We'd lose too much if we dumped multiculturalism - 19th January 2018
We’d lose too much if we dumped multiculturalism
Theo Theophanous, Herald Sun
January 19th 2018
Pauline Hanson has for years tried to tap into underlying fear and racism for political gain. Picture: Michael Masters/Getty Images
I WAS recently accused of being a “serial
multicultural apologist” in response to my previous article on parallels between Sharpie (and other gangs
of the past) and so-called Sudanese gangs.
It made me think. Each year Australia is becoming
more multicultural. The last census showed 33 per cent of people were born
overseas and a further 16 per cent had at least one parent born overseas.
That’s almost half the population.
SEE ALSO: THEO
THEOPHANOUS: MELBOURNE GANG CULTURE IS NOTHING NEW: HERALDSUN JAN 9th
More than 20 per cent also spoke a language other
than English at home. Yet support for multiculturalism is under pressure here
and overseas. In Europe there has been a significant retreat from
multiculturalism policies. Fascist parties now sit in parliaments in Germany
and Austria.
In Australia knee-jerk reactions to so-called
African gangs and Muslims are gaining momentum.
Let’s be plain. There has always been an ugly
racist streak among a minority of Australians but it has become more brazen,
more political and infected many other Australians. Entire ethnic groups are
labelled as criminals, terrorists, welfare bludgers and so on. This is being
used, if not encouraged, by some politicians and political parties. It is
something new, ugly and dangerous.
Pauline Hanson has for years tried to tap into
underlying fear and racism for political gain, first by declaring that we were
being “swamped” by Asians and later that Islam was a “disease”.
It’s no surprise that the proportion of Australians
perturbed by Islam has risen from 25 per cent to 41 per cent in two years
according to one study.
Before I’m attacked as a Lefty apologist, let me be
clear. I don’t like that many Muslim women are overtly or covertly pressured to
wear head or face coverings. I don’t like the political correctness of the
inner-city Left (especially the Greens) who perversely try to argue that the
wearing of such head coverings is an expression of freedom. I am concerned by
the penetration of fundamentalist Islam into politics in places like Iran,
Turkey and Indonesia.
And I have little time for criminal behaviour of
any kind, be it from Africans, Asians, Mexicans, Muslims, Caucasians or anyone
else. Such behaviour should be called out and dealt with decisively and
appropriately.
But to friends from established communities who
have condemned the ethnic group rather than the behaviour, I have this to say.
It was not that long ago that Greeks were labelled as “compo cheats” and
Italians as “mafiosi”. All back compo claims were then “a Greek back claim”.
Lebanese, Latin Americans, Chinese and others have
all had to wear similar labels.
But derogatory labelling by culturally insular
individuals was not blatantly used for political benefit by politicians. That
is what is new. Peter Dutton and Malcolm Turnbull have allowed, if not
promoted, the labelling of young Sudanese as “home invaders” for political
purposes. I notice they have not come out as readily to condemn the Caucasian
thugs who beat up an old man in a pub recently.
Prime
Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton have allowed, if not promoted, the
labelling of young Sudanese as “home invaders” for political purposes. Picture:
Kym Smith
As I have said, gangs of all types have always been
a feature of Melbourne life.
There are many people angered by anyone who says we
need sensitive approaches to solving the complex issues around the criminal
behaviour of some African youth. Many have tried to make this a
Labor-versus-Liberal election issue. To me those people are being sucked in by people
prepared to tap into their antipathy for other races.
Hanson and her ilk hate the fact there has been
mass migration from more than 100 countries to Australia and they want it
stopped. If they could, they would send them back. Dutton on the other hand is
happy to have migration levels running at record levels to keep the economy
ticking over. But he is also happy to negatively label minority ethnic groups
and send a few of them back or keep them in jails for political gain.
Sensible Australians will see through these
ham-fisted attempts to secure their votes by playing on fear and prejudice.
I have confidence in Australian values prevailing.
I believe Australian Muslims, Africans, Asians and so on in their second and
third generations will become more like us — easy going, sport-loving,
cherishing our freedoms and supporters of equal rights for men, women and all
ethnic groups.
Research by the Scanlon Foundation has found
already that 92 per cent of respondents born in non-English speaking countries
agreed that maintaining the Australian way of life was important, especially in
the modern world. This is cause for optimism.
That is the Australia that a commitment to
multiculturalism can bring about. It’s one where we fix anti-social or criminal
behaviour without resorting to ethnically charged abuse.
Before we abandon multiculturalism to the
alternative of segregation, deportation, inhumane treatment of refugees and
labelling ethnic groups for political purposes, we should think about what we
are losing.
Theo Theophanous is a former State Minister and
Commentator
Comments