I would have to say(to steal Keith Windschuttle's phrase)these were not 'race riots' but 'multicultural riots'. I'd like to know if anyone has been arrested for the bashing of the lifeguards, which prompted the rally in the first place.

The rally was a protest against the inaction of police towards thuggery from the Leb-Aussies, while the police miraculously appear for minor offences from anglo-aussies.

Interesting how this is all lost on the media, determined to beat up the situation as pure racism (strictly from the anglo-aussie side).

After reading this article and checking the authors background I had my thoughts confirmed - an academic. Our family is University educated so I am not knocking academia.

Please Mr Pell get out, mix - in all stratas of Sydney society and all ages and you shall discover that this problem has been brewing and bubbling for 30 years across Sydney. Your article shows much ignorance of the realities of this recent symptom of the underlying problems of various Government induced "Multiculturalism" at Cronulla Beach.

Yeah look Davo, it really is amazing.. I'm stunned by emphasis on racism going around everywhere.. as I pointed out in another post, Sydney is an absolutely top notch place for immigrants from all different countries.. there is relatively very little racial violence in Sydney.. most of the violence by far in Sydney is related to gangs and drugs, and NOBODY bothers to protest about those..

My first brief analysis of the current popular response to the Cronulla riot (note RIOT, singular not RIOTS, plural - why is everyone, including news sources, saying riots all the time? purely for the sake of dramatisation. There was only ONE riot at Cronulla. And it formed out of a larger PEACEFUL protest), is something along these lines: Racism, or to be a racist, is broadly considered to be one of the worst possible things you could be. To therefore proclaim that you are 'against racism' or to say 'I am not a racist', I believe in the current context has become an ultimate statement of self-righteousness. To run around proclaiming 'Racism is bad' or 'Prejudice is bad' is basically a tautology, and does absolutely nothing to stop gang violence and organised crime.

I also hold the media responsible and culpable not only for inciting violence in the first place (Alan Jones, etc.), but particularly for fanning the flames afterwords, by wrongfully labelling the current problem as a 'race war' or 'race riots', by spreading misinformation about the incident at Cronulla itself, and by failing to accurately examine the causes of the incident. The news sources that have done this are guilty of inciting violence and civil unrest. They have breached the code of journalism to which they are bound. And lots of people such as Peter here, who surprisingly works as an academic, simply perpetuate it, shamelessly denigrating the amazingly tolerant society that we live in.

It was not the Howard Government that trashed of the concept of multiculturalism, it was people like Kell, that promoted different standards for different people. As we see in so many other Politically Correct academics, here we have the racism and bigotry of low expectations.

If there was any "green light" for racism, it was from the PC left that has refused to see the obvious, and has done everything possible to make race a matter of politics and identity. As to the "admirable" restraint shown by Australians of Islamic background, the rest of us must have missed it. He should have probably talked to the families of the girls that were raped by the "Australians of Islamic background." Maybe they were being restrained as they raped those poor girls, but then again, maybe they (the girls) provoked those poor lebanese kids by their taste in fashion and make them (the boys) rape them (the girls).

Yes, "Australia led the world for a period in shaping a nation that promoted tolerance, reciprocity and the sense that you could come from anywhere be any colour, believe in any God, speak any language, do anything within the law and be an Aussie." Past tense. That was before the doctrine of Multiculturalism, that divides by race and ethicity, believes in any God, even one that tells the faithful to kill unbelievers, speak no language, respects no laws and tells people they need not be Aussies.

"Australians will need the help of its Asian neighbours" What? Who? Indonesia behead those girls? Or maybe China shoot them in the streets? Maybe Singapore no chewing gum or else? For sure Australia has problems but it doesn't need the help of other nations in Asia, which - contrary to what Mr Kell thinks - are far more racist and intolerant that Australia.

Maybe Mr. Kell hasn't noticed it, but there isn't much of a line of immigrants wanting to get into the other Asia countries (which ever they are) that he considers so tolerant and secure.

Kactuzkid

Here’s another example of left-wing, self-loathing twaddle which places the blame, again, on Anglo/Western European Australians, and chunters on about “racism”, ignoring the fact that we have had different races here since the First Fleet. Cronulla is the result of multiculturalism – the deliberate promotion of cultural differences – which has turned Australia into a land of tribes, isolated from each other.

Cronulla is to do with culture and twisted lefty government instigated policy, not with race. Howard, according to Kell, “stubbornly rejects the notion that there is underlying racism in Australian society, preferring to take a more positive view of Australians, but this ignores the bigoted, intolerant and selfish attitudes that the Howard years have spawned.” Kell himself stubbornly sticks to the same tired old lies, which form the basis of everything the left utters.

There is nothing new about the Australian left’s hatred of self and hatred of Australia. We will have to suffer the already trite “dog whistle politics” catch-cry well into the next generation as Kell et al twist the minds of young people in schools and universities.

There is nothing “ambivalent” about welcoming migrants and detaining illegal immigrants, either. And Asian students from overseas find it easy to remain in Australia under the Howard government, when they could go back to help their own third world countries after study.

And he is still harping on a mistake my DIMIA in which two women clearly contributed to the confusion which landed them in their own predicaments.

Arabs and Muslims have “marginalised” themselves from the rest of us. They have been browbeaten by their religion into believing they have to. Asian migrants integrate and intermarry as do others, and aborigines were marginalised by the theories of that doyen of the left, ‘Nugget’ Coombes.

Our real detractors and enemies are the Australian left, not foreign countries. Half a dozen international papers made anything of Cronulla, an insignificant event to most countries, and half of the articles were written by expat Australians. ASEAN has its own problems, and some commented as an aside to the PM. How awful!

Hmmm...

Peter Kell's arguments can be categorised as the same old same old; but then again, so can the comments that have already been made on this article.

Can we, instead, ask why it is that areas such as South Cronulla, as well as Lakemba, Punchbowl and Bankstown, for example, been allowed to become no-go zones for police over the past ten years or so? Whatever happened to the standard of policing I remember from the days of my youth? It wasn't so much the "golden age", nor was it the "boot up the bum" theory of policing; it was the fact that any anti-social behaviour was addressed quickly and not allowed to escalate.

Despite the rhetoric, policing today seems more about statistics, sociology and psychology than about maintaining law and order.

Of course there was no racism at Cronulla. In fact, racism doesn't exist anywhere. It's just an invention of the politically correct, Muslim loving, pinko, commie left. Anyone crying 'racism' are simply revelling in victimhood and wanting yet another handout. The Nazi leaflets at the Cronulla rally were a figment of the media's imagination. And were women really called 'Aussie sluts' or was that just more wallowing in victimhood? The latter, of course. And now we hear about supposed racism of South-East Asian countries. They're not racist. They're just deciding on who comes there and the manner in which they come. Cronulla could learn a lot from Singapore.

Terence Hanlon burned down a mosque didn't physically harm anyone, he got 6 years which is a long time despite hsi being on mdeication when the crime was comitted.

I would say that the NSW Police Force won't even seriously go after these xmas carol shooters or the church burners. When it comes to ethnic violence the police are hopeless. This is because the police due to inaction have allowed the Lebs to escalate things and pretty much do as they please. Was it multiculturalism that made the police impotent? Was it the threat of violence and riots? was it a sense of protecting their careers? Either way the police allowed Monday and Tuesday to happen. The people of NSW cannot rely on the police except to put you the Aussie male in jail for defending yourself with a tree branch. The police stayed away from Punchbowl Park and allowed Monday and Tuesday's events to happen - a riot does not equal giving a woman a baseball bat to the head. Well - guess what the people of Australia are sick of having to obey every unknown law in this over-legislated land while 2nd-generation offspring of a culturally different people are allowed to run rampant and have nothing done about them. Can anyone say: "Trial by media"? Where were the police while all this tension was building up? I can tell you where they were - out on the roads enforcing the profitable fines and adding another tax to the population. This could all become like Belfast rather quickly. People go on about sundays "riot" which was little more than a pub brawl and talk about Howard, inherent Aussie racism etc but people are really sick of all that pc nonsence and just switch off. It doesn't mean much when your brothers, Auntie etc are getting hit in the head with a baseball bat -all some people can think of is revenge.

'Australians have seen themselves as a benign nation that is comfortable with diversity and accepting of difference under the idea that everyone should get “a fair go”. Much of this has been symbolised in the lifestyle of the “beach culture” and surfing the big waves of the Pacific Ocean where an easy going and relaxed attitude to life is seen as part of being an Aussie.'

That Peter is utterly simplistic and a sweeping generalisation. It shows no depth of understanding or even a smidgen of research into the following:

A fair go.

Beach culture

Being an Aussie.

Your assertions merely show a laxity in academic rigour on your part. Before you start labelling everybody with attributes you should at least gain a deeper understanding of those attributes.

I didn't take much from the rest of your article. The start was just such a terrible an exercise in self control. Yours for your lack of it and mine for having to exert it. ;-)

Can't we just drop a bomb on Sydney after all their not Australians anyway? I’m mean there would have to some fundamental flaw in your personality to want to live there in the first place. :-)

It’s Racism when you make a judgment about someone based on their race, it's sexism when you make a judgment about someone based on their sex these are not hard concepts or though is does seem to be hard for some. AS they say a week is a long time in politics but have people really forgotten What Howard has said about Asian immigration and what’s his fav radio station 2gb.

Peter,

I find skewing and leveraging off unfortunate circumstances to promote your cause disheartening.

I wish people would face the truth:

It is about smartasses, not races, it just happenned that these particular smartasses were lebs, who are known to oppress others across Sydney. Aussie masses, just like many of us as individuals, only decide to dig our heels in when enough is enough.

Aussies are not racist, the remarks etc that Sunday were not intended to be racist, it is just that if these smartasses all wore sailor suits, it would be 'Kill Sailors'.

if they dressed like wiggles and had green hair, they would be saying 'kill green haired wiggles'.

Aussies dont like smartasses, we are not racist we live in the 21st century, it is that like most things in life, it was to do with general appearance not race.

As for Asia, we do not want to end up like those cultures for many reasons. John Howard is not evil, he genuinely loves Australia and he is privy to more information on these subjects.

Howard is right that poor immigration policies can have a dire effect on encroaching Australia's values and way of life. Imagine if it was a free for all? last Sunday would be a common occurance and most likely we will become segregated as a nation, at least for the current generation.

It is not about race, it is about attitude. Australia has a right to protect what we are envied for, and part of that is our attitude. Why dont other countries have it? why do our Asian neighbours differ so much in general attitudes?

If we have something wonderful, and we do in Australia, i would be dissapointed in our leaders if they allow it to be degradated. A free for all would result in the attitude of the general population changing.

The biggest Aussies i know are 1st generation Aussies from Asian and European backgrounds, and that is something to be proud of.

LEBANESE KIN FAMILIALISM VERSUS INSECURE MARGINALISED ANGLOS

--CASE--

Perhaps Kinship boundedness is a better term than racist to describe the Lebanese- Australian’s whom “took over” the beaches in the first instance. Herein, familialism and ethnic-community are the locus of the group’s value systems. Consequently, the inclusive value systems of Lebanese society set a self-view that others are outsiders.

Regrettably, familialism sits at an opposite pole to contemporary Anglo societal communitarianism, wherein, the Anglo society, even multicultural society in Anglo nation states, posits a self-view more tethered towards individualism, independence and tolerance of diversity. Otherwise put, Lebanese Kinship structures – together with their ethnically based value structures – are somewhat out of place in a liberal, open society.

Familialism is a characteristic shared by the Lebanese community at large, because the histographical nearness of tribalism. Thus, the behaviour of Lebanese youths protecting turf and women’s modesty are generally held Lebanese views, representative of the broader Lebanese society.

On the hand, the Anglo thugs are in-gang extremists looking for a cause. In this frame, some readers might recall the “Surfers” and “Rockers” riots of the 1960s: “The Surfers ride the boards and the Rockers drive the Fords”. These kinds of Anglo hooligans represent a different type of group, which stand in opposition to mainstream Anglo society. John Howard’s “War again Terrorism” and cries of the “terrorists are coming” provide the Anglo gangs a modicum of legitimacy. However, theirs is a Clayton’s case.

Gangs, extremists (by definition) and red necks are not mainstream society. It follows that the Anglo combatants here, are not holding the values seated at the locus of the modern Anglo-West

LEBANESE KIN FAMILIALISM VERSUS INSECURE MARGINALISED ANGLOS

--CONCLUSION--

Thus, Lebanese gangs advantage familial-centric whole-value systems against Anglo “outsiders”. This behaviour is customary in inclusive societies. Contrarily, the Anglo gangs represent a marginal, minority group leveraging John Howard’s scare the people tactics. Unlike, the Lebanese group, this Anglo tribe is uncustomary.

In sum, we have two inclusive tribes whom feel hostilities towards each other. Both tribes live in Anglo Western society, which is “typically” non-tribal at a societal level. Neither gang, fits-in. The difference is that Kin tribalism and defending Islamic values, is a macro value-set; while, ethnic Anglos dropping out of the conventional Anglo society presents a micro value-set.

Leigh is quick out of the blocks - he sees most forms of critical analysis as being yet another leftist plot.

I find it hard to accept Leighs over bearing sense of persecution at the hands of the left - when the conservatives have really dominated the political scene at a federal level all of this and most of the last century -

The same might be true of state governments when you add up the dominance of Playford in SA and Joh in Queensland - so its hard to work out whether the left is incredibly well organised or the right simply inept - but perhaps its neither . Now there's a novel idea - a social system that is rather malleable and responsive to the circumstance of the day.

In Leighs world view the left have the judiciary, the universities the schools and it would seem the police force by the short and curlies - they hold sway over every policy decision that has been made over recent history and are esentially to blame for everything from high oil prices to Nathan Buckleys hamstring and Princess Diana'a car accident.

I still fail to get the self loathing bit I would call myself of the left - god knows every one else does - but I certainly dont loathe me - in fact I love me - as do many others. I can only guess the self hatred - even aussie hatred tag comes from being critical of the homeland. If we were more critical of those in authority maybe we'd get better government from both sides

Leigh and a few others - quite a few - seem to hold the view a love of 'straya is unconditional - well I 'm sorry - I am fond of this place because, in part, I am under no obligation to love it at all; I can bag the tripe out of it if I so choose and indeed I do from time to time

Oliver, please do some research on recent trends in crime and law enforcement in Sydney, rather than focusing purely on social theory.

On that topic, could someone who frequently uses the linear terms 'Left' and 'Right' to discuss the three-dimensional world of human politics, please explain why it is necessary to do so.

Back to the news, in today's SMH:
'Earlier in the morning, a Dee Why man was arrested after police discovered he was wearing steel spikes on leather wrist bands.'
(original source: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/12/18/1134840742483.html?page=2)

Also in today's SMH:
'About half an hour after (the five arrested men) had been taken away, the Herald observed police talking to at least four young men of Middle Eastern appearance in West Botany Street.

The police officers had confiscated two baseball bats but did not arrest any of the men.'
(original source: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/12/18/1134840742480.html)

Steel spikes on leather wrist bands - common fashion accessory.

Two baseball bats - not common fashion accessories.

Let the Attorney General's Department know about the outrageous injustices that are taking place:

http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/www/agdhome.nsf/headingpagesdisplay/department?opendocument

'The Attorney-General's Department serves the people of Australia by providing essential expert support to the Government in the maintenance and improvement of Australia's system of law and justice.'
(Attorney-General's Department self-description)

For once Kim Beazley has put something both comprehensible and sensible together at the same time in his interview on 2GB on the 16th:

BEAZLEY: Let me start by saying one thing about Australia. We are not a racist nation. We are not. By now objective test are we a racist country. We are a tolerant country - a good country. Now, are there racist elements in the country? Yes. There are in most countries, they are here and certainly racism is involved. And the trouble that we saw at Cronulla, Brighton-Le-Sands, at Maroubra - there's racism involved there. There's an antidote to that and the antidote is personal responsibility and accepting that personal responsibility to live within a framework of a tolerant community. We must never take personal responsibility away from people - we must always expect it.

This is hardly a self-loathing statement and is far more productive than the practised denial of certain sections of Australian society.

Once we can admit that there are racist elements in Australia (as there are in every country) it will become easier to deal with issues of race and culture that inevitably arise when different races and cultures live in close proximity.

Honesty rather than defensive ideology goes a long way to diffusing and solving complex issues like those that lead to the problems around Sydney.

Honest acceptance of a racist element in Australia could open the door to for more open debate about modern Australia.

People should be able to question the policies of multi-culturalism without being accussed of racism, just as police should be able to arrest law breakers of any ethnicity without being accused of racism.

Equally, those of us who do accept that some Australians (of all ethnicities) do believe that their race is superior to or somehow better than others should not be accussed of self-loathing and selling out the Anglo heritage/culture Australia was built on.

Peter Kell says:
That concept has disappeared temporarily in the wave of violence on Cronulla Beach and will require a turning of the tide against the ambivalence and racism. Australians will need the help of its Asian neighbours to remind the Australian Government of its responsibility to all its citizens of all racial and religious backgrounds for an unambiguously safe, secure and tolerant nation.

Is Peter Kell serious? Are we to invite Indonesia to 'remind' us of our responsibility to our citizens. The East Timorese and Acehnese are sure to have something to say about that. Perhaps we could hear from Aung San Suu Kyi about the 'humane' treatment she has received from the Burmese leadership. Haven't we just finished hurling abuse at Singapore accusing them of being barbaric. And how unfortunate that Pol Pot died before he could conduct a series of workshops in Australia showing how to deal with people.

Posters who look at photos in newspapers showing the ten on one attacks on people of middle eastern appearance and those thugs on the train can see that they were attacking on racial grounds. How could they possibly know what the beliefs of those people were? They were racist attacks and the main troublemakers were racists. The text messages and bashings have nothing to do with mainstream cultural mores.

The cultural element is held in the radical behaviours of the two rival groups of troublemakers and their agitators. That is culture apparently common to both Muslims and their antagonists.

The anti-multicultural mob assert that the behaviour of a few Muslims is representative of all Muslim and their culture, which is an argument that has never been sustained with any credibility. We see quotes from Koran but no minor premises to clarify the connection. We see A therefore C rather than A then b thus C. Not to mention relevant context. The Bible can also be used in this way to discredit Christians. I'll discuss reader theory some other time.

A redneck poster pointed out recently that the homeboy (American gangster rap) culture has been adopted by the Muslim terrorists in London. Muslims in the know have also argued that the Cronulla Muslims aren't responding to Muslim scripture but some other sub-cultural influence.

The same applies to the Anglo-thugs and their mates who are being fed a load of emotive redneck nonsense. The vigilante thugs and their supporters are not responding to Australian culture but one, I thought was, foreign to this land.

In my local paper there is a report on attitudes to rape of British men. One-third of British men think that if a women gets raped she is partly to blame. We saw the schoolies riots that were reported in non-racist way. No racist headlines no "Anglo-Saxon, Christian Man Assaults Schoolie". No "Rich White Private School Prats Invade Beaches." No "British Christian's Say Raped Women are at Fault." Not to mention the atrocious amount of reported rapes that have been discusses in OLO.
Now these groups supposedly offended by such behaviours only respond to those behaviours when people of other cultures are associated with that behaviour. Given that they(immigrants) are usually and easily identified by their ethnicity and appearance I would say there is racism involved.

There is also a hell of a lot of hypocrisy from those that support the violence. They seem to following the rather silly logic of they do it, it is wrong but let's do it just the same. No one is worried about the cultural mores of fairness and kindness here. No mention of the rule of law.

Gotta sign off but before I do I recall a South African mate musing on the old aparthield days. You see the coloureds weren't allowed on the beach. Now that is irony. Whites on the beach sunbathing to look darker refusing access the beach because they were already dark.

So all you fellas better keep your shirts on or off in case you are mistaken for one of them and end up on the receiving end of a ten to one flogging. (Manners).

Medea ALL medea is beating up this issue multiculturism has not failed in Australia nore will it.
Some Lebernese who are also Muslim have turned on us and use the term Australian as an insult.
For far too many years insults and threats have been leveled at us because we are different?
Yes I am an Aussie but my best friends are from nearly all over the world may I question why none are both Muslim and Lebanese? or has truth no part to play in Australia?

This is the worst article yet on the Cronulla riots. Do you have an editorial policy here or is it just a case of printing any navel-gazing twaddle that gets mailed in?

"Asian studies programs in universities are constantly under threat and enjoy no special support from the Australian Government"

This was the funniest line of the whole craptacular piece. There's a good reason why asian studies programs aren't supported: They aren't really about studying asia at all, but rather just another name for studying socialism and left-wing talking points disguised as something that sounds vaguely useful.

See here http://www.gravett.org/yobbo/?p=594 and here http://www.gravett.org/yobbo/?p=652 for the kind of rubbish Mr Kell is lamenting. "Marxism with asian characteristics", to paraphrase one Chinese guy who you probably won't learn about in a modern "asian studies" course.

Lies,distortions and deliberately ignoring the facts.I don't believe we pay taxes for dinosaurs like Peter Kell to suck off the public purse.If Australia is so bad ,why not move to Saudi Arabia?

We don't care what the rest of the world and your lying lefty mates think Peter.I think you and your ilk are a national disgrace and should be charged with sedition.

heres a good coverage of Sydney multiculteral riots

It's not about "dialogue between communities", our "communities" understand each other perfectly well. That's the problem.
http://romeomikes.blogspot.com/

Don't forget Iemmas seat is Lakemba, we need to keep asking why lakemba isn't in lockdown like the Eastern Beaches etc.

The most sickeing thing was the supposed peace pact with the Comancheros...
The "Comancheros" are a leb majority bikie gang (Milperra massacre) now thats a GANG! The word “Bra Boys” means lifesavers…rough maybe, but not Milperra massacre rough. Bet that was a genuine peace agreement, Peace our way or we kill you.

The student union having its deluded anti racism ralley is a joke, Australia is a nation of convicts, not french whaaa whaaaaaa shoddy art pussys.

If you are wondering why muslims are so disliked here in Australia, ask the rest of world they are intensly disliked world wide, even by themselves at times.

thanks for the lovley summer guys. If you want to share my beaches hope you are "nice" about my bikinis and pet pig when we sunbake at Lakemba mosque cuz you locked our beaches down.

Peter thank you for your article.

No, I don't thank you for your article.

Sorry Peter, thank you for your article.

Gosh, I am so ambivalent.

I am ambivalent because you used the term ambivalent so many times in your article - I can't count them - because I am so ambivalent.

I found your article at the least - offensive.

I am not benign = silent = nothing.

I wish you an ambivalent and benign MERRY CHRISTMAS!

AH the very left! a weight we must lift each election and run with yes my wish to defeat and remove Howad is strong but the weight the left puts in our saddle bags can be seen here.
Let us not stray too far from truth, this country has a few raceists yes few .
But this country has suffered from its open door to all policys and only a few denie it.
Reality is some minoritys are behaveing dreadfully in fact like raceists, and that is always wrong.

May I quote: "You should instill a hatred for this culture and its ways in the hearts of your children, and inform them that it is contrary to divine law and the sound nature of man. Give them examples and contrast it with Islamic morals, and instill a sense of connection with Islamic culture and its ways, and let them know that they will not stay in that land for long."

This, my friends, is what multiculturalists are defending. I like the part about "Islamic morals, Islamic culture and its ways". Of course included in those "morals" and "ways" are terror, beheadings, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, honor killings, slavery, abuse of women, beatings, discrimination, oppression, and so on.

Here is the link if you want to read the whole thing at Islam_QA (which I have mentioned here before as the "most honest Islamic site on the Internet"):

http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=70256&dgn=4

For reference, the item is 70256. The text is nausiating, but at least it is honest. Give them credit - they understand Islam and they tell it like it is.

They also say that Muslim should "leave that kaafir land, because the (Torturing, wife-beating, murdering, wife-beating) Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) disavowed himself of anyone who settles among the mushrikeen." Of course, you and I know that this is true, but our Muslim friends love to live in the West, even if they hate the people, its cultures and political systems. (I added a few choice adjetives to the quote, in case you didn't notice). I really doubt that Austalian Muslims are in a hurry to get back to Mohammedland, and to the joys of living under Islam. They all want to come to the West and bring all that "joy" with them, so we can be miserable too.

See, the young people of "Middle Eastern Appearance", known in real-life as "Muslims" are just doing what Muslims do, and Peter Kell is doing what PC Multiculturalists do.

Life is so easy when you are honest.

John aka kactuz aka kactuzkid

I agree with Peter Kell and I am horrified at the tone of the other forum members. You do not represent all Australians. Have a look at the posts, by putting down anyone with a different opinion - the lefties and reds etc- Online opinion is taking on the tone of a seditious nasty site ruled by bigotted opinionated drones.
Fair go. Spite and rhetoric can not be claimed as intellegent thought.

Kactus.

You confuse, like most westerners, Islamic practices with Ancient Arab Empire traditions. Most of those things you mention were Arab traditions.
The history and expansion of Islam and the Arab Empire are intwined but they show distinctly different cultural traits. However having said that because Islam was incubated within the Arab Empire it adopted many Arab traditions. But not all converts to Islam adopted all those traditions. The Classic example were the remenants of the Persian Empire. They actually wrested control of Islam from the Arabs. That really was the golden age of Islam when it's scholarship and science led the world. We adopted their number system and the concept of zero. We still use the navigation principles they invented.
However that all changed with the end of the Caliphates, the advent of fundamentalism (Wahabbism) and the return of the leadership of Islam to the Arab heartland in about the 11th century AD.

Modern day examples would be Indonesia and Malaysia and Australia. The brand of Islam in those countries carries few of the traditional Arab ways.

I am tired of all the negativity about Australian Islam so I will share a positive ancedote.
Yesterday my daughter bought us a new christmas tree. When I asked if she was replacing ours because it was worn out, she replied 'No it was a gift for her Iraqi friends'. She'd recently befriended a divorced Muslim family; a mother and two children. Naturally enough I blurted, as you would, 'But they don't celebrate Christmas.'
My daughter simply smiled and said 'But the kids wanted one.' Now how many non-christian Australians have Christmas trees? I'd bet millions.

Oh how we intergrate.

In a very few words arjay has summarised the sentiments of a great many posters here - the fact that I think him to be some what off the mark in his assertions is immaterial.

I would be keen for him do differentiate the lies, distortions and the facts he maintains Kell delivers from the truth as he sees it.

He can jot down any number of trnasgreesion by the Lebanese community or middle eastern types as he likes - in the end he and so many others simply look like fundamentalist of another kind generalisng from the particular, projecting their own prejudicial perspectives on an entire class of people.

His ultimate solution really cuts to the chase; in the deepest recesses of his heart he longs to rid the land of those who think differently to him and the nebulous "we" who dont care for what Peter or those of his "ilk" think - it would need a very large boat and a very welcoming nation to accept all those who are sympathetic with Peters take on the world.

It is that ultimate solution that points to the poverty of thought in those who seek the simplistic solution to a complex problem.

Rejecting preconceptions and stereotypes, even in the face of that very same approach in the opponent, is one of the ways we may seek some resolution to the tensions we are faced with.

Peter Kell joins the ranks of the 'leftist screaming minority' that has taken so much joy in disparaging their nation and pointing the finger at Howard (surprise surprise). It is almost surprising these people choose to live in what they consider such a racist and backward nation- I say almost because deep down they know they are residing in the most idylic/ tolerant nation on earth.

So why are people like Kell the way they are. It isn't because they want to encourage free speach and debate.And it has absolutely nothing to do with them being more learned than their fellow Australians. It has absolutely everything to do with the likes of Kell having formed an 'elitist' academic/ political clique that never considers average Australians because they are 'wrong'.

Well Mr Kell I'm sick of hearing that my fellow Australians are always wrong. And I'm sick of being branded a racist for voicing opinion that is not racist. And I'm sick of you and your mates hijacking the public agenda while force feading us rubbish about how much Asia may hate us. If Asia is so great go pedal your story there. Just be careful not to get thrown in jail for pedaling it in Malaysia or get summarily executed in North Korea for critricising the leadership there. Maybe you could go to Burma or Laos or Vietnam...

As Howard said "Apologising for your heritage is not the way to make minorities feel welcome..we are who we are."

Why is it that I read opinions that reflect my point of view only in forums such as this?. Most of the contibuters above are obviously intelligent well adjusted people, yet the rational analysis presented in this forum for the cause of the recent Sydney riots can not be seen anywhere in the national press ( perhaps with the exception of Andrew Bolt).
I am constantly found asking myself "what is the agenda of these proffessional commentators, do they all secretly loath the average Australian?". They completely ignore the facts of the recent history of ethnic trouble in Cronulla, and latch onto one aspect of a recent confontation that seems to support their rabid left wing point of view.
Meanwhile the silent majority, who briefly gave an indication of their brewing resentment of the culture of political correctness, the ineptitude of police enforcement, the laughing stock judicial system, and indifference of politicians to public opinion, will probably be brow beaten back by to their 'make no waves' life by bullies such as Peter Kell and so called other 'spokeman for the people'.

Eddy, you are so right. It makes a person wonder why so few people stand up and say the things that must be said. Is it fear? politeness? self-hate? stupidity? indifference? a conspiracy? all of the preceding?

To me it is what I call the Orthodoxy of Expectations. All organizations and society have a culture, one that regulates what you can do and especially what you can say. In some organizations this control is worse than others. And it is worst of all at universities, government and the media. I have some experience with the first two and it is not pretty. It is 1984 all over. Boy, did old Orwell know his stuff.

Also there is the fact that the Internet is basically an anonymous instrument that offers protection and peace of mind. Another important fact is that most of us don’t care what others think of them or, as in my case, have little to lose. Even so, I doubt that some people here could say the things they post at their place of work or school. That is the power of orthodoxy – it makes a person dishonest.

It is important to speak out. It is the only way that we can possibly avoid more and much more serious trouble. Yes, Muslims will not appreciate straight talk, but if nothing is done, and the PC multiculturalists continue to push their agenda of hate and divisiveness, we will see open war on the streets of Europe, Australia, and other places. The blood will flow. It is just a matter of time.

There is also the danger that extreme right-wing groups will offer gain popular support and power because moderate and conservative leaders will not say the things that need to be said. Look at what they did to Churchill for most of the 1930s. For almost 10 years the BBC did not let him on the air and he was vilified by the media for being so “negative” about Hitler and the Nazis. Where is our Churchill? Who will dare to tell the truth about Islam?

Kactuz

I wonder if that chap of middle eastern appearance would have been bashed up by that mob at the beach?

Can anyone point out were in the bible it says it's okay to work on the sabbath?

No one has come up with a valid reason way we shouldn't just drop a bomb on "New York" of Australia. Seems to me they are not Australians anyway.

Ev,

I have been living out of Oz for a few years and almost certainly less aware of the Law and Order enforcement to which you refer. Herein, I take it you are saying Police adopt inequitable procedures. I really do not feel qualified to make personal comment, but note, similar remarks to yours have been made by others in context with The Bock at Redfern. Perhaps, an unbalanced approach by against the Anglo community -if this is the case- reflects political correctness and/or the wish not to further enflame minority groups against the core culture?

Keith,

Interesting post. I have heard in US, there is a move by some to rename “Christmas Trees”, “Holiday Trees”.

Arab tribalism:

Keith, what you say about Islam rings true and sounds a tintinnabulation for other religions too. Just the same, the same religions not only drive culture, deep culture steers religion.

The Meccan Quaraysh were tribal. More importantly Muhammed ibn Aballahah was tribal in outlook, albeit, he wanted to unify disparate Arab tribes. But “muruwah” or manly suffering for the dedication to the tribe was profoundly ingrained. Self sufficiency (istaqa) in the context of the Hashim clan (Muhammed’s clan) was seen to threaten communitarianism, from the fifth century, when nomadic life was replaced with a more settled civil existence. At the same time, modernity in Sassanid Persia and Byzantium threatened these Arabs. This situation exposed the Arabs to external threats and exploitation from the aforementioned two significant outside powers.

It came to pass:

In the seventh century, Muhammed’s task was to develop a religion unifying continuing warring Arab tribes into a larger community (ummah). Adopting Christianity was out: The Christian doctrine on the fate of the individual, subordinated the individual directly to God, rather than the survival of the tribe.

Muhammed needed to reach back into Arab tradition by selecting al-Lah, a high God of the Arabian pantheon. Al-Lah was a fine choice, because the Kabah was dedicated to Al-Lah having associations with the early hajj, wherein, tribes would need to suspend hostilities to trade: A good start.

- More later, space restriction.

The point of the above is the same as my first posting: At Cronulla, we have a conflict between tribes the Lebanese tribe and a tribe of marginalised Anglos. Relative to their society, the former are typical and inclusive, while the latter are atypical and less significant. Moreover, the former stand closer to the locus of their traditional society, while the latter are remote from the locus of their traditional society.

Arab society has carried forward many of the value systems of the pre-settlement and pre-axial periods. In this way, it remains familial and tribal. Herein, it is hard to for the Arabs “to let go” to fuse with Western society to become a new composite society. The Arab tribal value systems do not readily enmesh with Western style societies.

Oliver

Exactly the stuff we all need to understand.

I hadn't considered Muhammed's tridal background at all.

Such comment as yours does add an authoratitive, albiet augmentative context and a deeper perspective of events in Sydney.

I agree with your views on the absence of tribalism among Anglo's. There is no great tribal or collectivist history. There is however a consistant history of unifications to protect values of communities of like minded individuals.

Oliver,

I've only been posting here for less than a week, and don't recall seeing any posts about 'The Block', but since you mention it.. Of course the problems facing communities of Aboriginal descent are very different from migrant groups.. for starters, they didn't migrate here, their culture was once deeply connected to the land, sky, plants and animals, etc. ie. the continent and everything living on it..

I think it's very beneficial to examine social dynamics, but I also think it's possible to go overboard with analysis of that kind (that you are delving into). Or maybe I should say, you need to take the next step and use the information gained from an analysis to formulate possible practical solutions.

Most of my posts have been focusing on the incredible vacuum of law enforcement that has become apparent in the face of gang and organised crime activity in Sydney. The crime in Redfern, particularly within the Aboriginal community tends to be localised, and although serious, doesn't come anywhere remotely close to the gang violence evolving in the south west.

Your analysis is sound and interesting. But remember most people don't think in those terms..

ev ans oliver,

its interesting to compare the block and lakemaba, it often falls into a mindset of who deserves more "rights"and why.

when you compare redfern lakemba and anglosaxons, you will find we all do have equal oppertunity.

if some people wont't/can't make something of life in Austrlia, whos resposibilitie si really.

While Arab and Aboriginal communities are both basically tribal, Arabian historial enjoinment with The West and the classical civilizations goes back over two thousand years. Herein, Arabian theocracies predate The West (476 AD)and Arabian societies were contemporaries with the Hebrews. In this frame, there has been plenty of technology and religionist transfer. Contrarily, Aboriginal societies have been something of Galapogos entities.

Vendettas are often entrenched in non-individualist societies. This circumstance would appear to be the case with Arabs. Control, power and missionary behaviour are Western individualist forms. Not a good mix. Unlike, the Aborigines the Arabs would seem to have the social structures, in part, at least, to counterbalance The West.

Meredith,

Loosely speakly, the Lebanese in Lakemba appear to better understand their nuclear community and broader Australia than the Redfern aborigines. In this event, perhaps, the Lebonese community is better fitted for Oz multiculturalism than the aboriginal communities. Ironic, given the latter founded Australia 60,000 years ago.

Maybe, regarding the aborigines, their society has just been overwhelmed and some individuals are at loss to take avantage of opportunities. The Arabs hold a stronger position, occasionally defining the route and the nature of opportunity, differing from that of the Anglo-Westerm members of Oz society.

Otherwise put, the Arabs have been maligned, the aborigines have been maligned AND defeated.

* Peter Kell, Hope you not just sitting on the sidelines. Pleae join
us.

* Any Lebonese folk out there?

Cheers,

O.

Peter Kell`s heart is in the right place and I agree with the fundamental premise of his article - that it`s time our Government became unambivalent about pro-multicultural, anti-racist stances.

However, I would like to offer another perspective on our Asian neighbours. In our rush to self-criticize (quite rightly), let`s not forget that Australia doesn`t have a monopoly on discrimination and prejudice. Our Asian neighbours need to get their own houses in order as well.

Japan - a few examples from somebody who lives here.

Huge signs posted in major railways stations proclaiming `Foreigners Follow The Rules`. This in a society where the most dangerous and common criminal activity exists in the shape of the Japanese gangs collectively known as the Yakuza who control most illegal activity,not a few politicians, and also manage to extort legal businesss.

Drinking establishments and hot springs/saunas with signs saying `No Foreigners`. The excuse for a major hot spring in Hokkaido, Japan`s northernmost island, is that Russian sailors didn`t follow their rules. Therefore it`s acceptable to bar all foreigners including the offspring of Japanese/foreigner couples - the children who take after their foreigner parent in looks, that is.

Common references to `Criminal Gaijin` littered liberally throughout the print media and tv programmes focusing on `Gaijin` (foreigner but literally means `Outside person`) crimes - the highest no. of crimes committed by foreigners are visa overstays.

The Government`s refusal to enact anti-racism legislation. And the new Foreigner Computer chip card coming by 2007 to track foreigners, even those of us who have lived here some time.

Oh and currently I have to carry an `Alien` (foreigner) Card AT ALL TIMES. The police can ask me for it anytime and if I don`t have it on me (eg even if I just slipped out to get some milk at the local shop)they will detain me until somebody I know can bring it to the police station. Or they will go and search my house for it.

Oh the joys of institutionalised racism!

Worldoflight,

It has been said that "if the Chinese family centredness represents graings of sand; Japanese nationalism represents a single piece of granite". Herein, traditional the Japan has been highly inward looking and mistrusting of outsiders cum foreigners.

As you will have observed, non-tariff trade barriers operate internally to retard the fair operation of foreign businesses in Japan. More over the Japanese consumer will find it hard to buy a foreign product standing alongside a Japanese product. BMW found it could not profit from its motor cycle lines until it opened its "own" outlets, wherein its offerings were isolated.

In Hong Kong and Singapore discrimination legislation conveniently sidesteps the "race" caetgory. In Singapore, in particular, Filopino maids are exploited. Many Chinese Singaporians look down on Malays too.

I think time has seen the concept of multiculturalism being trashed. Not Howard. Kind of silly to keep blaming a PM we keep voting for. May was well blame us? Well I forgot everyoe does!

In south/ south west Sydney we have had such a high percentage of the recent non anglo immigrant population the rest of Australia does not have any hope to understand. Even the northern suburbs of Sydney are as far away as Darwin on this.

Even inner city suburbs that relish multiculturalism only do so because of the fabby restaurants this policy affords. No clue I tell you!

There is such a thing as cultural genocide. look it up. We did it before yet we don't seem to care if it happens again.

Everyone has rights to birthright, cultural heritage and a state to call home. Don't deny this to ANYONE and we do not have a problem. Start saying all the migrant workers of the southwest have no right to be Aussie, only Aboriginal do then we have a problem. Not hard to see why.

Plenty of room for everyone to be Aussie but no room for those who say that no-one has a right to be Aussie, except Aboriginals. Migrants have worked hard for Australia, they deserve to be called Aussies. We all do. Without disrespect to our wonderful Aussies but also with respect to our great migrant community. Room for us all, if anyone is listening.

Kell's diatribe was published 31 dec 05 in The Jakarta Post. With current embassy and Indonesian government alerts warning of pending attacks by Islamist terrorists on individual Australians and other foreigners in Indonesia, I wonder who will be welcome his outrageous comments?

As a recently graduated mature age university student I have a certain amount of experience in the two worlds of academia and real life. One thing I would suggest to anyone publishing in the public arena is to first undertake a certain amount of academic recovery, look around and experience the living breathing world.
It is beautiful and it is ugly. No particular part of society has a monopoly on either.
I must admit to having had reservations about the concept of multiculturalism from prior to my university days and my study has done little more than promote intolerance within me. Not to other cultures or peoples but to the keepers of knowledge who decide what gets studied and what findings are accepted.
The segmentation of society into cultural facets worries me. Not from a perspective of statistical analysis or peer reviewed journal articles but from observation of the human condition and life experience that we all share. The latter two seem to have little, if any, weight in academic circles yet it is what moulds the world in which we live. Academia thrives on the critical analysis of the parts of our society while rarely undertaking a similar analysis of itself.
My university time is not yet done as I go back to further my degree yet one thing that life has taught me is that "Anglo" is not a synonym for all the world's problems, "Muslim" is not a synonym for all the world's pain and "Academia" is certainly not a synonym for all the world's answers. On the contrary, I find the amount of vitriol and intolerance that emanate from our seats of learning to be a cause of concern

Re: Cronulla Beach riots: making waves for the Asia Pacific region' Assoc. Prof. Peter Kell tries hard to pad this weak argument with emotive phrases such as'surfing the big waves of the Pacific' when discussing the recent scuffle at Cronulla really, I ask you, when is the Left and particularly the large Left contingent in Australian universities going to get over losing every federal election since 1996? Kell's article does not mention our largely successful management of multivcultural Australia - he chooses instead to focus on a rare incident - drunken muscle flexing yhouths 'having a go' on Cronulla Beach, the trigger being two life savers having been bashed a week or so earlier. In every nation there are tensions between different groups. You onlyu have to watch the news on T.V. to witness this. B ut as usual, the Australian Labor Left wing of that party are trying to gain mileage out of this incident, working it for all it is worth. The 'Holier than Thou' Howard-haters can't manage to gain the Australian public's trust, so in their usual style, Left Labor try to cut down those who are trusted and elected to government. The faxct that this twerp Kell approached the Jakareta Post with his assertions about Australia's 'racism' is nothing more than an underhand swipe at his own country by means of another country's media. I feel contempt for him. JMV

Craig,

Good for you, Marxist Training Camps full of Red Supremacist lecturers, who are so biased and defensive.

Do what you have to do to pass and keep on thinking for your self.

I am glad to I did my degree at 30 years old, after having lived some.

I agree it’s scary to think of many uni grads getting policy-making jobs with their arts degrees. Implanting their idealism into my reality with multicult social policies

http://www.campus-watch.org/about.ph

I know lots of red supremacists...Red is the new color os the 21st century, since we all know we get into the spirit world, and whites are going away for what they do with the book....the medicine wheel is a main teaching in native religion, and the circles in dreamcatchers are better for the land....I know...they foretold the filth's arrival, and all they think of is war and diseases....sick culture....