Australia's handling of asylum seekers (particularly children) over the years has not been something we should be proud of however I personally think if only 1 in 10 Aussies are racist that is something to be proud of even though the ideal would be the unobtainable zero.

The level of racism in many other countries makes our level of racism pale by comparison. My friends and I have had our bums pinched in numerous countries where white Western women are seen as different and not deserving of respect despite modest dress.

This is not to excuse the racist element in Australia nor to deny we can do better, merely to put it in perspective. I must live in a different land to everyone else but I see very little racist elements where I live nor among my peers.

I am wary of the interpretation of statistics. For example, how many of the 1 in 10 were foreign born Australians or non-citizens reflecting their views about white Australians of European origin. The accusations of racism always tend to be directed to the WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) without any in-depth studies of the tensions and attitudes that exist inter and intra many other groups within Australia.

That being said it is fair to say that racist and negative attitudes towards WASPs have less impact, because by and large WASPs are more empowered and heavily represented at senior levels in the private and public sector and in politics.

If you ask some Middle Eastern born Australians they may be 'racist' or intolerant toward European Australians because of the way we dress and vice-versa.

Being adverse to some of the customs of other cultures such as the wearing of the burqa, bikini or polygamy is not racism. Being wary of some of the more fundamentalis Muslim or Christian traditions is not racism. Islam and Christianity are religions not races.

If we are going to throw around the racism label we must be careful to explore further into the statistics and define what we mean by racism.

Banjo
"Why I am a big problem to you" I mean I have hoped that you will change mind about Lebanese but you DO NOT! YOU HURT ME but I am sure you are not so bad as you seem!
"how much time should we give migrants to integrate?" The time depends on our behave to them! If we isolate them, if we reject them, if we hurt them, if we make them to hate us, to create and live in their geto, then they will NEVER integrate!
When the fathers of australia decided for the multiculturalismus they did it because they knew THAT MULTICULTURALISMUS IS THE BEST WAY TO INTEGRADE THE MINORITIES, THE MIGRANTS.
If fanatic nationalists have turned all their hate against Lebanese people and left no space, no oxygen for our Lebanese Australian brothers and sisters, then their integration will be very difficult, very hard and it will take long, long time.
The behave from any minority to majority depends from the behave of majority to specific minority.
IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF AN ORGANIZATION WHICH WILL PROMOTE THE FRIENDCHIP WITH OUR LEBANESE-AUSTRALIAN BROTHERS!
You asked me why you are a big problem to me. Because I asked you so many times to support them and you ignore me! First time I met a person to ignore his friend so badly!
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Antonious
A Frienship Organisation between Lebanese/Middle Eastern Australians and others is a good idea. Efforts have to be made on both sides of the divide on this issue or it won't work. Perhaps a multi-cultural frienship organisation bringing together people from many different ethnic backgrounds.

pelican
We speak for an 11-year study by a collaboration of Australian universities.
I wrote as title "1 in 10 ‘racial SUPREMASISTS", not simple racists.
According to this study , 85 per cent of Australians acknowledge racial prejudice occurs in the nation and one in five has been a victim of racist verbal abuse, FORTY per cent of Australians believe some ethnic groups do not belong in the country with one in 10 having outwardly racist views.
In realy 4 to 10 or 40% of australians are racists!
I know that in most others countries the racists are more than 40% but I thought it will beter if we start cleaning our yard first!
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Bazz I agree with most but not all of that post re charging for detention.
And I do not find your remarks racist, however we should not charge for detention.
We do not for prisoners so why charge people who just can not pay.
I will not be put down by the very left who tell us we should not say who comes here and how.
I remain baffled by AS just why are the posts so different?
And if we are not having our legs puled its hard for me to believe we are any different than other country's.
Good points about religion, I distrust them all, have seen bigotry in all and great harm done to native people from every Pacific Island in their name.
not racism but in its way just as dangerous.
In an earlier post here I said some things branded racism are just miss understanding of intent.
But in thread after thread AS questions us all.
I welcome people from any country in the world learnt much from them, but if we are so bad why not leave?

Fractelle,
You are right about one thing. I do not think highly of the so called 'boat people' or 'illegals'. In the main they are not the desperate and deprived souls their advocates try to make out.

From the moment they step aboard the boat they are committing an illegal act and they are quite aware of that. The last couple of boats sailed direct to Christmas Island, no pretence about getting to the mainland in it. They know the shorter time at sea the safer they are and the quicker they can get permanent residence in Aus. They also know they can get refuge in closer countries but not with the same attractions. Our welfare system is the big lure.

They needed their identity and travel documents to get to and while in Indonesia but once on the way the doubtfull ones throw the docs. overboard so they can tell our officials any cock and bull story they like and make it more diffucult to be checked. Our criteria is also lower than that of many countries and the UN.

I noticed in all the stories about being detained they never mention WHY their assesment is taking so long. Because they have lost (destroyed or discarded) their documents and they have lied to our officials. When someone actually loses his docs. a photo shown in places he frequented can easily verify who he is, etc. Bear in mind we are paying for his legal representation during the whole process and the appeals as well.

Cont.