Comments on: From Tampa refugee to Kiwi spelling whiz

By: greggo

greggo — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

And let’s not forget the other Abbas - Ali Ismail Abbas, the 12 year old boy who had both arms blown off by a US missile which also killed both his parents, his brother and numerous other members of his family soon after the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

By: DebH

DebH — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Perhaps we can have a new reality TV event: a major spell off between the Tampa kids and some representatives (Reith? Ruddock? Downer?) of the then Howard Government. ( Is Reithy allowed back his Telecard for phone a friend?)

By: Venise Alstergren

Venise Alstergren — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Think of the late Howard government as a mouthful of rotten teeth. All at once the remaining molar collapses. Shortly afterwards all the other rotten teeth can no longer bear the weight; they collapse and the mouth is rendered toothless. Sound familiar?

By: Shermozle

Shermozle — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

This isn’t unusual. I know a Bosnian refugee who was taken in by Sweden and a year later topped her class in… Swedish, having never spoken the language before she arrived.

By: JENNY SAMS

JENNY SAMS — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

What a wonderful story. Congratulations to Abbas! I often think of the Tampa saga, how un Australian we were at that time. Each time I get so upset. The question remains: why was Howard so mean of spirit?

By: John R.

John R. — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

There is nothing like the vigour that people, who know ‘what side their bread is buttered on’, bring to a country which can feel at ease with them. Yet another missed opportunity for Australia. JWH & his 50’s mentality was never going to undertand that.

By: paige kerr

paige kerr — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

shot geee
mean gee
proud of u geee.
you inspire me gee
shot cuzz

By: JENNY SAMS

JENNY SAMS — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000