Federation Square, Melbourne – Photo, Chris Hopkins, The Age – the age.com.au
I was urged again and again to attend the Perth leg of the counter rallies to the ‘Reclaim Australia’ ignorance to the point I considered this: my predominant view is that I should not attend so as not to validate and fuel ‘Reclaim Australia’ and the possible consequence of a journey to racial tensions. I understand the well-meaning in both camps but that is because I have lived racism from the day I was born, have understood it, reflected on it constantly and dedicated a life – including academically (two Masters and doctoral research) – to the ways forward, and in order to not keep anyone – including the perpetrators – hostage to racism.
Racism has many veils and layers.
I will keep this article short, which is unlike me! I have written voluminously on racism and on the ways forward and if anyone is interested in further reading I have attached several links at the bottom of this article.
Instead of attending the Perth leg of this reclaim Australia business, I spent the day working behind the scenes and also with the media to do everything possible to save the life of a young man – 24 year old Saeed Hassanloo. The mainly well-meaning counter rally protesters would have better served the Australian national consciousness had they gathered around the nation to do vigils for Saeed, to speak to the underlying issues that have brought this young man to the willing of death. His hunger strike has been 42 days long – unprecedented in this country. It worries me greatly, not just concerns me, that we are journeying Australia from once great hopes of universality to racial tensions and racial underclasses, towards more of the Cronulla rioting mindsets.
Despite the media focus on elements of both sides of the rallying groups in ugly confrontation with each other, altercating, shutting each other down, on flags being burned, and parochialism out of control, for the most part the ‘Reclaim Australia’ crowds were made up of ordinary mums and dads, their children, grandmothers and grandfathers. In their minds they have concerns, to them very legitimate. I disagree with them but the way forwards are not through the standoffs. Their views are the product of a decade and a half of ill-informed and propagandised dog whistle politics. Who should take responsibility for most of this are former Prime Ministers John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and our current Prime Minister Tony Abbott and most of our parliamentarians who vote en bloc and punch out woeful one liners to justify their political party. They have devastated the Australian national consciousness with bullshit labels such and slogans such as ‘illegal queue jumpers’, ‘economic migrants’, ‘turn the boats back’, with the Tampa lies, the whole lot. There has been no respite from all this in the last 15 years and it is taking a toll on the Australian people.
Despite multiculturalism, despite the Stolen Generations Apology, Australia has failed to have a genuine national conversation on its historical racism, which burned deeply into its body politic and into the framing of the Australian nation post the tens of thousands of years of custodianship by its First Peoples. The White Australia Policy is still in the hearts and minds of many. You cannot just wash away the past by a set of laws and tenets; you have to carry the people with you. This has never occurred.
The problem is that Governments are not made up of our brightest minds. Therefore it should not be our parliamentarians who lead the national conversation. They need to get out of the way but ensure that they allow the conversation to occur. The media should carry the voices of all sides – but contextually so.
There were elements within the Reclaim crowds who were looking for confrontation, though I would consider them fewer than the ordinary mums and dads who went there because of their constituted concerns. The counter rallies brought on the confrontations that those elements were looking for. By clashing with each other the counter rallies validated racial tensions but even worse they demonstrated confrontation as a means to an end, as a tool. We are in dire trouble if we go down this path. Most people who numbered the counter rallies were well meaning and genuinely believe they can shut down racism – but they are wrong. But there were some in the counter rallies who were also looking to vent their anger by confrontation.
The videos and photos of these rallies were disappointing to watch. What was more saddening for me was to hear both sides claim ‘victory’.
I never thought I would be quoting Larry Pickering.
“I was expecting people with blue eyes on Harley Davidsons and shaved haircuts and swastikas.”
He continued with the fact that most of the Reclaim crowd were “people who had never been involved in rallies.”
“They were all average mums and dads with kids and a genuine concern for the future.”
Mr Pickering was right.
He continued, “These people were part of the silent majority who normally sits at home and complains to the TV, yet somehow with no budget and a few willing helpers they had organised a national rally, involving thousands to protest at what most Aussies are now concerned about.”
My socialist and social justice activist mates were at rallies with placards with memes such as “hate breeds hate” and “violence breeds violence”. But the counter rallies were indeed filled with hate and its breeding. I understand their anger but anger has to be cast aside or if not then do not carry those placards with those memes.
Now, a lot of my activist mates will suggest to me that if we sit idly by while ‘hate is being incited’ then we will be responsible for letting hate manifest into something mongrel. But maybe what they are doing without intending it is ‘radicalising’ these ordinary mums and dads and their kids through hate and pitchfork standoffs. The counter rally protesters were screaming ‘racist scum’. That is not cool. I would have let the Reclaim crowds vent their spleen at their rallies, without a dissenter in sight. But what Reclaim had to say on the day as ill-informed as their commentary was on the day has now been drowned out by hate, confrontations and standoffs.
Ironically, most of those who rocked up to both camps in these 16 rallies around the nation were predominately not Australians born overseas or of our multicultural heritage or of First Peoples. If people want a way forward then for goodness sake talk to each other and thread this long overdue national conversation on racism before it is too late for another generation.
At this time, the burning issue in this nation should be Saeed Hassanloo but it is not and that says more to me than else. Rock up in huge numbers around the nation for Saeed. Now.
Do not breed hate. Just get the information out.
Further reading:
Forced to dance to the White Man’s Song – Australia steeped in racism
Australia’s Federal Parliaments still reflect a White Australia
24 year old Saeed’s hunger strike should have stirred the nation but barely a whisper
Your qualifications are an insult to the debate you protheletise –
“You cannot just wash away the past by a set of laws and tenets; you have to carry the people with you. This has never occurred.”
Laws and tenets are about the future, and are not meant to resolve issues from the past! Learn, then let go of the past, change laws and tenets, with respect to those affected today, so that there may be a future! Trust in those of today, to also learn then let go of the past, so that there may be a future. None of us (people of today) are God or Allah or Buddah or Hindi (no “higher power” cares about human laws or tenets or whatever else gives individual humans “jollies” about themselves).
Today, before you, is a new community, for which laws and tenets are written, as a compromise, to the different view of the future by its individuals.
Thay are precious words Gerry Georgatos, and no matter what any man or woman will say it will not prove to rationalise or justify our existence or our beliefs. We were created to be born and live, and with freedom. We can use that freedom to choose anyway we wish, even in the event of the Irain refugee on hunger. It’s sad that we find we choose to ignore the truth and the real WORD of God. I am reminded of the praise words, Oh was sins we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bare all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Prayer is the most powerful tool in our procession . And we deny ourselves as we deny Him in whom our salvation in Yeshua The Christ risen son of God Himself in the Holy Spirit. It is all to do with our ‘RELATIONSHIP’ with Yeshua and nothing else. No Religion/no particular church/no political view/ Just a straight personal relationship, to walk and talk with Him our now risen King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And it works. So be it!
Well written and well thought through. Howecer, the challenge is not a matter of race or even basic tribalism. It is one of religion. Australia was multicultural long before Al Grasby, and had a distinct and valuable culture long before Paul Keating declared its absence. This didn’t mean that it was all flawless – just that it existed – and it reflected the peculiar foundations of this particular nation and geography.
Pickering is a grumpy and sometimes unnecessarily profane man – with a lot of life experience and no longer compromised by “career aspirations. He is not a Christian by his own definition and excoriates the self serving pedophiles who apply the same arguments as other “progressive thinkers” who rarely discipline themselves in the cold but cleansing waters of history. The founder of Islam declared war on the infidels and the order was not withdrawn. It’s religion – not race. May you prosper and grow in your journey – Cheers
We Iranians in Australia support Anti-Islam rallies. We are not Muslims. We have escaped it to live the Australian life.
Graeme – Australia was indeed multi-cultural long before Al Grasby, and in fact long before Captain Cook.
This land had in excess of 250 different nations within it, all with their own language and culture.
We all know that Captain Cook was the first chapter in what most First Nations people mourn and we Aussies celebrate.
Our past includes the white Australia policy, which was at least partly race based.
We talk of Aussie culture and expect newcomers to comply with it.
A bit ironic really when you consider most Aussies can’t say hello in the original language of where they live, work and play.
This is not only the past, it is also the present.
The hot potato van – please consider viewing: https://youtu.be/zixigIrO23A?t=2238