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his place, during which Friends could express their concerns about what he was doing. As an elder himself, he knew that such a move should have gone through the Ministry and Oversight Committee, of which he was a member. But he was also surprised, because he had assumed that most Friends were unaware of what was happening in his private life. For a threshing meeting to be called, someone must be feeling pretty strongly about what was happening to him. He agreed to host such a meeting at his flat on a Saturday afternoon two weeks later.

More than a dozen Friends turned up, and most of them were not from Chaim's local meeting. The convenor reminded everyone that they were there just to hear people out, and not to make any decisions or to discipline anyone. People had questions that they wanted to put to Chaim, and so he was being offered an opportunity to hear the questions and to share his concern. That was all.

"These men who are staying with you -- Ben and David -- do you know much about what they're teaching in the Aboriginal community?" asked Barbara, a young Friend who was actively involved in social work with Aborigines in northern New South Wales.

"Yes, I do," said Chaim. "But you know, Ben and David aren't Friends themselves. They don't even attend."

"Do you support them in what they're saying?" asked Barbara.

Chaim could see that he would need to be careful about how he answered that one.

"I support their right to share their faith in whatever way they see fit," he said with a grin.

Barbara then went on to describe in her own words what she felt Ben and David were doing. They were frightening Aborigines with talk about the end of the world, and they were disrupting communities by steering young people (and a few oldies) away from their jobs, their families, and so many of the social support networks that had been set up in that state for indigenous people.

Chaim asked whether it was fair to discuss Ben and David, since they were not present to defend themselves.

"What about you? What is your position on these things?" asked Barbara more pointedly.

Before Chaim could answer, the presiding clerk gently eldered Barbara for not letting others share before she commented further. Quaker practice is to restrict individuals from hogging the floor; ideally, everyone speaks once before anyone speaks twice.

Dorine, an older Quaker who had come from Canberra for the meeting, spoke next.

"You know, we Friends have had a long history of interest in Aboriginal issues. But we've never had many indigenous attenders, much less members. I wonder if what these two men are doing may be at least as relevant to the needs of the Aboriginal people of Australia as anything else that we're doing?" There was no response to that, though Chaim was encouraged by Dorine's observation.

Then Dennis, another elder from Sydney, a retired accountant with whom Chaim had felt tensions over minor issues even before this sudden change in his life, spoke up.

"Bible prophecy? End of the world? Is this really what they need to hear? What Chaim's frends are teaching has nothing to do with tribal religion; it's just Christian fundamentalism. Friends, you know I'm christocentric myself; but I don't go so far as to support this kind of talk."

After a moment of silence, Chaim asked for an opportunity to respond. Because he was the subject of the meeting, he had the option of speaking more often than the others.

"I can't really speak for Ben or David," he said. "But I've been experiencing something quite powerful in my time with the Aborigines over the past year. Listening is a big part of it, and that's very much in keeping with the way we worship. But there's something else that we Friends may have missed. It has more to do with their understanding of history. I know the reputation Bible prophecy has, but if we could see prophecy more from the Aboriginal perspective, I think there may be something in it that could actually unite people instead of dividing them.

Chaim was surprised to hear himself talking in this way. Being put on the spot, he was saying things in defence of prophecy that he had not even consciously thought out prior to the threshing meeting.

As the discussion progressed, there were a few questions which seemed to show genuine concern for how Chaim was going to survive when his savings ran out, and some people lovingly expressed concern for where all of this was leading.

But the overall spirit of the meeting was one of deep concern for what he was getting himself mixed up in. He was reminded that Bible prophecy usually did not result in people being more loving.

There was some probing into how much overlap exists between tribal prophecy and Bible prophecy. Chaim said that he felt the Aboriginal approach was far more subjective than that of Western religion. Because of that, and their absence of written records, he felt that Aborigines could adapt to the truths that existed in other religions at the same time that they seemed to have a clarity about what the Spirit was saying here and now. He noted that this was often lacking when religions became entrenched in historical interpretations of ancient writings. Most of those present seemed relieved to hear that he had a higher regard for the Aboriginal approach than he did for the traditional Christian approach.

Dennis (who most likely was the force behind the meeting), and one or two others, did not seem at all satisfied with Chaim's answers, but most of those present left more supportive (or less antagonistic, as the case might be) than they were when they arrived.

 

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Policy Changes

Chapter Eleven--Policy Changes

The great influx of refugees from America (many without official papers, and all without prior application) had forced Australia to re-think its position on refugees. It was impossible to put all these former allies through the same ordeal that she had been inflicting on other refugees for so many years; so the Americans were welcomed freely, without visas or detention. This, of course, led to embarrassment about all the refugees who were still being held as prisoners. The Government delayed making a decision for as long as possible, but by the end of the year it had declared amnesty, opened the doors of its cruel detention centres, and freed people like Mashallah, who had been locked away for years. A short time later, Australia.did away with visa requirements altogether.

Mashallah himself had, while imprisoned, reached the conclusion that even after his release Allah wanted him to continue his stateless existence, as a wanderer in this new world. He became convinced that he was to travel the country in search of the Imam Mahdi, the messenger of Allah who would lead him and other Muslims to the Messiah.

For twelve months Mashallah wandered aimlessly, from Port Augusta, to Adelaide, to Melbourne, and finally to Sydney, visiting mosques and talking to people on the streets, in an effort to glean hints from them about where he could find the one whom he sought. There were lots of theories, but none that led to anything concrete.

He did not seem any closer to finding the prophesied Imam by the time he reached Sydney, than he had been when he left Baxter; but he was still determined to stay faithful to the agreement that he had made with his God before leaving the detention centre. Furthermore, it was so good to be free, that he did not care if it took the rest of his life to fulfill this peculiar mission.

 

* * *

 

During that same year, Chaim stayed gratefully free of further confrontations with Friends, and he continued to maintain contact with Vaishnu.

The free work movement had disappeared from the public eye in India, because of the threat from Krishnamurthy. But over that year, Vaishnu had shared excitedly with Chaim about what he was learning of those who had dispersed. Many of them were continuing to help others for free, but they were doing so quietly and sometimes even anonymously, and still they were surviving. On top of that, there were changes in the government which had the potential for greater freedom for Vaishnu and his followers.

In fact, eight months after the sect's sudden disperson, the BJP was voted out of office in Tamil Nadu, and in the neighbouring state of Karnataka. Vaishnu had learned his lesson, and although he was working on rebuilding communication with his followers, he was doing so quite independently of any government assistance this time. In Delhi, the ruling Congress Party brought back far more liberal religious policies. Changes were brought in which made international travel easier as well.

Throughout the world similar changes were taking place. Immigration restrictions, visas, and even passports were being phased out in many countries. There was a rush by people from poorer countries to move to the West, but it was not the mass migration that many had expected. There were so many good things happening within the poorer countries themselves, that most people wanted to stay on and to be a part of it.

This one world view was reflected in an inter-faith conference to be held in Sydney, with representatives coming from all of Australasia. Similar conferences were being held in other areas of the world to coincide with talks involving the newly elected Pope Pius XIII, and the U.N. Secretary General Xu Dangchao in Jerusalem.

Chaim had maintained just enough contact with the university to qualify for an invitation to attend. He was suspicious about where this movement was heading, but he decided to participate anyway. Because it was being held in January, he would have to skip Yearly Meeting, which was being held in Melbourne this year.

Vaishnu had been invited to attend as one of many representatives from India, and that was one big reason why Chaim wanted to be there. The organisers had also given him permission to bring David Hartley and Aunty Molly along as observers.

 

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Macquarie University

Chapter Twelve--Macquarie University

Ming Lee pushed the papers she had been working on away from her on the desk, and leaned back in her chair. There was too much turmoil in her spirit to concentrate on studies at the moment. It was semester break anyway, and only the most avid students would be working ahead.

The usual campus population had gone home, apart from a few international students. Under normal circumstances, Ming would have returned to China too. But she had chosen instead to defy her parents' wishes. This was the source of her inner turmoil. Surely, they would sense the reason behind her decision, and this could lead to serious consequences. Sooner or later she was going to have to face them.

More than a thousand visitors were using the empty student lodgings at Macquarie University, in conjunction with a big interfaith conference that was opening at the Entertainment Centre, in Sydney, the next day. Posters around campus had outlined some of the topics to be covered, and some of them interested Ming. She decided to go for a walk and to see if the delegates were doing anything tonight.

There appeared to be a number of small meetings going on in various classrooms surrounding the main hall, but at the last moment Ming felt too embarrassed to walk in on any of them, for fear that she would be asked to leave. She wandered slowly down the empty corridor, listening to the soft murmur of voices