Our divided nation

So much for a tolerant, harmonious Australia:

“More than half of Victorian schoolchildren view Muslims as terrorists, and two out of five agree that Muslims ‘are unclean’, a survey has revealed.

“Just over 50 per cent believe Muslims ‘behave strangely’, while 45 per cent say Australians do not have positive feelings about Muslims.”

These results, while unsurprising, should cause alarm. The “war on terror” has resulted in the political and media elite demonising Islam like never before. The obsession with “terrorism”, whether in Iraq, Israel, Palestine, France or Australia, gives the impression that Islamists are but a step away from taking power across the world. This widely believed conspiracy – including by some on this blog – breeds distrust and hatred. Not every action against Western interests is terrorism and not every Muslim hates the West. These comments should be self-evident.

Until Australia is serious about appreciating all cultures and dispenses with simply parroting lines about our multiculturalism bliss, racial harmony will be nothing but a cheap, Murdoch-led fantasy.

Text and images ©2024 Antony Loewenstein. All rights reserved.

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