I distinctly remember one of my high school history classes, probably in grade 8 or 9, where a discussion around the topics of multiculturalism and refugees took place.
I sat and listened to loud mouthed,
bigoted teenagers say that Muslim women should not be allowed to wear religious
attire because “they’re in Australia and have to adapt to our culture” and
“they could be hiding a bomb under there”. There were sentiments of “go back
where you came from” and "we shouldn't let them into our country in the first place"
And I sat quietly, and listened, and in those moments felt deeply
ashamed to be Australian.
But this week, I couldn’t be prouder.
Why? Because thankfully, humanity, tolerance and kindness have
triumphed.
Here in Australia we have had our fair share of crazy people who have committed heinous crimes, and generally the Australian public always reacts the same way, with warranted anger at the atrocity and an emphasis on paying tribute to the people who lost their lives. But when one of these crazy people associates their version of "Islam" with their heinous crime, there is often another level to the public's reaction, a racist, anti-Islamic ideology that focuses on a religion that has nothing to do with this demented person's actions.
Of course there are still people with this twisted view that continue to denounce Islam after the Sydney siege. However, unlike those racist teenagers in my history class, these people have not been the loudest voices this week, rather religious tolerance and the generosity of the human spirit have been louder.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said, "Australia is a peaceful, open, and generous society. Nothing should ever change that."
Journalists (and I am not counting the Daily Telegraph's abhorrent "Death Cult" headline as journalism) have written things like,
"While it is true that this gunman put Islam front and centre by
utilising that flag, let's put the emphasis where it belongs. He may
have made it about religion, but the operative word here is "he", and
not "religion." ... But such is the marginalisation of Muslims that they are not given the benefit of being individuals" Ruby Hamad.
And,
"The captor's message
and his agenda must be countered by us all rejecting the messages of
hate, fear, disrespect and of violence" John Blaxland.
A multi-faith vigil was held in Sydney's Lakemba Mosque, making a statement to the world that religion does not define us, and boundaries do not need to exist. We are all human, and we are all grieving.
And perhaps most importantly, the Australian public (and even the greater international community) have adopted the #illridewithyou campaign. It is a simple, practical demonstration of solidarity with fellow Australians and it is playing a huge role in ensuring our country maintains it's values of democracy, multiculturalism and religious freedom in this difficult time.
"This hashtag movement is powerful sign that Australians won't get worked up into a Islamophobic rage because of the actions of a single madman. It's also a lesson for countries like the U.S., where hate crimes against Muslims spike whenever there's a criminal or terrorist incident involving Muslims, or even when something innocuous happens like debating the placement of a mosque in New York City which wasn't even a mosque. Australian social media users are showing Muslims they're safe in their home and shouldn't fear retaliation for an incident they're not linked to." Jordan Valinsky
Australia, good on ya’ mate.
