Once again race is confused with religion.

As well, the author, who tells us we are all Australian, singles out a drunk as an “Australian” man. If we are all the same, why is he not described as just a ‘man’?

Again Salam you haven't criticised the racial violence perpetrated across all Sydney. Did anybody at that rally criticise that violence?

Irfan asks for a definition of Australia's multiculturalism. What's yours?

You seem unable to accept, despite the evidence, Australia's not a racist country. Let's try for some more agreement. We'd agree the racist hooligans at Cronulla are no more representative of Australia than the Lebanese Muslim youth gangs are of the Australian Arab or Muslim communities. We'd also agree there has been almost universal condemnation of the behaviour at Cronulla not just by those at the rally. Similarily, but we'd probably disagree, the criticism of the Lebanese Muslim youth gangs has not carried the same ring of total community condemnation. Rather than argue ask; Why not?

You seem unable to accept most people are not demonising the Australian Arab or Muslim communities. Instead of arguing differences let's have more agreement here. We'd agree many Australians are angry and derisive of the ongoing criminal and racist behaviour of particular youths from that community. They're also becoming angry at the tacit denial of this problem by Australian Arabs and Muslims.

I'd reckon Cronulla beach wouldn't have room for this act of collective head burying.:-)

We'd also agree in this country there is freedom of speech and while I think it is offensive to label forthright Australians Un-Australian people are allowed to do that just as those so labelled are entitled to express their own controversial opinions. That is one of the conventions to which we Australians all adhere. Do you have a problem with that concept?

Expressions of biased opinions, such as yours, are as divisive as those you proclaim Un-Australian and such expressions are more likely to divide us than the behaviour of two bunchs of Sydney based racist hooligans.

Churchill said fanatic's are people who won't change their mind and who can't change the subject.

I'd point to the above and remind you of your previous article which also harped on racism. I'm reminded of someone's recent plea;

How do we fix this?.

Shouting racism over and over certainly won't.

A very Argus-eyed Leigh was quick to spot the chimera in Salam's piece. Muslims are not a race. Muslims are adherents of the Islam faith. We must forgive Salam because she is a journo and a story stripped of its emotion comes across as another 'dog bites man' piece.

Salam, I congratulate you and all the others who marched against racism. Why not do something bold next time. Take your march to the mosque at Lakemba. Carry a couple of posters with imam Omran and sheik Hilaly on them with the words 'unAustralian' written underneath their pictures. Sing Advance Australia Fair while carrying the Australian flag. You and your fellow marchers will be well received.

(that's very sneeeeky Sage put good point)

>>Well it’s time to break the barriers of insecurity and love thy neighbour again.<<

As a follower of Jesus’ teachings, I have never stopped loving my neighbour or my enemies (I may tease them a little but always in love).

"Love your enemy" does not exist in the qur’anic text no matter how hard you look for it - the enemy of course being all non-muslims.

Or maybe Salam is the exception to the rule and is (not so clandestinely) single-handily changing the course of isalm from aggression to peace making?

>>…let us remind ourselves that this land does not belong to you, nor does it belong to me, but to the Indigenous people who came here first, and by God they have surely suffered the most. <<

Q: Is this why muslims are actively converting aborigines to islam in prisons? and intermarry with them so by right Australia is theirs to claim and to keep, hmmm…?

That may explain Salm’s nice cuddly fluffy goose-bumpy approach to writing

Salam, I feel so sorry for you, you can't see past the cloth that covers your head. This is not a racist country, nor are the people racist or bigoted. It's very simple, people like you attack us, to further your religions cultural gains.

Race. or ethnicity is something that most Australians accept as being a part of our cultural makeup. But what we object to is people like you forcing your despotic religions onto us, when the facts show that your religion and all religions are the root cause of all the trouble.

We don't care what you are or who you are, but this country for nearly 100 years was a place of peace, security and acceptance. Then the PC's began forcing us to accept changes that have destroyed that security and made us just like the rest of the world, a religious war zone.

Your religion, the christians and the jews do nothing but cause trouble where ever you are. Its in your religious nature, religion lacks intellect and can resort to nothing else but suppression and violence. All the islamic countries of the world are in chaos, thats what we don't want here, yet it seems that you and people like you are pushing that barrow.

This is our country, black, white, red, pink yellow, green, who cares, no one I know. We just don't want Australia ending up like the rest of the religious world, violently chaotic. Keep your religion and its expression at home, or leave and go to a country where you can all fight each other, to see who is the best destroyer of life and freedom.

Good article Salam,

We are all Australians: aborigines, anglo, arabs, asians, muslims, christians..

Trying to give a race or a religion a previliege of being more australian is divisive. Rather we should all consider how can each difference contribute to a better Australia: social and economical.

Peace,

One of the dickiest articles I have read in a long time. The obligatory anti-racism marches since the Cronulla violence are even more pathetic than the 'riot' itself. Anti-racist rallies are nothing more than socialist propoganda railing against the 'tyranny' of the 'oppressive' white society. Racism is a catch-all buzzword that has abandoned its roots in equality for denigration of the host society.

The marches are full of posturing with the token minority pets on display.

Cheers.

There is a lot to be gained when those who believed themselves to be victims start to realise the level of support they have in the wider community and can identify as Australians. If anti-racism rallies can do this then the more the better I say - the suggestion that one is held one in Lakemba was a great idea. When this realisation filters its way into schools and family homes then there is a real chance that racism (from both sides)will become a thing of the past.

Dear Salam
I need to clear up at least one major defficiency and misconception in your article immediately:

[[We gathered together with no political or religious persuasion but with one goal on our mind - to combat the horrors of racism]]

Well.. that is a sign of you being incredibly naive about the activities of the Socialist Alliance who's banners and sloguns and signatures I saw on SO MANY of the posters. You have been the unwitting participant in a scheme purely aimed at raising their political profile.

There will be another 'rally against Racism' in Melbourne on Feb 9th, at Arab Central (Brunswick town hall)I'm thinking of attending with about 5 guys all over 6ft 5in and built to match from my gym, and me at just 6ft with a megaphone in middle of them, calling out to Dean Mighell the ETU state secretary that he is (in my opinion) an opportunistic traitor who is trying to gain support of Arabs for his socialist utopian dream.. not political ? for goodness sake girl... wake UP!

You were just one of a number of hapless pawns in the Socialist Alliances deceptive campaign to be 'seen'.

Another point I noticed, was that you wrote from perspective of a 'Muslim' rather than an Australian. You did confuse 'race' with religion (tsk tsk).

What you SHOULD have been protesting about is

1/ BAD BEHAVIOR (I'm in Vic and I've met quite a few who have been to Cronulla and been bullied or had their food spat in by Lebanese Muslims), how much MORE would Sydneysiders have seen this ? That, Salam is RACISM did you denounce it ?

2/ POLICE IMPOTENCY 28,arrests and of them, only 2 "Middle Easterners" Yet we had 20 car loads of ME males harrassing patrons of a fast food outlet in Parammata.. arrests ? Guns shown to newscrews at the Mosque.. arrests ?

If you fix the above issues, you have ALready fixed 'Cronulla Violence' from the anglo side anyway.

Once again, the armchair nazis have gathered to carp at the sideines and ignore the real issues. The real issue is that we are all Australians. We all belong in this contry and no one has the right to marginalise anyone in Australia. We can marginalise people using words or fists or beer bottles or stupid sermons (whether it be Omran or Nalliah, it's all the same).

I have a suggestion to the lunatics here. Please get off your backsides and try and write 800 words of coherence arguing that Muslims or Jews or Callithumpians or some other group you hate don't belong in Australia. And tell us what your solution is. Go on. Don't just be lazy and carp on. Write something.

salem would you please stop demonising alan jones and other 'racist' radio hosts......if you keep saying nasty things about them society might turn against them in a pogrom of racist fury.

IRFAN SAID:

[[no one has the right to marginalise anyone in Australia]]

(specially marginalizing the established culture !)

Um...Irf.. there u go again... misunderstanding the 'real' issue.
Not to mention the obligatory name calling "Armchair Nazi's"

It has never been about 'race' or 'religion' directly, its just co-incidence that the long standing (and on going) abuse of our culture and ways happen to zero in on Lebanese Muslims. How many times do you have to be told about the long standing abuse of Aussies by Muslim males. Spitting in our food at Cronulla etc.. rampaging with guns, knives and baseball bats, threatening, beating up in gangs etc...

You, like Nayeefa only see the 'reaction' and then you describe this as a symptom of Racism by Australians trying to marginalize people.

Such a deliberate unbalanced misrepresentation of fact is getting a bit malicious and dare I say it....'hateful'.

Does it not strike you as rather 'odd' that there are no Italian or Greek 'gangs' zooming around in their WRXs etc looking for 'skips' to bash ? or 'skip sluts' to rape ? Can you show me ONE report of an Aussie gang which specifically targeted a 'Muslim female' and pack raped her simply because she is 'Muslim' or "lebanese" ? I won't say there are none, but I've not seen or heard any, and its kind of a 'hot potato' issue, not something which would stay long in the shadows...BUT...

Ok..I'll await your report.

You also failed dismally to address the obvious flaws in Nayeefas article. "Not political" ha ! Maybe you made one of the speeches ?

As for writing articles, it has a cost. Also, please get OFF your 'You hate us, you hate me, you hate muslims' hobby horse, I'm wearying of the outright lie.

Muslims are welcome: Just dont try to change our laws, or our culture. FIT IN WITH IT.. quite easy when u think about it.

Boaz,

I always enjoy watching you turning even law enforcement, youth problems into ‘Muslim issues’.
Did you see the great white ‘Muslim’ sharks around the Sydney beaches lately: -)? Watch out they only attack non-Muslims!

Seriousley now: Gangs, whether Lebanese, aborigines, whaterver-ese, is a matter of law enforcement. There are probably a hundred rotten apples on each side that is creating all the headache (including Lebanese ‘Christian’ gangs in Bexley area by the way).
There are few case studies on how the US police solved the LA, NY and SF gangs problems.

We should see crime as a crime without pinning it on an ethnicity or faith.

Btw, Can I ask you to ‘coach’ Coach a little? He is desperate to become a ‘Boaz’ but he doesn’t even know the Quran addresses believers and not Muslims.

Peace,

Irfan,

Just read your article in New Matilda. Well done. Have you had your Crikey today?

Salam

Thank you for your article.

In common with some posters, I was somewhat amazed that you blend culture with religion.

Even more astonishing - you say we are all Australians, yet you call yourself an Australian Muslim or a Muslim Australian (as in other articles you have written).

Perhaps you need to take heed of what the 10 years old boy said (who you quoted): "I am Australian. I am Muslim". The philosophical differences are not rocket science.

Italians, Greeks and others do not say: "I am a Greek Australian. I am in Italian Australian". Rather, they acknowledge their heritage: "I am an Aussie of Italian heritage". They do not bring religion into the scenario. Why do you?

Irf

Clearly of late, you have taken an overdose of bitter pills. Initially, when I joined this forum, I enjoyed reading your articles and your posts. Not so any more. You have become quite vicious - hardly in keeping with your "Peace" mantra.

BD

I thought your last paragraph was interesting.

Cheers
Kay

Irfan

I've submitted two articles to OLO both over 800 words both fairly representative of an Anglo Aussie opinion. Neither have been accepted. But neither make claims of racism nor laud victimhood of Arab Muslim Australians unlike all but three of the more than 20 odd articles published by OLO so far. Little of what has been written is supported by reasonable research. It is mere opinion attempted to be dressed up as expert opinion by overpaid academics resident in their traditional towers of imitation ivory spouting their beloved truisms and their now very shakey fanatical ideas.

Your post here merely highlights this bias on OLO. And really it is tiring to see one after another deceiptful piece of sometimes reasonably written prose spout charges of racism and blame anything but the Lebanese Muslim youth gangs/louts ad infinitum.

That is causing me to look askance at the whole of OLO.

It really is getting bloody boring with it's one-sidedness so much so it could soon become an irrelevance simply because it does not reflect all Australian attitudes on this subject.

And now you Irfan use the OLO editorial policy to lash out unreasonably at people who reject your biased and simplified views.

Unfair and unconscionable really.

There is no debate in OLO articles. There is only the epistles of dogmatic religious cranks, left behind balding broken down lefties and unoriginal bearers of outdated dogmas.

I appreciate you borrowing my analogy of heads in the sand at Cronulla. I approve but there'd be no room for your nominations.

With all these other airhead's heads in the sand and with their bullous bottoms stuck in the air we're bound to get a fairly large onshore zephyr, cos sure as hell most all would be pointing westward.

Thanks irf, you and your ilk have finally revealed yourselves. You are just like all religious, hate for those that disagree. Muslims always relate to themselves as muslim Australians, rather than Australian.

Sadly as long as we have religion we will have violence and war. A truly utopian situation would be for some country or organisation to take control of the world and get everyone in each country to vote for what sort ideology or none at all, to run that country. Once that is known, those who wish to live in a country that has the ideology of their choice, would move there. They would also vote for the laws they wanted and it would be illegal in all countries to try and change or practise any other ideology in that country.

The only problem with that is, those countries that voted for religious control, would start of with a few people, but over time all that would be left is the half dead zealots fighting each other to be the best at that religion.

The only countries that would have a large population would be those that voted for no religion at all. Free enterprise, free choice, free from religion. Actually if you gave a free vote to everyone, there may be no religious countries, just places like Australia once was.

Now that I've finished my day dream, what will happen within the next 5 years, is the collapse of the worlds societies except for just one or two. They will be the countries that take control of themselves and remove the negatives that wish to destroy us, religious power and control.

I also fully agree with Keith it is becoming boring, nothing constructive to debate just the PC"s and religious elite fluffing themselves.

Salam, nice article. You seem to have been spared input so far from the few who use these forums who actually like racism - enjoy it while it lasts.

A couple of questions you might like to think about and which I would appreciate answers to. Irfan and other muslim writers appear to be unwilling to answer variations of the same question.

Why just "collectively condemned the incidents that occurred during and after the Cronulla riots" and not condem the racist violence which lead up to Cronulla?

The Cronulla riot was not an unprovoked outburst of the racism that lies just beneath the surface of Australians, rather it appears to be for the most part an unpleasant response to years of racist violence in and around Sydney. Reportedly gangs of Australian youths of Lebanese origin have had a very high profile in initiating this violence. It is a law and order issue as FH and others rightly point out. I doubt that the youths in question are fine upstanding members of the muslim community. For some reason muslim authors on these pages appear to be more than willing to condem the racism in the riot at Cronulla but refuse to condem the racism of these gangs. Mostly they describe the lead up to the riot as a single assault on lifesavers and totally fail to address the wider issue. Why?

I really would like to understand why this is happening as I'm finding it a very devisive approach on the part of Irfan and others.

R0bert

keith,

i am bound by the same OLO policy as you are. if you find any of my comments in these forums offensive, you are welcome to contact the moderator. i am happy to eat humble pie and cop a suspension.

Irfan finds to easy to call pple nazi's yet when asked to explain himself hides behind moderaters. Quite the coward.

Irfan & Salaam seem to send the same type of message - this is the difference - Muslim (Religious) thinking and Ozzies.

I have been contemplating stopping OLO as I find a number of articles very wishy washy and not having logical, factual statements and am fed up with the pedalling of Muslim thinking - it basically is all the same message.

I was thinking of subscribing to the new Matilda (despite $) but after reading here that Irfan is a contributor (new Matilda) I am seriously having second thoughts.

During the week after the Cronulla riots it was reported that a young women walking home in the eastern Suburbs was sexually attacked by 4 men of middle eastern appearance. The story was on page 9, a small column at the bottom of the page. Meanwhile acts of thuggery were reported in full living colur on the front page. How different would out reaction be if we had such grahic images of these sexual assualts? She was pinned down by three of them at knifepoint while the fourth had his way. They were interrupted by passer bys who came to the assistance of this young women.

People in southern sydney knows it happens, they also know if a girl dates a Lebanese she is probably being used. A marriage outcome is unlikley. They also know that another muslim potential partner, if of a different race, is not welcome in most lebanese homes either.

The cronulla riots were not acceptable behaviour. Nothing can justify them. But it will happen again if the racism of sections of the arabic community is not treated far more seriously. One young girl raped purely because of her race is one too many. We cannot allow this to happen anymore. It is the worse racist crime in recent history yet we harp on about some car damage, flag burning and some macho street fighting when it is these young female victims that will carry far more scars and are the ones who truly deserve all support we can muster.

So please we need balance, only then can we move forward.

It was interesting to note that a boy of ten was mentioned in this article holding a sign up saying.

I am Australian, I am Muslim, and my country is Australia.

The sign should have read:

I am Australian. And my country is Australia.

It is agreed that acceptance will eventuate with our future generations, although it has a tough battle with religions that have not revised ideaologies to enable this acceptance.

I find it rather disturbing to find quotes within some religious text, that quote hatred and sacrifices of non believers.

Pachelbel

Hear Hear

Irfan

I'm also bound by a personal intregity. I express my views in as a straightforward a manner as I can. I'd don't approach intermediaries when I can confront behaviour on which I hold an adverse opinion.

My way is to confront as directly as possible and allow the opportunity for critical self-examination and many remedial possibilities from simple acceptable retraction to the much more difficult apology.

Such are the mores of my culture.

Salam,

Australian-Muslim?. There lies the problem.

Anybody who disagrees with the minorities in Australia is labelled a racist or "armchair nazi".

Who goes to these rallies? Patriots?

It's always Anglos this Anglos that. It wasn't an Anglo who got fifty five years for rape yet we are being asked not to mention their racial backgroung.

Who controls the heroin trade? Let me guess an Anglo.

Is it the majority or the minority who disagree with Alan Jones?

Is it just a coincidence that there is racial tension in France?

If you don't like Australia then leave.

The immigrants who march against "racism" are not that worried that they would leave Australia. At least not while they can get government handouts.

Enjoy it while you can. It won't last forever. One day you'll have to work.

Fellow_Human,

"Lebanese ‘Christian’ gangs in Bexley area by the way..."

Is this true? The universal centre of all - Bexley - a gangland area?

Mrs Preddey will be spinning in her grave!

Are there any links/articles confirming this allegation? Must know, perhaps it can be addressed...

Salam/Irfan: Not a march against religious thuggery committed by those gutless men of a certain appearance and religion? But a march against us horrible Australians who may seem to be be racist.
Yet from your peaceloving koran and leaders:
"We declare ourselves to be clear of you, and enmity and hatred have appeared between us and you forever until you believe in allah alone" 60:2-4
"We pray for the jihad fighters {who}... attacked a hotel in which Jews were gathered and killed dozens of them" 27th journal of Sawt Al-Jihad
From sheik aamer bin abdallah, "Men of jihad, this is your festive season since jihad, in a state of fasting, has a particular delectable taste for the believers... wonderful it is to delight in the breaking of the fast and to taste the killing of infidels, to delight in the sound of the wailing of tyrants and lowly degenerates" etc. etc. - A real peaceful wonderful religion.
And you poor moslems wonder why we look at you with suspicion, you really wonder why you are not trusted?
By the way NO! I do not hate you poor misguided, pitiful, enslaved moslems but I do hate your miserable, bloody, dark, dismal, death-loving, misygonistic religion. numbat