Wed, 20. July 2016
We're a Christian Country!
When I migrated to Australia in 1970, I noticed that the Greeks and Italians were not very popular here; and that most Europeans were seen as non-integrated outsiders by many people. Even as an English migrant, I found that there was always a slight undercurrent.
During the mid-1970s this prejudicial finger-pointing swung towards the Lebanese migrants who had fled from the civil war in their home country. They were quickly followed by the Vietnamese and later it was Asians in general became the targets of discontent. All these communities of people mostly eventually integrated into Australian society, whilst adding a rich cultural diversity.
Fast forward a few decades and who cares about the Greeks, the Italians, the Lebanese, the Vietnamese or the Chinese any more?
Because now it's the Muslims.
I've watched Facebook threads quickly degenerate into hatred with impossible over-simplified solutions, for example:
"STOP MUSLIM IMMIGRATION - particularly from the Middle East - to this country. Talk about Trojan Horses - what more do politicians need to convince them!"
"Not just a stop to Islamic immigration but deportation as well for those who wish to follow suit in terrorist acts!"
"We are sick of ungrateful arse-holes coming to this country uninvited,not only expecting but demanding that we support them. They then want us to obey their archaic ( sharia) laws. They do not respect OUR laws, OUR culture and OUR customs and expect us to respect theirs. The solution is simple. Don't like this country,, piss off!"
"This is a Christian country".
This judgmental paranoia comes from a minority of people here in Australia but they are gearing up for more.
Let's look at some of the core issues relating to the gripes which people often have against Muslims:
- They believe that the Muslim religion is primitive, ruthless, self-centred, wrong and sometimes barbaric.
- They dislike Muslim customs.
- They think that Muslims lack proper respect for other Belief Systems.
- They reject Muslim attempts to introduce Islamic "laws".
- They object to the subservient status of Muslim women.
- They see Islam with blood on its hands.
- They believe that Muslims are divisive and fail to integrate.
- They don't want new mosques and Muslim faith schools.
- They don't want children indoctrinated by Muslim ideology.
- They believe Allah is a figment of the imagination.
- They think that Muslims are on a mission to boost their numbers in order to obtain unwarranted influence over the legislature.
- They suspect that Muslims are hell-bent on world domination.
Personally, I think Islam is a bloody awful religion - but that is no reason to despise Muslims!
I apply exactly the same thinking towards Christianity. The dogma of the Christian religion is dreadful too - but that is no reason to despise Christians!
- I feel that the Christian religion is primitive, ruthless, self-centred, wrong and sometimes barbaric.
- I dislike Christian customs.
- I think that Christianity lacks proper respect for other Belief Systems.
- I reject the Christian belief that their own internal "laws" override the legislature.
- I object to the subservient status of Christian women.
- I see Christianity with blood on its hands.
- I believe that Christians are divisive and feel they are born to rule.
- I don't want new churches and Christian faith schools.
- I don't want children indoctrinated by the Christian faith.
- I believe the Christian God is a figment of the imagination.
- I think that Christians are on a mission to boost their numbers in order to maintain their unwarranted grip over the legislature.
- I suspect that Christians are hell-bent on world domination.
They can't see it but people object to Muslims because the perceived threat from Islamic objectives is an accurate mirror of Christian objectives.
They wish to deny the "Muslim Irrational Belief System" access to the privileges which the "Christian Irrational Belief System" has always enjoyed here in Australia: the pursuit of their objectives to indoctrinate their children, to segregate them and teach them in their own schools, to build bigger and better places of worship, to seek power and to avoid paying taxes.
When they say "We're a Christian country", they are really saying "we don't want Muslims taking advantage of the system like we do!"
When they use "We're a Christian country" to discriminate against others, it demonstrates with considerable clarity that the exact opposite is true.
A pox on both your houses!