As one of the first people in Australia to bring interfaith dialogue into schools and one who has been doing interfaith for over a decade, I feel we have come to a saturation point. Unfortunately, interfaith groups are ‘preaching to the converted’ and what seems to be the trend is to spend large amounts of resources and funds on conferences and forums which attract very small audiences and do very little to move faith communities closer together.
Luckily, Australians are a very easy-going lot and interfaith or faith as a general experience does not rate highly on their priorities in life. Yet, Muslims and Jews who felt under siege took it upon themselves to make contact with other faith groups, particularly Christians (Catholic and Uniting Church) to build bridges to understanding.
But it is time to go beyond dialogue.
Muslims must stop pandering to the mainstream and apologise for the actions of others within their faith community.
Muslims must stand up for themselves and take a strong position on the various issues. Interfaith is acceptable as long as it is done without compromising your principles and your own faith.
As Muslims we must acknowledge the ‘People of the Book’ and to show them respect and acceptance just as we would expect them to do the same for Muslims. But when issues are placed on the table we must take a strong position and speak up against injustice and oppression.
Let me give you a few examples;
On the issue of Iraq and Afghanistan, Australia has no right to be in that country as an occupying force supporting shameless American aggression (which has killed 200000 people to date). When we speak to other Christians in the spirit of love and respect, we need to know that they do not support such oppression otherwise how can we even sit in the same room or share a meal when we know that one side supports the murder of other people?
On the issue of women’s rights. Many people criticise Muslims for their stance on the dress code for women and their roles within society. Yet, others have no problem with the objectification of the female body and the continued industry that supports body image and commodifies women’s bodies and their self-image.
Or the biggest issue that Muslims have ignored for so long is the injustices placed upon Palestinians by Israel. The acceptance of Israel’s oppression of Muslims and the continued usurpation of their land, food, culture and identity is an indication that we have sold out the Palestinians. When we meet with Jews we should not only ask each other “What does your faith mean to you?” But we should ask, “what does your faith say about oppression, human rights, kindness?”
There are many groups out there who are justifying their existence on the back of a “need” for interfaith dialogue. When in reality, there is no real need but just one side trying to justify themselves to others. In recent times Islam has become the talking point so every man and his dog wants to be seen talking to Muslims. But why do we allow ourselves to be used by these people?
The old saying goes, “Look at yourself before you look at others”
Muslims have to take a good long hard look at themselves in the mirror and ask why am I doing this? Is this pleasing Allah (swt)? Is it of benefit to my community and to my faith or is it in fact detrimental to my people? Am I doing an injustice to those who do not have a voice (such as in Palestine, Bosnia, East Turkestan and Iraq)? Am I promoting other faiths and am I justifying their exploitation and oppression of other Muslims by sharing the podium with them?
The bottom line is that we cannot compromise our principles and we must always maintain our integrity and stand up for Islam and Justice!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Aborigines were an advanced civilisation, David
Yesterday, David Oldfield, 2UE radio presenter (formerly One Nation NSW representative) alluded to the Australian Aborigines as being a stone age people and not having any organisation like Australia when comparing their colonisation by the British to the colonisation by the Israelis of Palestine.
He said that Aborigines have no claim to Australia because they were not an organised state or people and they were in effect uncivilised and needed to be colonised and that 200 years has passed and so that is now history.
It is true that Australia is quite organised and it has its own institutions and apparati for enacting laws and so forth. But to imply that the Aboriginal society was not organised is absolutely offensive to the 3 million Aboriginal people who lived on this continent prior to British invasion and the half a million Aborigines who live in Australia today. I personally think that they were much more organised than present day Australia. While we are a modern society that is obvious with big roads and big sky-scrapers and fancy looking Opera Houses and Bridges, we are not necessarily better off than the Aborigines. We have a crime rate that is getting out of control, you cant leave your car unlocked or leave the house without bolting it down, alarming it and insuring against theft, there are many people who are homeless and then there is the massive problem of alcoholism and drug addiction. I am sure that the Aborigines did not have to worry much about these problems. In fact they had a very sophisticated system of laws and organisation.
One of the most unique system of maintaining borders and manourvering throughout the land was using Song Lines. These were incredibly successful and also maintained harmony between neighbouring countries. The laws were just and maintained traditional customs which were thousands of years old. They had respect for each other, respect for elders and respect for the environment.
The Aboriginal people did not believe in the notion of "owning" the land, so when the brutish British arrived in their red coats and white wigs, looking like nancy boys, waving the Union Jack about like some drug-induced teenager at a rave, expecting that the locals would act like savages and resist, the Aborigines actually welcomed them in the spirit of friendship and allowed them to share the land with them. The greedy foreigners didn't want to share anything. They wanted to just keep taking. After taking the lush coastal areas along the harbour, their hungry eyes were cast on the rich alluvial plains along the now called Parramatta River and then they commissioned Wentworth, Blaxland and Lawson to carve a land route over the Blue Mountains and open up the situation for wholesale slaughter of the Aborigines. They did resist and at times effectively (Pemulwuy was the best known freedom fighter of the time, similar to Yasser Arafat) but the power of the British guns was too much against the spears of the locals.
The point is that these attitudes are pervasive amongst Australians today. We still look down upon the Aborigines as savages and still have the terra nullius mentality. They were decent people living in advanced society for the time and context. They didn't have needles and threads to make nice tights and red overcoats and fancy black caps, but they had high morals and an advanced belief system. We need to acknowledge that. To just apologise for the wrongs of the past and then dismiss them as an uncivilised people is not enough.
I hope that we can reassess our attitudes towards Aborigines and give their ancestors the respect that they deserve. If the British had come here in 1788 and exchanged knowledge and science and then left, instead of colonising the land and killing off the people, we would have had a very different situation. Today, Australia could have been a modern society, developed by Aborigines, it would have been interesting experiment to say the least. And of course it goes without saying it wouldnt be called Australia...
He said that Aborigines have no claim to Australia because they were not an organised state or people and they were in effect uncivilised and needed to be colonised and that 200 years has passed and so that is now history.
It is true that Australia is quite organised and it has its own institutions and apparati for enacting laws and so forth. But to imply that the Aboriginal society was not organised is absolutely offensive to the 3 million Aboriginal people who lived on this continent prior to British invasion and the half a million Aborigines who live in Australia today. I personally think that they were much more organised than present day Australia. While we are a modern society that is obvious with big roads and big sky-scrapers and fancy looking Opera Houses and Bridges, we are not necessarily better off than the Aborigines. We have a crime rate that is getting out of control, you cant leave your car unlocked or leave the house without bolting it down, alarming it and insuring against theft, there are many people who are homeless and then there is the massive problem of alcoholism and drug addiction. I am sure that the Aborigines did not have to worry much about these problems. In fact they had a very sophisticated system of laws and organisation.
One of the most unique system of maintaining borders and manourvering throughout the land was using Song Lines. These were incredibly successful and also maintained harmony between neighbouring countries. The laws were just and maintained traditional customs which were thousands of years old. They had respect for each other, respect for elders and respect for the environment.
The Aboriginal people did not believe in the notion of "owning" the land, so when the brutish British arrived in their red coats and white wigs, looking like nancy boys, waving the Union Jack about like some drug-induced teenager at a rave, expecting that the locals would act like savages and resist, the Aborigines actually welcomed them in the spirit of friendship and allowed them to share the land with them. The greedy foreigners didn't want to share anything. They wanted to just keep taking. After taking the lush coastal areas along the harbour, their hungry eyes were cast on the rich alluvial plains along the now called Parramatta River and then they commissioned Wentworth, Blaxland and Lawson to carve a land route over the Blue Mountains and open up the situation for wholesale slaughter of the Aborigines. They did resist and at times effectively (Pemulwuy was the best known freedom fighter of the time, similar to Yasser Arafat) but the power of the British guns was too much against the spears of the locals.
The point is that these attitudes are pervasive amongst Australians today. We still look down upon the Aborigines as savages and still have the terra nullius mentality. They were decent people living in advanced society for the time and context. They didn't have needles and threads to make nice tights and red overcoats and fancy black caps, but they had high morals and an advanced belief system. We need to acknowledge that. To just apologise for the wrongs of the past and then dismiss them as an uncivilised people is not enough.
I hope that we can reassess our attitudes towards Aborigines and give their ancestors the respect that they deserve. If the British had come here in 1788 and exchanged knowledge and science and then left, instead of colonising the land and killing off the people, we would have had a very different situation. Today, Australia could have been a modern society, developed by Aborigines, it would have been interesting experiment to say the least. And of course it goes without saying it wouldnt be called Australia...
Are we really together for humanity?
There are some people out there in Australia, purporting to be well-meaning Muslims, Jews and Christians (Monotheists), who think that we need to tell others that we as people of the BOOK can work together for making humanity a better place. They call themselves, together for humanity.
I think its rather patronising to say the least. The world is a messed up place, we all agree and we definitely need to do something about it. However, there are two things that are problematic with this monotheistic approach; what about those people in the world who are not either Muslim, Christian or a Jew? So, we all can get along, we love each other, we adore each other, hugs all round (except the Buddhists, the Hindus, Sikhs and the smelly atheists plus all the other sects and cults out there that make up a few hundred thousand people). We are excluding at least a billion in China and almost a billion in India and if we take in SE Asia, parts of Africa and I dare say most of western Europe which these days is considered as Atheistic, we are looking at least 2.5 billion or more! But it seems according to these Monotheists that the problems of this world are only important if they involve themselves and that they are the only ones who can solve them. And how do they purport to do that? Well, visit school children, who are most vulnerable to be brainwashed, and tell them that we stand united against all the evils of the world and that we want you to join us in doing an act of kindness.
Now this sounds very noble indeed, and what's wrong with doing an act of kindness?
Well, one needs to understand (Hasidic) Jewish teachings to follow the premise of this whole endeavour. According to the teachings of the great Rebbi, the world will not come to an end until ALL of humanity begins doing acts of kindness and then, the world will end and at that point only the Jews will go to Heaven, because they are the chosen race. Hasidim claims evil can be overcome by correcting it. Dov Ber of Mezhirich and other Hasidic teachers insisted evil could be overcome by absorbing it uplifting it and making it again part of goodness, believing that the spiritual stature of "corrected" or "repentant" evil is higher than the elements that were always good. So these Muslims and Christians, are sort of being used to get to the greater goal.
I only feel sorry for the rest of the world because they dont even believe in the "book". So what is their fate? Muslims believe in the Quran. Christians believe in the New Testament. Jews believe in the Old Testament. But ironically Muslims reject these books and it is very clear in the Quran that to work with these two faith groups is very bad indeed, very bad! The Quran, that is Allah, cautions Muslims to be wary of Christians and Jews.
So what is each faith's agenda, in being involved in this school by school brain-washing program? Well, I can only guess that Christians as the dominant group in Australia just want everybody to get a long and they are happy to see the three religions on the surface working together, and of course, they want Muslims to accept the state of Israel and to accept the ongoing persecution of the Palestinians and the eventual annihilation of the whole country once known as Palestine. They will no doubt be referred to as the Aborigines of Israel in years to come. Terra Nullius in Palestine. In fact, a whole generation of children will grow up exposed to these school visits telling them that Muslims are happy and that there is no oppression and exploitation and that there is no such thing as Palestine. When they get older, they will watch the news on TV and the media will report Palestinian insurgents attacked a Jewish settlement in Israel and the PM will condemn the attacks and so they will just assume that the nasty Palestinian Muslims are attacking the nice friendly Israelis.
Secondly, the Muslims have their own agenda, but its pathetic; with all the government funding out there they want to be seen as being socially inclusive and raise their status and jump on the band wagon of inter-cultural relations...all very PC. Do they realise that their efforts, ie, making the whole world turn to doing kindness invariably will send their Jewish friends to Heaven (metaphorically speaking)? And as the Quranic verse warns, implicate themselves!
"O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people." Qur'an (5:51)
But just one other point. There are over a billion Christians in the world. There are over 1 billion Muslims in the world. How many Jews are there in the world?
Incredibly only 12 million. So once again 12 million Jews are getting the bulk of the world to do all the work, and ultimately in their own favour. Are not we so predictable?
Please. O ye, Muslims, think! Listen to thy Lord, who warns us that we should not be so stupid and gullible. Why do we then allow others to use us when it is written in plain sight, in our own Book, which is the virtuous book, the true word of Allah.
Think, O ye believers!
Well what is my alternative proposal then you ask? I am glad you asked.
I am not advocating that we begin killing each other or we stand back with hate in our eyes. My proposal is that we are honest and we are open about our agendas. We need to be inclusive too. Instead of talking we need to be walking. That is, programs to feed the poor, to educate illiterate communities or the victims of society, drug addicts, homeless, victims of bullying and racism and people who are denied justice.
And we dont need to do it in the name of religion or just three religions. We need it to be done truly in the name of HUMANITY.
I think its rather patronising to say the least. The world is a messed up place, we all agree and we definitely need to do something about it. However, there are two things that are problematic with this monotheistic approach; what about those people in the world who are not either Muslim, Christian or a Jew? So, we all can get along, we love each other, we adore each other, hugs all round (except the Buddhists, the Hindus, Sikhs and the smelly atheists plus all the other sects and cults out there that make up a few hundred thousand people). We are excluding at least a billion in China and almost a billion in India and if we take in SE Asia, parts of Africa and I dare say most of western Europe which these days is considered as Atheistic, we are looking at least 2.5 billion or more! But it seems according to these Monotheists that the problems of this world are only important if they involve themselves and that they are the only ones who can solve them. And how do they purport to do that? Well, visit school children, who are most vulnerable to be brainwashed, and tell them that we stand united against all the evils of the world and that we want you to join us in doing an act of kindness.
Now this sounds very noble indeed, and what's wrong with doing an act of kindness?
Well, one needs to understand (Hasidic) Jewish teachings to follow the premise of this whole endeavour. According to the teachings of the great Rebbi, the world will not come to an end until ALL of humanity begins doing acts of kindness and then, the world will end and at that point only the Jews will go to Heaven, because they are the chosen race. Hasidim claims evil can be overcome by correcting it. Dov Ber of Mezhirich and other Hasidic teachers insisted evil could be overcome by absorbing it uplifting it and making it again part of goodness, believing that the spiritual stature of "corrected" or "repentant" evil is higher than the elements that were always good. So these Muslims and Christians, are sort of being used to get to the greater goal.
I only feel sorry for the rest of the world because they dont even believe in the "book". So what is their fate? Muslims believe in the Quran. Christians believe in the New Testament. Jews believe in the Old Testament. But ironically Muslims reject these books and it is very clear in the Quran that to work with these two faith groups is very bad indeed, very bad! The Quran, that is Allah, cautions Muslims to be wary of Christians and Jews.
So what is each faith's agenda, in being involved in this school by school brain-washing program? Well, I can only guess that Christians as the dominant group in Australia just want everybody to get a long and they are happy to see the three religions on the surface working together, and of course, they want Muslims to accept the state of Israel and to accept the ongoing persecution of the Palestinians and the eventual annihilation of the whole country once known as Palestine. They will no doubt be referred to as the Aborigines of Israel in years to come. Terra Nullius in Palestine. In fact, a whole generation of children will grow up exposed to these school visits telling them that Muslims are happy and that there is no oppression and exploitation and that there is no such thing as Palestine. When they get older, they will watch the news on TV and the media will report Palestinian insurgents attacked a Jewish settlement in Israel and the PM will condemn the attacks and so they will just assume that the nasty Palestinian Muslims are attacking the nice friendly Israelis.
Secondly, the Muslims have their own agenda, but its pathetic; with all the government funding out there they want to be seen as being socially inclusive and raise their status and jump on the band wagon of inter-cultural relations...all very PC. Do they realise that their efforts, ie, making the whole world turn to doing kindness invariably will send their Jewish friends to Heaven (metaphorically speaking)? And as the Quranic verse warns, implicate themselves!
"O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people." Qur'an (5:51)
But just one other point. There are over a billion Christians in the world. There are over 1 billion Muslims in the world. How many Jews are there in the world?
Incredibly only 12 million. So once again 12 million Jews are getting the bulk of the world to do all the work, and ultimately in their own favour. Are not we so predictable?
Please. O ye, Muslims, think! Listen to thy Lord, who warns us that we should not be so stupid and gullible. Why do we then allow others to use us when it is written in plain sight, in our own Book, which is the virtuous book, the true word of Allah.
Think, O ye believers!
Well what is my alternative proposal then you ask? I am glad you asked.
I am not advocating that we begin killing each other or we stand back with hate in our eyes. My proposal is that we are honest and we are open about our agendas. We need to be inclusive too. Instead of talking we need to be walking. That is, programs to feed the poor, to educate illiterate communities or the victims of society, drug addicts, homeless, victims of bullying and racism and people who are denied justice.
And we dont need to do it in the name of religion or just three religions. We need it to be done truly in the name of HUMANITY.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
A nation's lost soul
Where has this nation's soul disappeared?
Today we buried two babies, shrouded in white, less than the weight of a Harry Potter novel. The aunt held her in her arms weeping and wailing, amongst other mourners, a media circus and shameless Immigration department guards. Watching on, behind dark sunglasses, hands on hips. A young orphaned boy, walks by disoriented, traumatised and dazed, then a guard attempts to grab him. He lost both his parents in the boat crash off Christmas Island last November, 2010. The fifteen or so mourners, were bussed in to the cemetery and the Immigration people watch over them carefully.
I joke to my friend that we should not call them DeeAC, but they should be called DieAC, because that is their business. Killing people. If they dont die on rickety boats as they come into Australian waters, then the detention facilties will get them behind razor fences. Suicide. Depression. Trauma. And if they dont die physically then then they kill their wills and their souls. Where is Julia Gillard's soul?
We condemned John Howard when he was in power, and in a sense, we blamed it on his generation, his conservative white Christian values, his age and his ego. But Julia, a migrant herself, an atheist, relatively younger and a woman. Does she have any power over her party's policies? Or is she just a stooge, like all of our politicians?
Today, as I stood over the tiny grave, about the length of a cricket stump, I realised that we as a nation have come to this pathetic state, where we give more importance to a injured terrier than an infant Iraqi refugee, clutching to the arms of her terrified mother. The boat helplessly bobbing closer to the razor sharp rocks. The coastguard somewhere near but just conveniently out of reach. Who gave the order to stand back and watch 50 souls sink to the bottom of the callous sea, engulfing these innocent people who were seeking a place of refuge under the wings of the Australian nation?
In Egypt people power has reclaimed their dignity, after corruption and oppression at the hands of their leaders. Where are the people of Australia who are offended by our leaders? Where is the revolution? Time to overthrow the pharoahs and kings that we call our democratically elected leaders! How can we face ourselves each day, until, these demons are gone. Make supplication to God. The dead are at peace now, somewhere in Paradise.
The Immigration people muster the mourners onto the bus, making sure that the head count is right. The excavator fills in the hole. Then a farwell wave as they move off into the great unknown, to grieve behind wires while angry guards, looking pitilessly on, behind their dark sunglasses with their hands on hips.
"Well, you should learn from this! Dont jump the cue."
The Pacific solution (mark II). As we called John Howard the Coward, maybe we should call Julia Gillard the Kill-hard.
Where is this nation's soul? Did we leave it behind when we too arrived on boats and planes, with all the other lost baggage?
Today we buried two babies, shrouded in white, less than the weight of a Harry Potter novel. The aunt held her in her arms weeping and wailing, amongst other mourners, a media circus and shameless Immigration department guards. Watching on, behind dark sunglasses, hands on hips. A young orphaned boy, walks by disoriented, traumatised and dazed, then a guard attempts to grab him. He lost both his parents in the boat crash off Christmas Island last November, 2010. The fifteen or so mourners, were bussed in to the cemetery and the Immigration people watch over them carefully.
I joke to my friend that we should not call them DeeAC, but they should be called DieAC, because that is their business. Killing people. If they dont die on rickety boats as they come into Australian waters, then the detention facilties will get them behind razor fences. Suicide. Depression. Trauma. And if they dont die physically then then they kill their wills and their souls. Where is Julia Gillard's soul?
We condemned John Howard when he was in power, and in a sense, we blamed it on his generation, his conservative white Christian values, his age and his ego. But Julia, a migrant herself, an atheist, relatively younger and a woman. Does she have any power over her party's policies? Or is she just a stooge, like all of our politicians?
Today, as I stood over the tiny grave, about the length of a cricket stump, I realised that we as a nation have come to this pathetic state, where we give more importance to a injured terrier than an infant Iraqi refugee, clutching to the arms of her terrified mother. The boat helplessly bobbing closer to the razor sharp rocks. The coastguard somewhere near but just conveniently out of reach. Who gave the order to stand back and watch 50 souls sink to the bottom of the callous sea, engulfing these innocent people who were seeking a place of refuge under the wings of the Australian nation?
In Egypt people power has reclaimed their dignity, after corruption and oppression at the hands of their leaders. Where are the people of Australia who are offended by our leaders? Where is the revolution? Time to overthrow the pharoahs and kings that we call our democratically elected leaders! How can we face ourselves each day, until, these demons are gone. Make supplication to God. The dead are at peace now, somewhere in Paradise.
The Immigration people muster the mourners onto the bus, making sure that the head count is right. The excavator fills in the hole. Then a farwell wave as they move off into the great unknown, to grieve behind wires while angry guards, looking pitilessly on, behind their dark sunglasses with their hands on hips.
"Well, you should learn from this! Dont jump the cue."
The Pacific solution (mark II). As we called John Howard the Coward, maybe we should call Julia Gillard the Kill-hard.
Where is this nation's soul? Did we leave it behind when we too arrived on boats and planes, with all the other lost baggage?
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Australian Falafel League and the farting felafel
Either hate him or love him, Eddie McGuire has the ability to stir up discussion.
His comments about Western Sydney being the 'land of the felafel' albeit inaccurate has really brought a lot of politically correct mutliculturalist commentators jumping onto the bandwagon. This is healthy and a discussion that we need to have.
There are two issues here:
i) Stereotyping people of Mid-Eastern backgrounds
ii) Multiculturalism in general
Well firstly, it must be said that Western Sydney is a very large geographical area with a diverse number of cultures. In fact, many people get South Western Sydney mixed up with Western Sydney, you have to be clear on that because we are talking the difference between Hommos and Chicken Tikka. If we are talking south west, this takes up suburbs like Lakemba, Bankstown and Liverpool, with large populations of Lebanese and other felafel eating cultures. But if we go further west, towards Parramatta and Blacktown, there is undoubtedly a lot of Felafel producing households but probably not as there are curry and pappadum ones, spaghetti and ravioli, dim sims and fried rice, kava and roast pig, and kangaroo and damper...well theoretically that is.
In Western Sydney, with its heart being Blacktown and Rooty Hill (great name dont you think), there are large Aboriginal populations. There are also a good number of Pacific Islander communities in the area. There is a recently growing Indian population, hence the explosion of Indian restaurants in Parramatta and Harris Park. Also Western Sydney is home to one of the largest Maltese communities, large pockets of Italians, Chinese and Turks and now new emerging African communities mainly Sudanese. But only a relatively small Middle Eastern population who are mostly Christian.
But this is really about linking Middle Eastern people to the felafel with a derogatory overtone. McGuire has implied that after a couple of years of living in a place with lots of Arabs, the players will get sick of it and leave. While we can all have a joke and take the mickey out of a particular suburb or community, the Middle Eastern community have born the brunt of growing phobic attitudes and have been subject to a lot of racism, discrimination and vilification. Theoretically, McGuire's comments have breached the Racial Discrimination Act of 1974. But I don't think anyone is thinking of taking it to that extreme.
But in bringing up his comments, he has really exposed himself, as a closet-felafel addict. There is speculation that McGuire although of Scottish heritage was orginally from Lebanon, who changed his name, it was originally, Mahgir, meaning migrant. But that's another story. The real issue that he is raising is that the Western Sydney Giants have scored a new secret weapon, hitherto unknown. That is THE FARTING FELAFEL and its wind-increasing qualities. Felafel made up of chickpeas and beans are known for causing flatulence. The Giants, according to laboratory tests, will kick, jump and run, 10% faster than the average AFL player. Dipping your hands in hommos before the game will also make the ball stick better to taking high-flying marks and possibly kicking goals from the half way point.
The second issue is that of multiculturalism and this is a topic which will never go away. As it stands we have two schools of thought; the multiculturalism is real and working and the other, there is no such thing as multiculturalism in Australia (its just a con).
Well, the recent debate has been around integration and belonging amongst Muslim and African Australians. There are many who believe that Burqa clad, felafel loving Muslim women should shed their sheets and become full-blooded equality loving Aussies and go skinny-dipping in Bondi. There are many who have argued that Muslims cannot integrate. Commentators the likes of Andrew Bolt, Fred Nile and Brownwyn Bishop to name just a few. Many people believe that Multiculturalism has failed and that in fact we have a society of different cultures all living side by side, with disparate values and ideologies and allegiances that are antithetical to traditional Australian values.
I believe that this is really just a part of the evolution of Australian identity and values. It is a sign of our identity passing over from a tradtional one to that of a civic one (similar to America) and in due course, we will shed the baggage of our English and Irish ancestors and start embracing universal values of justice, friendship, generosity and compassion. This will make it much simpler for new Australians to embrace Australianness. Afterall, Africans, Arabs and Asians find it very hard to relate to blonde and blue eyed surf life savers and the beer-bellied, zinc-creamed bloke behind the barbie, with a can of VB in his can holder.
I think the Multiculturalism debate will go on for a long time yet, but we have to thank Eddie once again for putting his foot in his mouth or should I say putting the felafel in it.
Finally, with all of this sensation, I think its time to go the next step and change the name of the league to the Australian Felafel League and bring the vegetarians back into the fold!
Good luck the mighty Giants! I hope you flog Collingwood when you meet. And I'll be at the ground too (you will recognize me, I'll be the one sitting in the A. B. Felafel stand).
His comments about Western Sydney being the 'land of the felafel' albeit inaccurate has really brought a lot of politically correct mutliculturalist commentators jumping onto the bandwagon. This is healthy and a discussion that we need to have.
There are two issues here:
i) Stereotyping people of Mid-Eastern backgrounds
ii) Multiculturalism in general
Well firstly, it must be said that Western Sydney is a very large geographical area with a diverse number of cultures. In fact, many people get South Western Sydney mixed up with Western Sydney, you have to be clear on that because we are talking the difference between Hommos and Chicken Tikka. If we are talking south west, this takes up suburbs like Lakemba, Bankstown and Liverpool, with large populations of Lebanese and other felafel eating cultures. But if we go further west, towards Parramatta and Blacktown, there is undoubtedly a lot of Felafel producing households but probably not as there are curry and pappadum ones, spaghetti and ravioli, dim sims and fried rice, kava and roast pig, and kangaroo and damper...well theoretically that is.
In Western Sydney, with its heart being Blacktown and Rooty Hill (great name dont you think), there are large Aboriginal populations. There are also a good number of Pacific Islander communities in the area. There is a recently growing Indian population, hence the explosion of Indian restaurants in Parramatta and Harris Park. Also Western Sydney is home to one of the largest Maltese communities, large pockets of Italians, Chinese and Turks and now new emerging African communities mainly Sudanese. But only a relatively small Middle Eastern population who are mostly Christian.
But this is really about linking Middle Eastern people to the felafel with a derogatory overtone. McGuire has implied that after a couple of years of living in a place with lots of Arabs, the players will get sick of it and leave. While we can all have a joke and take the mickey out of a particular suburb or community, the Middle Eastern community have born the brunt of growing phobic attitudes and have been subject to a lot of racism, discrimination and vilification. Theoretically, McGuire's comments have breached the Racial Discrimination Act of 1974. But I don't think anyone is thinking of taking it to that extreme.
But in bringing up his comments, he has really exposed himself, as a closet-felafel addict. There is speculation that McGuire although of Scottish heritage was orginally from Lebanon, who changed his name, it was originally, Mahgir, meaning migrant. But that's another story. The real issue that he is raising is that the Western Sydney Giants have scored a new secret weapon, hitherto unknown. That is THE FARTING FELAFEL and its wind-increasing qualities. Felafel made up of chickpeas and beans are known for causing flatulence. The Giants, according to laboratory tests, will kick, jump and run, 10% faster than the average AFL player. Dipping your hands in hommos before the game will also make the ball stick better to taking high-flying marks and possibly kicking goals from the half way point.
The second issue is that of multiculturalism and this is a topic which will never go away. As it stands we have two schools of thought; the multiculturalism is real and working and the other, there is no such thing as multiculturalism in Australia (its just a con).
Well, the recent debate has been around integration and belonging amongst Muslim and African Australians. There are many who believe that Burqa clad, felafel loving Muslim women should shed their sheets and become full-blooded equality loving Aussies and go skinny-dipping in Bondi. There are many who have argued that Muslims cannot integrate. Commentators the likes of Andrew Bolt, Fred Nile and Brownwyn Bishop to name just a few. Many people believe that Multiculturalism has failed and that in fact we have a society of different cultures all living side by side, with disparate values and ideologies and allegiances that are antithetical to traditional Australian values.
I believe that this is really just a part of the evolution of Australian identity and values. It is a sign of our identity passing over from a tradtional one to that of a civic one (similar to America) and in due course, we will shed the baggage of our English and Irish ancestors and start embracing universal values of justice, friendship, generosity and compassion. This will make it much simpler for new Australians to embrace Australianness. Afterall, Africans, Arabs and Asians find it very hard to relate to blonde and blue eyed surf life savers and the beer-bellied, zinc-creamed bloke behind the barbie, with a can of VB in his can holder.
I think the Multiculturalism debate will go on for a long time yet, but we have to thank Eddie once again for putting his foot in his mouth or should I say putting the felafel in it.
Finally, with all of this sensation, I think its time to go the next step and change the name of the league to the Australian Felafel League and bring the vegetarians back into the fold!
Good luck the mighty Giants! I hope you flog Collingwood when you meet. And I'll be at the ground too (you will recognize me, I'll be the one sitting in the A. B. Felafel stand).
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