Surf Sand and Riots

I personally find the Sydney riots profoundly disturbing. As an Australian and a native of the region which is at the epicenter of the trouble it ranks as a ‘worst nightmare’. As a friend to a number of wonderful Lebanese Australians I am fearful for their security.

As a commentator I can only repeat my Jeremiah like warnings that the Federal Government under John Howard, and the Labor opposition, are driving an ugly agenda, purporting to be anti-terrorist but in reality racist and hateful. To say I am angry at the political establishment of my native country is a wild understatement; mindful of that, rather than irate ramble, I offer views and quotes from others. I’ll risk posting the graphics, they speak volumes.

For about 12 hours mobs rampaged through Sydney's southern beach suburbs of Cronulla, Maroubra, Brighton-le-Sands and Rockdale hounding, harassing and beating those who fitted their Middle Eastern stereotype. Women were not spared. Then came the inevitable revenge raids later in the day when some 60 cars were trashed by carloads of youths from the western suburbs, the homeland for some 200,000 Muslims. (Bali, Tampa, 9/11: a potpourri of causes. The Australian)

They called it a day of pride, but it will go down as a day of national disgrace. Nation's day of shame

"I believe yesterday's behaviour was completely unacceptable but I'm not going to put a general tag of racism on the Australian community. I think it's a term that's flung around carelessly and I'm simply not going to do it." Prime Minister Howard. We're not a bunch of racists, PM says

On the money? Racism? Alcohol? Just plain youthful stupidity? Nicholson's cartoon doesn't seem far from the mark.

"Mr Howard is very slow to call a racist spade a racist spade ... he has taken Australia backwards from the last half-century which celebrated multiculturalism in our nation” Greens senator Bob Brown (We're not a bunch of racists, PM says)

Chris Mogan, the Melbourne Clinic's head of psychology,
said global terrorism fears had exacerbated the usual tribal tensions.

"I don't think it matters what your background is. To see those sort of events is not what we understand Australia is all about." Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, who is of Lebanese descent.

"To be an Aussie is about looking out for your mates, protecting our beautiful land; and if ever something stops us enjoying our quality of life, we shall prevail over all …
"To anyone who thinks they can overcome an Australian that has a fire in their belly and a passion to see our land remain exactly the same way it was when we entered into this world, you underestimate the ferocity we can create using our hands." Attributed to a group called a group called White Sydney. (Who'd have thought it - Blinky Bill, the face of race hatred)

Arrests on the beach

The Patriotic Youth League, whose members handed out "Aussies Fighting Back" pamphlets at Cronulla, said it had been inundated with callers wanting to riot in Melbourne.

"If it wasn't for the massive police presence there already, and the fact that it's mainly confined to a peninsula, we really could have had a Paris situation on our hands (in Cronulla)," league spokesman Luke Connors said. (Melbourne Age)

"Come to Cronulla this weekend to take revenge. This Sunday every Aussie in the shire get down to North Cronulla to support the leb and wog bashing day …" SMS message.

"All Arabs unite as one, we will never back down to anyone the aussie's will feel the full force of the arabs as one 'brothers in arms'..." SMS message.

“Rioting at Cronulla Beach, in Sydney, is revenge for the Bali bombings and the September 11 attacks.” Federal Liberal backbencher Bruce Baird.

"I've sensed within some elements of this (Middle Eastern) community a hate. It's a hate that I don't understand, I don't understand it as a man," NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney.
Mr Moroney added that there was clear fault among the two groups who carried out the Cronulla violence and talks between the sides were vital to solve the problem.