The link between the heading of the article and the content of your article fails me.

I don't think you can reasonably argue that assaults on a lifegaurds sparked the riots. There were attacks on lifegaurds last year in Queensland and there were no riots. Why only in this case? I also think that if you believe a couple of text messages had the influencial power to call thousands of people to arms, you're delusional. More than likely, this was a combination of racism fuelled paranoid nationalism.

Nicely put article. What I believe is that vilification of any kind should not be tolerated. There should be zero tolerance. It is from these mindless, insensitive manner in which certain individuals treat others (and get away with it because it is socially "acceptable") that escalates to violence. The greater sensible community should put their foot down and say "No" to vilification, in any shape or form!

Strayan you are kidding yourself-the only nationalism on show was that posed by the Lebanese gangs. Yes some of the young men wrapped in flags at Cronulla beach would like to think of themselves as nationalist patriots but there agression was more a 'tribal terratorialism' than anything else.

It was a very well written article Peter. The best thing it did was acknowledge the shortcomings of both sides-if we as a nation don't condemn our youths for attacking people we are sadly degenerating. Similarly if the wider lebanese community does not have the courage to cease its denial and reprimand its gangs then there is little hope for all of us.

When those so called "LEBANESE" or often reffered to as middle eastern people, bashed those life guards is a load of bull, there are bashings all over australia all the time but you dont hear "CHINESE OR AUSSIE BASHES LIFE GUARD" its only when an arab does it, then the whole nation wants in. So suddelny when middle eastern people do it suddenly all these attacks happend and the gangs start revenge attacks on lebances people. That gathering on sunday was disgusting i have nver been so dissappionted in my life, just because a bunch of idiots did the rong thing doesnt mean that all lebs/ wogs are bad. They should be dealt like any other normal citezen and be punished for there acts. The law cannot be taken into the australian community thats why we have police etc. So next time think carefully as because racism has been growing in our country for so long.

Any resident of Sydney will say that there is a serious problem within a section of the Muslim Lebanese community, especially within its young men, which does not exist in the Christian Lebanese community. Nothing has been done to change this, and its consequences lead to the dispicable, shameful riots in Cronulla.

We must walk a fine line to avoid racially profiling, but also allowing our media to report the true dynamics of crime, and the over-representation of certain minority groups such as Aborigines, Lebanese Muslims and Islanders. Withtout the latter, no solution could be offered. Unfortuntately, even with our open media, no solutions have yet been offered.

Yes but why is it always when the lebanese muslims do something wrong it hits headlines and creates a massacre in australia theres is something obviosly wrong here. Our media just add to the tension. Australia has a major problem in Racism. You must understand this. Yet when an australian does a crime suddnely no one hears about it and nothing is advertised in the media. Do you not see my point here. Im only a young boy (16 yr old) and i can see this why cannot people older and smarter see this!!

Hate to be the bearer of bad tiddings for you folks, however as much as you'd like to pretend it's not happening, the FACT is, there ARE many Middle Eastern people within Australia who DO NOT IN ANY WAY, feel they are obliged to follow and adhere to our laws.
It was not too long ago, we were all shocked to hear of thr multiple rap cases in Sydney and the shocking treatment handed out to the poor women involved by the perpetrators, WHO STILL CLAIM TO THIS DAY, they are innocent.
Many of these people came to Australia during the War in Lebanon, their parents were obviously very pleased to find safe refuge and chose to stay on, in our great land, however it would appear, they failed to instil any appreciation in their youth for the country which allowed them refuge and provided them with all the neccessities of survival.
Considerable number of these people have also chosen to REMAIN LEGAL CITIZENS of their homeland and enjoy MULTIPLE Citizenry.
Thus they can choose at anytime, to turn their backs on our country and align themselves with their homeland.
Notice also, I refer to their "HOMELAND". They DO NOT REFER TO AUSTRALIA, as their homeland, that's reserved for the land of their ancestors.
So straight away, we detect racial differences being practiced by these people, right from the get go, they look down their noses at us, and snear at us for our ways, at the same time, taking advantage of our generous nature.
What's happened in Sydney this week is something that WAS going to happen, eventually, the kettle's boiling away madly, Australians are fed up with being terrorised and brutalised by these ungrateful interlopers. I strongly believe, we are going to MUCH MORE of this behaviour in the very near future, Australia is becoming very polarised and tensions are going to rise to the surface looking for an escape route.
Mark my words, we haven't seen the last of this in a long shot.

Great posts striker - I wish more here saw it the same way you do!

The CORE of the problem ?

Well a Muslim counsellor from Lakemba on TV 2night, said it all.

Quote
"They (the Leb Muslims) think they are superior to the anglos and they also hate the west"

Not from a Christian, not from a Redneck, not from one of Irfan's whackos or Loony's..but from a MUSLIM youth counsellor in Lakemba on National TV.

I suppose that ties in with the shouts of "We are going to F*CK your mothers" screamed out by a car load of Lebs to a cameraman.

Most of the Aussies don't even know what they are on about in my opinion, they are struggling for some kind of reclaimed identity as well, which has been steadily eroded by a combination of Multi-cultural idiocy and a lot of booze and pot.

Is it any wonder I call on all of us to reconcile first with God, through Christ and then we can reconcile with our fellow man.

itchyvet, your assertion that "Considerable number of these [Lebanese] people have also chosen to REMAIN LEGAL CITIZENS of their homeland... Thus they can choose at anytime, to turn their backs on our country and align themselves with their homeland", is absolute rubbish - there is no evidence to support such a claim.

According to the Dept of Immigration "97 per cent of the eligible Lebanese community becoming citizens". http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/cam/media/media-releases/medrel05/jc05061.htm

97 per cent itchyvet. Your lies sicken me.

Itchyvet's comments:
Considerable number of these people have also chosen to REMAIN LEGAL CITIZENS of their homeland and enjoy MULTIPLE Citizenry.
Thus they can choose at anytime, to turn their backs on our country and align themselves with their homeland.
Notice also, I refer to their "HOMELAND". They DO NOT REFER TO AUSTRALIA, as their homeland

Beware the capitals. If there were a "green ink" option, he'd use it. But beware the furphies more.

Itchyvet, until 1984, you and I enjoyed a multiple citizenry of sorts, as Australian citizens and British subjects. Did that make us less Australian? Would you want to keep your Australian citizenship if you lived in say, Iceland, and had the option of dual citizenship? Bet you would. And I bet you'd still call Australia home. Which is what my grandmothers on both sides called England. Never set foot in the place, either of them. And one of them was descended from Irish immigrants.

From your chosen name, I assume you are ex-Armed Forces. Did you like war enough to want to incite a civil one? I hope you didn't, and don't.

Striker,

You're not alone, not at all. Keep thinking. You're obviously good at it. And keep posting. Many of us oldies worry that you young uns have lost interest. Wonderful to hear you. Or see you. Or whatever.

Striker,
You represent the hope and future of this nation.

Perhaps you can encourage more young people to participate in discussion and debate of this kind. You give me a glimmer of hope that all is not lost to the fear mongers and fanatical.

Bless you, shalom and Sukran

Thank- You too all who understand my point and get me. Our nation is growing by the day as immigration brings more people in. You cannot deny there is no problem. By the way im not denying that theres a minority of lebanese people who are Dkheads but they must caught and dealt with accordingly. And Definateley Not by having many angry people and having a fun day of bashing people. To solve this situation we must stop the tension between both minorities etc. Please spread the word and maybe more people will understand Me and the rest of the other people like me. Now doubt im a young kid, who obviously no one will take notice of but i ask all who can to PLEASE solve this situation and talk sense between the two groups. crime is a normal part of our lives and is a never ending cycle, so when those young lebanese men bashed those lifeguards they had no right do but did it and must face consequences not by practically having a civil war or bashing each other!!

My good friend Peter, I've enjoyed reading your article. Being an American, I can attest to the point of immigration being a success story. Of course, I would argue that if it works it's actually despite the multicultural aspect rather than because of it. I believe the workable element is when people concentrate on how they are the same rather than different. For things to work in the USA we've all had to accept our common "Americanism". I would assume the same would hold true in Australia.

GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS + ZERO TOLERANCE FOR SEX OFFENDERS

http://www.mako.org.au/list.html

Please follow the link, go to the bottom of the page and click on a few faces. The majority of sex offenders in Australia have been of Anglo-Saxon descent. Some of these people have murdered and raped children and have served their sentences. They are now at large in our fair city and all we can do is point the finger at the Lebanese community.

f_a_r

that may be because Anglos make up around 90 % of population

It is obviously a long time since Peter read Puberty Blues, if he thinks it is a celebration of an "egalitarian" surf culture. Puberty Blues is all about the lengths that teenage girls went to, to be accepted in a narrow sexist sub-culture, culminating in the realization that it wasn't worth it. The Australian beach has always been about display, elitism and class. Where you live, what car you drive and who you hang out with are all markers of your status. Mateship is not the same thing as egalitarianism at all. You look after your mates, against any threat from the "other". I love going to the beach, if it weren't for the threat of violence I'd probably be at Maroubra today, practicing my less-than-average body surfing skills (instead of sitting in front of my computer). But that doesn't mean I kid myself that I'm anything other than an interloper there. It must have been great for all those kids from the suburbs to finally feel they belonged at Cronulla. Being Anglo was enough to make you a temporary local. Don't bet on that lasting though....