OUR MANY MUSLIM VOICES
Ten years ago I wrote an opinion piece for Sydney’s Daily Telegraph about the ugly face of radical Islam, sparked by a a case that caused an international furore: a Nigerian woman called Amina Lawal had been charged under sharia law with adultery.
She was to be buried up to her neck and stoned. The authorities were just waiting until she weaned her breastfed baby so they could carry out their sentence.
Yes. I know.
The letters to the editor pages were full of understandable outrage that, in a case of unfortunate timing, fed into a simmering anti-Islamic mood in Sydney city.
We had seen the gang rape case in which 14 Lebanese Australians were charged with raping young Australian girls; the infamous Cronulla riots that showed the ugly face of Australian patriotism were yet to come.
In that moment in 2002 it seemed somehow urgent to call for calm and rational thinking around Islam and Australian multiculturalism.
Just as it does now.
Muslim protestors in Sydney’s Hyde Park on Saturday.Image via Roving I on Flickr.
Some things may never change, but the things that have, in this case are striking.
In the passage of a decade the number of varied Islamic voices in our community has proliferated, and they are loud and clear.
Back in the early 2000s, journalists in Sydney largely went to Mr rent-an-Islamic quote Keysar Trad, of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia.
Then there was Sheik Taj Ed-din Hilaly, who will go down in history for his outrageous remarks comparing unveiled women with uncovered meat.
How encouraging then, to hear the range of Islamic voices this week. The many voices of condemnation about Saturday’s riots in Sydney have been eloquent and swift.
At Lakemba Mosque this morning, leaders from 25 different sections of the Islamic community banded together to take a very strong and unequivocal stand against the vocal and violent minority.
Muslim community leaders meet in Sydney this morning.Image via muslimvillage.com.
Samier Dandan of the Lebanese Muslim Association called for calm and restraint, said the Muslim community did not endorse any rallies in the near future, that it did not support the radicalisation of children, and that a very small minority should not be used to tarnish the reputation of a whole community.
That community, he said, was meeting with police and meeting with the government, to create educational programs for disaffected youth. They were looking for concrete solutions.
In the media there has been a range of voices: Waleed Aly in the Sydney Morning Herald, Irfan Yusuf in Eureka Street, Ed Husic, the first Muslim to enter Federal Parliament, in the Daily Telegraph, Jamila Rizvi and Randa Abdel-Fattah on ww.mamamia.com.au, Ruby Hamad on ABC’s The Drum.
On ABC radio this morning terrorism expert Clive Hamilton said the level of intelligence surrounding this public discussion had risen considerably over the past ten years, and he’s right.
This is the great success story of Australian multiculturalism.
We should feel proud and elevated by the rational discussion that has followed the irrational acts of Saturday morning, and without a trace of irony I say, have faith: faith in a strong Australian democracy that relishes the voices of the many, and faith in our strong laws and police force that will take care of the criminal actions of the few.
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Lucy (Editor of The Hoopla) is a journalist and editor with almost thirty years experience in newspapers and magazines in Sydney, London, and New York. She has been published in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, Vogue Living, Australian Art Review, and Gourmet Traveller. Most recently the Books Editor of the Sunday Telegraph, she has also contributed to the non-fiction books, Australia Through Time, and What Women Want. You can follow her on twitter: @lucykateclark.
23 Responses to this article
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Andrew Page-Robertson September 18, 2012
Well written piece Lucy. Unfortunately for every thoughtful, rational comment by Australian Muslim spokespeople, there have been many more outbursts from the usual predictably ‘outraged’, ‘go back to where you came from’ brigade, who don’t seem to be able to read anything longer than a tweet that tells them what to think, so they will never take the time, or have any interest in reading these insights into how Australian Muslims might think.
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Rhoda September 18, 2012
I thank all the calming voices and those who listen to reason and common sense. Violence takes us nowhere except to the grave.
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Mrs pops September 18, 2012
Lucy you’re right to comment on the large number of articulate a smart voices in the australian Muslim community. They speak clearly about the need to observe Australian law and that in a democratic society there are other more effective lawful ways to voice an opinion at the insulting video produced by an extremest element in the US. Waleed Aly articulate as always on ABC last night. Important we all get behind these positive voices.
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Carole September 18, 2012
Just a thought. what would happen if media did not cover these extremists. other than saying in a few words what happened. – no pictures or dramatisation.
What if the media only aired, wrote stories, showed pictures of the moderates, discussed how their religion affects their lives etc, would perhaps people’s perceptions of the religion change. From thinking all Muslims are wild fanatics to just accepting it as another religion.
Apologies it this doesn’t make much sense, just writing off the cuff!-
Jill September 24, 2012
Why should the media act as PR for violent acts, for a violent religion, no matter how many “modferates” exist in it? The Muslims riots in Sydney were a part of the riots all over the wordl in which people have been killed and injured, all ostensibly over a film that has been on the web since 2011.
News media has one job – to report the news. Commentators can comment on events, but we, the readers, need to know what is happening. Otherwise we go to other media and other sources for what IS happening, not what people think should be happening.And yes, you were extremely coherent.
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KatieLukin September 18, 2012
Well said Lucy! And great to see such an informative debate on this and surrounding issues on Q&A last night.
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JessB September 18, 2012
Love it Lucy, well said. I have faith.
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Jenny September 18, 2012
Q&A is a program I always make a point of watching. There is usually a good spread of opinions and wisdom from intelligent panelists of differing persuasions.
I am quite confident that there are many more rational and moderate Muslim people than there are extremists and fundamentalists. But all the same I wish that the kind of material which so inflamed the protesters had not been aired as it was – it was highly inflammatory, and those responsible for producing it must have known this. I agree with the rights of free speech, but is it really necessary to deliberately offend with insulting fiction? -
Benison O'Reilly September 18, 2012
What a wonderful assessment. It’s why I read the The Hoopla.
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Jacqueline Anderson September 18, 2012
Exactly, Lucy. You wrote what needed to be said.
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RobynMarie September 18, 2012
Benison, I completely agree. I love The Hoopla for this kind of balanced opinion. Keep up the great work.
Big love -
Merilyn Fairskye September 18, 2012
Totally agree with you Lucy, and like you I am really heartened by the range of voices we are hearing from Islamic fellow Australians. Those of us who have had a Christian upbringing don’t assume that the words or actions of Christian extremists reflect the views of the rest of us, and logically, the “go back to where you came from” brigade shouldn’t assume that disaffected extremists who happen to be Muslim reflect the views of the Australian Islamic community as a whole.
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Troy September 19, 2012
When dumb, drunk & racist mobs in Cronulla made international headlines, no community leader or Cronulla elder came out to comdemn these mobs, to the contrary the Anglo mobs were treated as diggers defending their land. If you think this is a success story of multiculturalism you are so wrong. This is the 1st time genuine muslims were given a platform rather than the lunatic sheikh & his bodyguard Keysar.
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Matt September 19, 2012
That’s complete bullshit Troy. Every politician in Australia condemned it.
Ironically those Cronulla riots were in reaction to the very individuals we saw on Saturday. They’d been going to Cronulla for years with their belligerent, aggressive attitudes harassing the locals. When they went too far and bashed a young volunteer life saver well all hell broke loose.
Its these aggressive morons from Lakemba that need the attitude adjustment not the rest of us.
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George September 19, 2012
Wonderful to have your eloquent writing here at Hoopla.
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liza September 19, 2012
What intrigues me is that muslim Youth have any interest in events happening all over the world.
My experience at the council elections was an appalling lack of interest in even such events that shape our local environment. Young Australians thought that they were smart to write abuse on their voting papers.
many had no idea that we were holding an election and had no idea who they would vote for.
Also a pocket of older men felt obliged to make ignorant statements about refugees .
What price Democracy? -
Jill September 24, 2012
This post is in reply to Carole, sorry if it’s been doubleposted.
Why should the media act as PR for violent acts, for a violent religion, no matter how many “modferates” exist in it? The Muslims riots in Sydney were a part of the riots all over the wordl in which people have been killed and injured, all ostensibly over a film that has been on the web since 2011.
News media has one job – to report the news. Commentators can comment on events, but we, the readers, need to know what is happening. Otherwise we go to other media and other sources for what IS happening, not what people think should be happening.And yes, you were extremely coherent.
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Jill September 24, 2012
The Sydney riots provoked some very interesting reflections here:
http://sultanknish.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/muslim-multiculturalism-and-western.html
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Jill September 24, 2012
Oh gosh, apologies for triple posting!!!
I kept getting “not connected” messages so kept trying.
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sue bell September 25, 2012
Jill do you own an Apple? I keep getting disconnection message, went to Apple and they said oh yeah that happens all the time, nothing we can do about it. It drives me crazy especially when I’m researching something, have to stop and go through the whole diagnostic stuff then the message pops up You are connected.
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Jill September 25, 2012
Hi Sue, no, i’m on a PC.
Must be my Net connection…it’s frustrating!!
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daymana December 6, 2012
okay, if I say my opinion would I be killed?
I am actually scared to say my opinion, so it will either be deleted or I will be killed very soon, because that is what the Qura’an is telling the muslims to do to others with different beliefs and opinions, they’re very smart though, cause they do not show this until they are able to show it.My opinion is we should not give them the biggest freedom in countries like Australia, because it will become like Syria, Egypt, and these kind of countries,….. PLEASE WAKE UP PEOPLE
THANKSDAYMANA
