Farewell to Ali Sarwari

Yesterday morning, friends of Ali Sarwari awoke to the news that he had been killed in a car accident while returning from a camping trip with his family.
Ali Sarwari's wife Sediqa and 7 year old daughter Sakina were held on Nauru for 3 years, while he was in detention on the Australian mainland for around 7 months. Australia refused to reunite them. It was eventually New Zealand who came to the rescue, offering the young family the opportunity to live together in safety. Late in 2005, Ali and Sediqa's 11 year old son Mahmood was brought to Hamilton, NZ, and the family was finally together again.
News of Ali's death has been devastating for the Afghan refugee community in Melbourne, many of whom knew and respected Ali greatly. His legacy lingers in Michael Gordon's book 'Freeing Ali: The Human Face of the Pacific Solution', where he is lauded as a gentleman, a great craftsman, a loyal friend and a loving father. May he rest in peace.