Rantful Friday
I heard an interesting interview on 702 the other day, between Richard Glover and Malcolm Fraser. Interesting because Fraser seems to be the only politician who thinks the furore over Al-Hilaly's (sexist and entirely inappropriate) comments is needlessly confrontational.
I had been thinking that to myself, considered in the light of the possibility of a rally of support for him being held at the Lakemba Mosque. The commentators were trumpeting this as proof that the average Aussie Muslim obviously supports all of Al-Hilaly's outrageous and provocative statements. I'm not so sure. And neither is Fraser.
I got to thinking how I would react if, say, Archbishop Jensen was being pilloried in each and every media outlet in the country. How I would feel if politicians from every side of politics was demanding that he be removed, that the community 'do' something about him. Jensen is constantly saying things that are out of step with community expectations - homosexuality being the major one at the moment. And his remarks really would be offensive to lots and lots of people. I know that his statements regarding women's ordination offend me greatly. And I fear for the future of the Sydney Diocese under his authority...
BUT if everyone in politics and the third estate starting jumping up and down and vilifying him and my faith, then I would be spurred to attend a rally in his support.
I'm not sure that his remarks are defended in the moderate Muslim community. I have heard many Muslim women on the air, voicing their disbelief at his views. And they are offensive, archaic, revolting views.
But he has a right to free speech.
We all do.
Fraser thinks that this, along with the new push to strengthen 'values' testing for immigrants, is classic Howard wedge-politics in play. He thinks the next election will be a Muslim Election, similar to the Tampa Election. With suspicion and hate and division being couched in nice 'pro-Australian' terms.
It sent a chill down my spine. I recognise that this is probably the only way that Howard can win the next election - by playing to the basest of base instincts. He's lost the electorate on Iraq, on Climate Change, on Workchoices, on the Economy (one more quarter of negative growth, and we're officially in Recession, apparently)... But his trump card is Security. And protecting the 'Australian Way'.
Poor fella my country. Again.
I had been thinking that to myself, considered in the light of the possibility of a rally of support for him being held at the Lakemba Mosque. The commentators were trumpeting this as proof that the average Aussie Muslim obviously supports all of Al-Hilaly's outrageous and provocative statements. I'm not so sure. And neither is Fraser.
I got to thinking how I would react if, say, Archbishop Jensen was being pilloried in each and every media outlet in the country. How I would feel if politicians from every side of politics was demanding that he be removed, that the community 'do' something about him. Jensen is constantly saying things that are out of step with community expectations - homosexuality being the major one at the moment. And his remarks really would be offensive to lots and lots of people. I know that his statements regarding women's ordination offend me greatly. And I fear for the future of the Sydney Diocese under his authority...
BUT if everyone in politics and the third estate starting jumping up and down and vilifying him and my faith, then I would be spurred to attend a rally in his support.
I'm not sure that his remarks are defended in the moderate Muslim community. I have heard many Muslim women on the air, voicing their disbelief at his views. And they are offensive, archaic, revolting views.
But he has a right to free speech.
We all do.
Fraser thinks that this, along with the new push to strengthen 'values' testing for immigrants, is classic Howard wedge-politics in play. He thinks the next election will be a Muslim Election, similar to the Tampa Election. With suspicion and hate and division being couched in nice 'pro-Australian' terms.
It sent a chill down my spine. I recognise that this is probably the only way that Howard can win the next election - by playing to the basest of base instincts. He's lost the electorate on Iraq, on Climate Change, on Workchoices, on the Economy (one more quarter of negative growth, and we're officially in Recession, apparently)... But his trump card is Security. And protecting the 'Australian Way'.
Poor fella my country. Again.
posted by actonb at 12:05 pm
6 Comments:
I have for some time supected that 'Separation of Church & State" is only a propaganda slogan anyway. We certainly fail the test when it comes to keeping National Politics out of the affairs of Church. Perhaps it is meant to only work to keep the Church out of the affairs of State. The spectacle of Government Ministers lining up to put their two-bob's worth into the affairs of the Muslim Community urging them to change their ways is neauseating. What can we expecft when the Head of the Anglcan Church is also the Head of the Australian Nation.
Hi JohD! I heard an interview with Tony Abbott the other day. In a quick little question at the end, he was asked if he had ever been taught by a 'veiled woman'... And of course the answer was that yes, he had been taught by nuns. But apparently they were heroic, godly women... And you could see their faces.
And unfortunately it's not just government ministers doing the stirring... the opposition have been getting their hands dirty too.
Jensen the homophobic fuck should go to, i'll go to a rally for that...
Hi actonb,
We have some serious growing up to do here in Australia. While affairs like this reek of bigotry, and a reflexive racism, it also exposes a serious chasm in the public discourse. The responsibility for this probably rests with the fact that politics in Australia has never been a life or death affair. We simply can't be taken, nor can we take anything, seriously. It is little different to footy battle for us.
The latest manicmedia event papers over some extremely obvious duplicitious positions: both 'Aussie Value" and "multicults", promote a uniform standard; Left liberals promote a multi-cultural society, but native people and immigrants often have pretty conservative views about martraige & homosexuality. So the left forces them to change their ways, making the concept of "multi" redundant. Some of the more hysterical reactions came from the left. The Right OTOH want others to conform to a Christianized Australia, as a democratic rule. Does nobody except that there are legitimate value systems other than their own?
I was thinking that during this whole media beat up too. Next time the pope/clergy/johnny make offensive statements I vote we demand their resignation too! Not that I am happy with being compared to a plate of meat eaten by cats by any stretch of the imagination.
A mate of mine is a Muslim, so I asked her about this drama. Apparently, despite being beaten up by the media that Big Al is like theMuslim version of George Pell - he's really not. He only represents (and even then, Id say only a small percent of) the Lakemba mosque.
It's such a media beat up. Sure he said some ridiculous things, but has anyone ever listened to Pell or Jeensen? Not exactly the least misogynistic men either...
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