the deaths of several others in the bombing raid, including a woman and child.

Do we now believe that the unintended killing of innocent civilians (‘collateral damage’) is acceptable in the pursuit of military objectives?

What is the mentality that is operating when a US government official can describe the suicides of three detainees held at Guantanamo Bay as "a good PR move"?

How can the continued imprisonment of Australian citizen David Hicks, now in its fifth year with still no sign of his being brought to trial, be justified?