While Australians and the politicians hum and ah over the deaths of hundreds of asylum seeking boatpeople and then argue among themselves as to whether the Nauru solution is better than the Malaysia solution, why aren’t Australians discussing the most obvious solution? It’s a solution which avoids all the deaths and misery of indefinite incarceration. Let’s call it the Australian solution – which is to bring them direct to Australia by the safest means possible which is flying them here. If they can pay people smugglers thousands of dollars then they can surely afford the $450 fare on an airline ticket to get here.
These people want to come to Australia. The vast majority of them will end up here eventually anyway - regardless of where they are sent to - so why do we need to send them to Malaysia or Nauru or anywhere else first?
The answer is blindingly obvious.
The reality is, frightened as most Australians are to admit it, some Australians are racists. Politicians and commentators on the right do not want Islamic or non-Europeans in Australia, it’s as simple as that. They’ll deny that they are racists until the cows come home, but that’s what they are - racist. And when I say politicians on the right, I’m not just talking about Liberals; I’m also talking about some in the Labor ranks as well. And of those politicians that aren’t racist, there are many that, for the sake of politics, will bow to public opinion or, at least, to the loudest or most influential of commentators in the media that are also blatant racists and who are currently pushing public opinion against boatpeople.
Despite the denials of the racist right, Australia has a long history of racism. Not only do Australia’s racists don’t want non-white boatpeople in Australia, they never really wanted the non-white people that were already here when their antecedents first arrived here a little over a couple of hundred years ago. And white Australians have been kicking up a fuss every time a non-white group arrived on our shores ever since.
The racist attitudes of some Australians haven’t changed with the arrivals of the latest groups of people wanting to come to Australia – boatpeople who are mostly from places we were involved in invading but, more importantly, mostly Islamic.
It’s time Australians got to grip with themselves and faced the reality that it is complacent majority of Australians who allow the minority of racists among us to dominate the policies that lead to the deaths of the boatpeople.
Enough is enough. Those Australians that call for a halt to boatpeople arriving in Australia should be called out for what they really are – racists every single one of them!
Raise the refugee intake quota and fly them in!
Enough Australians don't want to end up like Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Afganistan, etc. Thank goodness people such as yourself don't rule here yet. It's not their race that bothers the majority, it's the behaviour that comes - and increases exponentially with the increasing numbers. You use inflamatory words like racist on your conservatist enemies,but you are the one who seems to notice race. Obviously lurking just beneath your surface is an arrogant,superior more educated man safely removed from the rigours of these behaviours. Why can you not see it's the honour killings, stoning of homosexuals, supressing of womens equality and so on that upsets most "white" Australians? Not their race. Of course if you were to suggest we change that part of their culture, YOU WOULD BE THE RACIST! After all, my sanctimonous,superior friend, on what basis do you suggest to (say --the stoning of homosexuals),"you should not do that?" Do you believe we should? If not, how do you say to them to not? If you try and tell me they are wrong to "stone" you are the racist.(by your definition) An arrogant,ignorant one at that!
ReplyDeleteWill
Will, white Australians have a long history of racism that extends to all kinds of people incuding even some Europeans like Greeks and Italians who were vilified when they first arrived here.
ReplyDeleteIslamophobia is a form of racism. Vilification based on culture and religion is as racist as vilification based colour and physical appearance.
All the shortcomings you mention can be found among many cultures. For you though they are just an excuse to project your own intolerance of these people.
Damian, I couldn't agree more with the idea of negative attitudes purely based on the race of someone - as in your example of Greeks and Italians in the 50's, 60's, and 70's in australia. To me, and most any educated person I talk to in Australia today, this is unadulterated racism, pure and simple. My wife is Egyptian, her family emigrated to Australia in the 70's, and copped (still does rarely!)racist attitudes. (Not nearly as bad in the several other countries she went to before Australia!) I love her "Egtptianness" and as the french say "..viva la difference". Until I knew,I mean REALLY knew first hand what Islam was about, I too thought it was a quaint belief system that encompassed different ideas to my western way of life. If I was to tell you what they did to her, her extended family,many other middle eastern people I now am happily aquainted with, you would be horrified. The Egyptian version of Islamic interpretation is extremely mild, in the world of Islam. My close associates from the middle east include Iraqis, Syrian, Jordanian, Somalian, Palestinian, Pakistani, Sudanese---many proffessionals- proffessor, doctors, engineers,architects, lawers as well as less educated -cooks, mechanics, coles checkout operators, hospital wardsmen, nurses etc ...all equally valuable as human beings in my sight. They all had one thing in common--running from the horrors that their own countrymen, foistered upon them in the name of islam. I am not talking about the fundamentalist Islamists such as Hezbollah, Al Queada(?)PLO,and so on. In my wifes case for example, Sharia law was used to take their land and possessions in the local courts. The law states that non islamic persons cannot own land/property. So despite having the appropriate title deeds etc, "islamic persons were to live on the land and in the house,as they deemed right in Allahs Sight". These were not extremists- just applying sharia law.(Egypt does not have as a government policy, Sharia Law - it does, however use it to pacify local administrators when and as fruitful.) The other people I mentioned above all have similar stories that are easily verified if you really want the truth.
ReplyDeleteAsk yourself Damian-"Do you want the truth"?
Or do you want to live in a brainwashed western secular materialist education that conveniently removes behaviour from belief. For me Damian, it is the behavior. For you, my friend it appears to be belief, before facts.
Will
Damian, as an aside, have you ever wondered why few Christins who are truly vilified in these countries (killed by the hundreds and thousands-thats right- HUNDREDS of thosands!)rarely end up on the boats that come to this country?
ReplyDeleteWill
The PLO is a non-religious left-wing organisation.
ReplyDeleteThats all you have Damian? I try and engage seriously with you on this issue, and you wish to debate a questionable definition of a political organization? My old friend, Khaled Rehan was forced to seek refuge in Australia, from Palestine, because he would not follow Islam. His persecution (beatings, real death threats)came from members of Yasser Arrafat's PLO. Needless to say, he was not Muslim and terrified. Many in his family died at their hands.
ReplyDeleteWill
Will
So what exactly is your point, Will? Islam is bad so let's kill them all before they kill us?
ReplyDeleteThere's good and evil in all religions. All you're trying to do is use the evil brush to paint all of Islam with.
Racist Australians don't just want Muslims to stop coming here, they want all non-white people coming here.