19 December 2002

Dear Friends,

This is my last email to you in 2002. It has been a tumultuous year, and 2003 may be more so. But we rejoice that in all the turmoil comes the message of Christmas, and that one of the names of Jesus is Immanuel – “God is with us” (Matthew 1: 23).

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LINDA WATSON?

As the year began this former prostitute and brothel madam, now a Christian running a prostitute rescue ministry in Perth, faced a fire bombing and was shot at while she sat outside Linda’s House of Hope.

We praise God that after her pastor interceded on Linda’s behalf, regular police patrols appear to have put an end to the physical terror attacks. However the sex trade then turned to more subtle weapons. A girl helped by Linda later publicly denounced her in an email sent to all the media from a well-known Perth brothel.

It seems that the girl was paid to make the accusations, later shown to be false. Linda was allowed to reply and her reputation is intact – but the stresses of the year have taken their toll. Linda has had a number of major operations, the last one in early October. She remains in fragile health.

But we praise the Lord that Linda is still fighting the good fight. In addition to counselling the steady stream of girls seeking her help, Linda is at the forefront of the campaign against the WA Gallop government’s new bill to legalise brothels.

At a meeting this week, Linda pointed out to her local Mayor of the City of Canning that the Prostitution Control Bill 2002 would allow single prostitutes (possibly with children) to ply their trade openly in residential areas.

Yesterday she had a letter published in the West Australian, where she said: “Schedule 3 of the Bill effectively imposes brothels on every local government area in the State, regardless of whether the people and their councils want them. The only limitation is that new brothels are, at least in theory, to be kept out of residential areas and 300 metres away from homes, churches, schools, child-care centres and pubs.

“I say ‘in theory’ because no other State that has legalised brothels has been successful in enforcing similar provisions and brothels have opened wherever the owners – often associated with organised crime – think they can best make a buck.

“But the people of Vincent and other inner-city local government areas are not even given this theoretical protection from brothels impinging on their neighbourhood. Existing brothels- those that are now operating in violation of the Criminal Code – are to be given a helping hand to maintain their competitive edge against newcomers. The Bill gives them immunity from the location rules. They can continue to operate next door to a child-care centre or church or family home for as long as they please.

“People living near existing brothels will, under the Government’s plan, continue to have to deal with drunken, abusive or sexually perverted men on the prowl, including those turned away from the brothel because they are seen as dangerous by the manager.

“Legalising brothels is supposed to stop corruption. I want to know why this Government is including in this Bill a provision worth millions of dollars to existing brothels operating in defiance of the law.”

Good question! But Linda knows that one of the consequences of her letter in the paper will be a spate of late night, threatening phone calls. “You come to expect them, but you never really get used to them,” she says. Please pray for this brave Christian lady – and pray for the defeat of the bill which would legitimise and normalise the damage done by prostitution.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO DANIEL SCOT?

In my last email I told how the two Daniels, Pastor Danny Nalliah of Catch the Fire Ministries in Melbourne and Islam authority Pastor Daniel Scot of Brisbane, faced the “lions’ den” – a conciliation meeting with the Islamic Council of Victoria over complaints of religious vilification at a church seminar where Daniel Scot had taught about Islamic holy books and the Islamic concept of jihad.

Three Muslims with Caucasian names attended parts of the seminar, took notes and made over 50 complaints (later shown to be largely incorrect or distorted). The two Daniels expressed regret that some felt hurt by what was said, but did not admit to any wrongdoing.

The latest news is that the Islamic Council of Victoria has decided to take the complaint to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which could hear the case in February. The two Daniels face the possibility of heavy fines or even jail.

Yet the Tribunal is not a court. It does not operate on traditional principles of justice such as “innocent until proven guilty”, and strict rules of evidence do not apply. Moreover if the complaint is dismissed, there is no compensation for the two Daniels, even though legal and other expenses are expected to cost thousands of dollars.

Please pray for great wisdom for them and their advisers, and for Daniel Scot’s extended family overseas who are possibly at risk.

We are living in perilous times. But remember – Immanuel.

May the Lord bless and keep you and your loved ones, this Christmas season and throughout the New Year!

ROS

~~~

20 December 2002

Dear Friends,

Just two days ago I sent out an email with the latest news on Linda Watson. I mentioned her hard-hitting letter published in the West Australian that day (18 December 2002) where she asked the question: “If legalising prostitution is supposed to stop corruption, why is this Government including in this Bill a provision worth millions of dollars to existing brothels operating in defiance of the law?”

Linda was expecting late night phone threats after the publication of her letter – but they came during the day as well. If anyone still has doubts about the nature of the “industry” which the WA government wants to legitimise through its new Prostitution Control Bill 2002, the latest events make it absolutely clear.

Last night at about 10 pm, returning to the main House of Hope from the second shelter, Linda was tailgated by two men in a four wheel drive vehicle with headlights on high beam. She was too afraid to stop and enter her home since no one else was there and she had been shot at during the last attack. Terrified, she continued driving, trying to evade her tormenters and finally ended up in front of a police station where she collapsed in tears.

Police have taken her statement, but that was not the end of the troubles. At 4 am this morning, a window at the rear of the second shelter was completely removed (frame and all). There were two women in the shelter at the time – a girl and her mother, who had brought her dog. We praise God that the dog barked and the intruders ran off.

It is almost a year since the second shelter was firebombed on Boxing Day 2001. Before then the main house windows were smashed on 6/10/01; roof tiles were removed on 24/11/01; her fence was set on fire on 20/12/01 and two men fired at her several times outside the main house on 21 /1/02.

Please pray for peace and safety for Linda. She knows that angels have been watching over her, but is still very upset by the latest ordeal.

And please pray for the WA government, who have so far turned a blind eye to the violence and corruption endemic in the sex trade – problems which have if anything grown worse in the eastern states where brothels have been legalised.

And once again – may the Lord bless you and your loved ones this Christmas!

ROS

Mrs Roslyn Phillips, B Sc Dip Ed Research Officer, Festival of Light Email

Reproduced here with Roslyn’s approval/permission

Related Articles:

• SUDAN & BURMA: CHRISTIAN REFUGEES IN PERIL
• Pray for the World 6 February 2012
• PRAYER OF A HUMBLE SERVANT
• Prayers for Help in Times of Trouble
• Pray for the World (January 31, 2012)

This work, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.