"Australians of Islamic background have expressed concern that members of their community will be disproportionately targeted "

If there is any "disproportionate" here it is the number of Muslims that support and commit acts of terror as compared to any other religion anywhere. Yet this simple fact cannot be stated.

Here is another politically correct politician that cannot relate fact A to fact B, because it could be considered to be insensitive - even if true. Why should a country not restrict immigration of people who have shown not to be - how can I say this politely - the most peaceful folks on earth? Why don't the brutal facts about Islamic societies mean anything to people like Mr Kerr? Because be only cares about himself and his ego.

The simple fact is that hate and anger are the trademarks of modern Islam (and Mohammud). Muslims want to immigrate to the West because of the vileness and oppression of Muslim-dominated societies. They come to the West and in their religion they bring their hate and anger with them. Then they cannot understand why they are still unhappy. What to do? Well, like the old saying about fatness - if you cannot be happy, try to make others (non-Muslims) even unhappier than you. Sad, but there is a lot of truth in this paragraph.

Perhaps had the laws been applied equally in past years this would not have happened. But, because of people like Mr. Kerr, police must refrain from targeting harassment and even certain criminal acts by minorities. I understand that in Sidney the police manuals even suggest that Muslim domestic violence be treated differently, in a more "sensitive" manner.

These riots are the fruit of double standards and political correctness. From what I have seen as far based upon the reporting about the riots and other incidents at Sidney beaches leads one to believe that the politicians and leaders will not learn anything. Things will get worse.

kactuz aka kactuzkid

Multiculturalism does work. It is everywhere around us. Who doesn't eat Pizza? Which Aussies don't like Chinese or Indian food? Who hasn't met somebody at work or socially, become friends with them and then found out a year later that their parents were from Croatia or Malaysia or Afghanistan? Just the fact that we say "Middle eastern appearance" instead of Turks, Lebanese, Greek, Persian or whatever means that we are already recognising that there are lots of different cultures, even if the people look something alike.

If there are thugs from any culture, throw them in jail for a long time but don't throw all the good things about the rest of the world away too. There are too many good people and good things out there and I want to get the benefits of all of them.

Like many Australians, I am wearied of reading about misunderstood misfits who seem to think they can walk over Australians because their upbringing and their religion gives the idea that they are above Australian law.
I read that they "hate" us and that means that they should not be here at all. Being born here does not give them the right to threaten , abuse,use obscene language and in general , make absolute pests of themselves.
The Muslim youth who reject this country are going to make it very difficult for their coming generations. They should be using the time now to make sure their children and their childrens children will live a happy, contented, secure life here as so many thousands of other migrants have done.
It is up to them.

Duncan, you have hit the nail on the head.
Howard has sewed the wind and will reap the whirlwind. You cannot be soft on racism (like some of the posters here) and expect that you can control the terrifying forces you unleash.
There is one ultimate irony, however, the first people to be charged under Howard's sedition laws may well be bleach blonde, blue eyed Aussie boys from Cronulla - the closest things to terrorists I have seen on Australian soil. And the one area I would definitely not travel to at the moment is not Israel or Egypt or Bali, but Cronulla.
Watch the footage of the Aussie boys baying for the blood of the two poor boys on the train - who had probably never done anything wrong in their lives except been born to Lebanese (or Lebanese looking) parents - and tell me who the terrorists were.
Indeed, that is the really frightening thing, Osama is winning, he is creating us in his own image and , aided and abetted by our own stupid governments, we are falling for it.

If the race riots were depressing, I am much more depressed by some of the dispiriting replies to Duncan Kerr's excellent article.

Many of the rioters were obviously just small minded thugs getting their kicks, but racist comments in online opinion by otherwise inteligent observers really displays an exploding intollerance that was not evident in this country until now - post Iraq.

Good on you Duncan. You are spot on.

I echo gecko!

Duncan's article is well stated and argued. Once again, a number of the responses contain little or no fact, just emotional ranting.

So now I'm going to have a rant. Take this:

If the rule of law is being abused, then look no further than our so called leaders. Where is the rule of law for David Hicks - if he's committed a crime, then give him a trial. Where is the rule of law for asylum seekers - detained without trial for years, having broken no law (that's right, do your research, they have broken no law - it is perfectly legal to seek protection from persecution). Where is the rule of law for ministers and Prime Ministers who lie to the electorate. What can be more criminal than taking a country to war on a lie (Howard said he KNEW Iraq had WMDs), causing the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. Where is the rule of law for the likes of Robert Gerard, evading millions of dollars in taxes, whilst those who don't report a few extra dollars to CentreCare get jumped on from a great height.

Australia has gone down this path because it accepts leaders who lie and deceive and abuse the rule of law. If this country descends to mob rule, it has its own dishonesty and its support of the abuse of law to blame.

Rant ends here. I feel better now.