'The Shire' Riots
I'll give a candy cane to anyone who hasn't heard about the Cronulla riots these last couple of days.. Most of the papers - and many commentators and the public also - have labelled it as a 'racially driven' as a result of the increasing violence on the Middle Eastern beach-goers behalf.. A retaliation against the Middle Eastern 'Lebs'. I understand their motive, but what idiot serves alcohol to a bunch of youths shouting 'Aussie Pride' and what losers rip scarves off the heads of Muslim girls?
Predominantly, the violence seems to be racially triggered - courtesy of the Middle Eastern-appearance dudes who abused the lifeguards last week - but the incident with the whole 'let's her scarf off' pulls all sorts of issues into the picture. The 'hijab' scarf is worn by many Muslim women 'as a sign of their faith and submission to Allah (not to men), and so that all Muslim women are respected equally rather than for their appearance, and as a matter of social responsibility' (Wikipedia 2005). The fact that the Anglo-Celts at Cronulla - white Aussies, in other words - targetted this high school girl and her 'khimer' is a sign that this event was somewhat gendered; or it could merely be a response to the gendered aspects of the Muslim religion as a whole.
Another thing I found was that soon after the second wave of riots, the mothers of these Middle-Eastern men were encouraged to exercise some discipline over their young teenage sons in an attempt to curb the violence between these two groups. This article dictates that mothers (a gendered role) played a significant role in the Lebanese family and that 'in Islam, paradise lies at the feet of your mother, so to disobey your mother is to disobey God'. So it seems, that these violent events bring all sorts of issues into the picture- not just race.
Scarier still, some commentators (Damien Murphy, primarily) have even traced on the subject of 'mateship' - a term laced in masculinity - and the breadth that it has been taken to in light of these riots. It's an interesting term, considering that in this case it seems to apply to both sides of the conflict. Anglo mates looking out for fellow Anglo mates, and Arabs looking out for other Arabs. Pity they're not looking out for eachother, regardless of race and religion.
What scares me is the fact that these events have been broadcasted all over the world and that we're no longer seen as the 'peaceful and lucky' country that we always have been. Laid-back and go with the flow coolio. Multiculturally cool and all that. Far from it, it seems. Apparently, this was going to happen sooner or later, but the fact that it happened so violently and almost so suddenly really irks me. And our divine PM says Australians aren't racist.. Pfft. Everyone does it. It's just that nobody talks about it.
posted by Margaret Tran @ 8:41 PM
11 Comments:
it didnt happen suddenly this has been building for the best part of two decades. Islam is not compatible with Australian life and never will be.
Give it another ten years (maybe five) and we will be living through the French experience.
Call me racist if you want but as far as I am concerned if you come to live in AU then you try to fit in with us and not force us to kowtow to your minority.
Stop hiding behind your anonymous label you coward.
Firstly, your response is a generic regurgitation of the kind of discourse and rhetoric us Australians live with. Yes, I'm saying that you are completely a product of what people around you are saying. A follower, a sheep.
Secondly, you've just illustrated the main pitfall of Democracy - mainly that the majority rule and, unfortunately, minorities don't get much of a say or much of rights in Australia. It's called utilitarianism btw, that the happiness of many overweighs the sadness of few.
However, you've obscured one point - that you can't just measure some person's happiness as equal to another person's sadness. It's hardly a simple mathematics question. There are some things which are so sad and that cause minimal sacrifice of happiness.
And of coures there's the bigger question of if we follow your idiotic views, then soon enough we'll end up neglecting old people, women...actually, pretty much anyone except white anglo-saxon males. Which will result in some crazy homogenous conglomeration of redneck KKK members with some underlying inferiority complex.
My advice to you - get the fuck over it. Australians don't lose anything by allowing Muslims into Australia. We're not talking here about terrorists or mass-murderers. We're talking about average people from all over the world who, generally, just want to get on with their lives without being disturbed by pigs like you.
And that's the problem with Australia really. Despite all of the reaffirmations that we are fair and that we can handle the hard yakka, at the end of it those who talk like you are just a bunch of crying and whinging little pansies that are fighting because some poor meanie mo stole your favourite truck.
Oh, and believe it or not, violent clashes between religions is not a new concept as you seem to suggest.
One need only look back a few years and it's easy to see that religions hating each other is not isolated to just Islam.
What's the REAL problem here? The real problem is that there's a hell of a lot of stupid people who feel that the best way to deal with things is to bash the opposing side up. That or smash cars in. If it really was an issue with religion, then you're suggesting that the 5000 people at Cronulla on Sunday were Christian. I hardly think so.
And in regards to the kowtow comment, it's a rather simplistic argument isn't it. That each person is worth exactly 1 unit value. What a load of garbage, frankly. Let's not pretend that we're all equal here because we're obviously not. In fact, I think it's quite the opposite - that people like you should have a -1 unit value to fairly take into account your various intellectual impediments.
Gonzo
1: My anonymity has nothing to do with cowardice it is more to do with not being bothered registering a name just to make a few comments. Speaking of anonymity I guess Dr Gonzo (apart from insulting Hunter S.) is your real name is it? I went to your profile but couldn't find your phone number, name, or address so your pathetic attack failed in its very first sentence maybe Godwin could help you as I am sure your an adherent.
2: The picture of Alan Jones (someone I dislike) with a swastika on his forehead on your blogs index page is a very telling statement as to where your head is at. Maybe it was carved there in memory of Lt. Calley?
3: 'generic regurgitation of discourse and rhetoric' is a great statement but maybe you should attribute it to the blogger who first used it (the real Dr. Gonzo would of).
4: If I was a sheep and a follower I would be posting PC bullshit in which I blamed all of Australia's current social ills on 'racist white australians' (just like little ole PC you). I bet you are all hot under the collar about those 'dumb racist aussies' who chose to wrap themselves in the flag but you won't spare a thought for the fact that the lebanese were there in force burning Australian flags.
5: You said that I had illustrated the main pitfall of democracy being that the majority rules. While I may agree that democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding whats for dinner I am not so stupid as to think that the lamb doesn't have its own lobbyists and taxpayer funded obfuscation campaign claiming that lamb is poisonous to wolves.
6: How you came to the conclusion that I was doing algebra with peoples feelings is beyond me and just demonstrates that you will read what you want into others comments so long as you can make them fit your narrow agenda.
7: Please explain how anything I have said marks me as a rednecked racist KKK member(with an inferiority complex). I have stated a simple truth and as anyone who has spent time at cronulla or maroubra knows the racist antagonisation comes predominantly from the lebanese gangs (then again you probably haven't heard of Telopea street and that in itself makes you completely unqualified to be making the statements that you are. Then again, that underqualification and PC agenda is obvious when you read the words you have attempted to put into my mouth.
8: calling me a 'crying pansie' is truly pathetic. You need to get back to uni and join a focus group and talk about the crap that obviously fills your mind as talking seems to be all your sort are good for. If you are an example of the youth that are the future of this country then we're stuffed. You probably wouldn't know a racist if he stabbed you in the back and called you a skip (whoops that wasn't you it was a 'dumb white racist aussie male' minding his own business on Sunday night.
9: coward, follower, sheep, whinging pansie. These are words that must do awfully well when your in the debating club.
Colin
0439741898 (is that cowardly enough for you)
Nice.
Name's Kit. And I'm neither Lebanese or Anglo-Saxon.
1. Fair enough.
2. I'm sorry, you haven't made your argument clear enough in regards to Lt. Calley and the Alan Jones picture. Oh, and I also admit that having such a picture up there does really show where my head is - predominantly that I think that Alan Jones is racist and no, he can't hide behind the excuse that he's just voicing the concerns of the community.
3. As far as I've read his work, I have not come across this line. Could you please reference this if you're accusing me of plagiarism? Because all I know is that is the best way I can describe the phenomena of regurgitating what every single person's been saying about the riots.
4. Incorrect. I merely let out with only one side of the argument because it's obvious that you started with only one side. "Islam is not compatible with Australian life". I'd like to hear where you got such a qualification to say so. Oh, and BTW, I universally abhor all gang violence and thuggery....in fact, just years ago when the Asian gang problem was big I was JUST as against it.
5. Nice analogy. Except that , in regards to the "tax-payer funded obfuscation campaign" is, on the whole, rather unfair I think. In the sense that many government departments aimed at reonciling differences between the majority and the ethnic minority have been closed. And it's not just 1 or 2...several more then that in fact. And these government-funded schemes that you are talking about are obviously not working if you have a bunch of hooligans beating each other up just like on Sunday and Monday. Something's not working.
6. A fundamental tenet of democracy is utilitarianism, and once again a fundamental of utilitarianism is that everyone is entitled to 1 vote and everyone is worth 1 unit such that if 1 person can be sacrificed to make 2 people happy, then the 2 people will always prevail.OF COURSE, this only applies to the more right-wing political systems, but I still believe that the strand of thought is there...hence why you have people feeling like they've "sacrificed" something to the minorities. (Mainly they're complaining about how everything does go in the way of the majority all the time).
7. What qualification do I need to obviously see your comments as racist? Firstly, your understanding of the situation is simplistic (I mean, honestly, stating that Islam is not compatible with Australian life and never will be is a rather simplistic statement that obscures many greater questions). Secondly, it's obvious that you've made the mistake of nearly everyone in society by assuming that the Lebanese gangs are all Muslims (or that even if they are "Muslim" they aren't really in the truest sense of the word.). It's like claiming that the KKK, by carrying around crucifixes and declaring themselves a denomination of Christianity, are Christian and represent Christianity on the whole. In fact, using the exact same logic as you, I could also say that Christianity is incompatible with every other religion because they go and kill people in Mississipi, couldn't I? And the logic would obviously be flawed.
7. I think that racism comes in many forms. The lowest common denominator of racism is spoken by those who openly declare their ill-intentions to another race. So we're talking skinheads etc.. But the racism which I'm more interested in is the underlying racism, the mentality of colonialism and that ever-present thought that Western ideas are always the right ideas. This is too big a topic to discuss here but if you want, we can discuss it via email.
And now a question for you. You still haven't illustrated to me how you think you are qualified to say that Islam is not compatible and never will be. I'm more concerned with the "never will be" because, as I see it, it's the fundamentalist ideas that worry the greater public and most, if not all, religions went through the fundamentalist stage at one point or another.
Also, back to your original post of having to kowtow to your minority. I want to know in what way you think you are being violated, having your freedoms blocked etc. etc.. which you think is caused by the minority.
Oh yeah, and I don't hesitate to call those talking about minorities and majorities as whinging pansies. That's what they are really. Namely because, all in all, Australia's a great country and despite its pitfalls, we generally coexist in a civilised manner.
I'll admit that my reponse was emotionally-driven at best - namely that I feel insulted with statements like the one you made in your first post.
Let's not make it a race issue or a religion issue because nearly all such comments are based on generalisations and thus are one of the lowest forms of intelligence. It begins from when we're babies and form cognitive schema in order to understand the world to the best of our ability. However, 20 or 30 or 40 years on, it's not unfair to assume that people should be over that now and should strive to understand every single person as an individual.
What is at the heart of the matter is that, obviously, thuggery and "being gangsta" are all incompatible with the Australian life. So is racism. They do nothing to further debate, they don't question big issues and they're a way of defying authority with no real point.
http://www.secularislam.org/humanrights/compatible.htm
Interesting site.
But I think that a lot of what that article says does not strictly apply to Islam.
Firstly, separation between church and state is a farce. Look at the recent fact that Hillsong has received over $800,000 of government money. they are also known to have connections with Peter Costello and other Liberal MPs.
In regards to Human Rights, I believe strongly in those. However, some recent laws, such as sedition laws, restrict Human Rights and it's been proven throughout history that if you give the government too much power, they abuse it.
And the rest, well I find it hard to counter because I have no knowledge of Islam really.
The last part, though, called "In Defence of Secularism" seems to imply that, along with all the other religions of the world, Islam is interested in modernising as well. So your statement that "they will never be compatible" is not proved at all by this article.
And need I remind you (again) that many religions went through a bad phase. Spanish Inquisition, eras in England where the Church was one with State. All of these are well-documented. My point being that even if there are aspects of Islam that clash very strongly, it still does not prove the point that they cannot ever be compatible.
Yeowch.. Me thinks someone's getting a little riled up here. I admire your passion & heavy analysis of this event, although I'm just blogging here. No sweeping statements or whatnot. Settle down - take a chill pill.
The only issue I'm focusing on here is that Islam has gendered aspects to it, just like every other religion - Christianity included. I don't think it wise to be so close-minded about any of these things and the fact that you 'Colin' are making sweeping statements about Islam, I think is a bit rich. This is a free country - sure, we migrate here to find a better life and some of us are ignorant and choose to carry on like a bunch of arseholes but most of us migrants are very peaceful people.
The only downside is that most of those who seem to be causing trouble are labelled - read: LABEL - as those of 'Middle Eastern appearance', a generic term if not much else. I have a lot of friends who are of 'Middle Eastern appearance' and THEY don't feel any need to have the Anglos bow down to them. On the contrary, they're ashamed by the acts of some members of their community on Monday night (the 'retaliation' by the 'Lebs' in case anyone missed it). And as for the Anglos - are you not to blame also for your parade of 'whiteness' and 'Aussie' way of life in your stupid display on Sunday?
My personal opinion (feel free to flame): It's our government. You'd think that we'd all be civilised and not think in black and white in this modern day and age. And yet some of us still regard migrants as a threat. Gee, I wonder, who were the first migrants to this land? If anyone even has a trace of ownership to this land its the Aborigines - they've lived here 39800 years longer than the Anglos. And to think that our divine PM reckons that 'this is not a racial problem'. Bollocks, says I.
Hi Maggie
I'm not going to flame you as you haven't attempted to put words in my mouth I never said.
I also have friends of many races including my arab neighbours who agree with me that the 'lebanese gangs'(they call them lebanese too) are out of control.
http://www.quadrant.org.au/php/article_view.php?article_id=581
Hey Maggie,
Isn't it funny how the media has jumped on the racist bandwagon and how gendered issues are so eaisly pushed to the background. I never really saw the riots in that way until you made it clear. In Curran's article on the Femininst Narrative it is told that women's position has come a fair way but when you look at it closer, the media is still extremely gender-specific. Look at the burden on women to have children and work without much help, where are men in all this? Writing the articles, and still attempting to subordinate women. In your blog we see another fantastic example of gender-specificity in the media through the mother disciplining, and 'mateship' connected very much with the masculine as you have said.
Nice job, and thanks for making me see more in the riots over the past days.
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