'Muslims Are New Bogeyman Of Racist Aussies'

IOL (South Africa) ^ | 2-19-2003

[blam]

'Muslims are new bogeymen of racist Aussies'

February 19 2003 at 09:05AM

Sydney - "Islamaphobia" is alive and thriving in Australia, according to a new academic study which has found 55 percent of Australians would be concerned if a close relative married a Muslim.

The study, one of the most extensive ever undertaken, shows while there is antipathy towards other minorities such as Asians, Jews and Aboriginals, Muslims are the new bogeymen of racist Australia, seen as unable to fit into its western-style society.

"The results clearly indicate an expanding Islamaphobia, no doubt linked to recent geopolitical events, media representations of Muslims, and an accumulating heritage of western antipathy to Islam," said its author, Sydney academic Kevin Dunn.

Stereotypes of Islamic misogyny or sexism are clearly identified as a key factor in the growth and strength of anti-Muslim sentiment.

'Women were generally more relaxed about out-marriage to all groups' More than 5 000 residents of New South Wales and Queensland were interviewed for the study in late 2001, after the September 11 attacks in the United States but before the Bali bombings in October last year.

Muslim groups have complained of a sharp rise in anti-Muslim sentiment since the Bali bombings in which Islamic extremists are accused of killing more than 190 people, 88 of them Australian, and since a series of gang rapes by Muslim youths who received record jail sentences last year.

Dunn, a senior lecturer in geography at the University of New South Wales, will detail the conclusions of his study to a conference on immigration and integration at Sydney University on Thursday.

He said 83 percent acknowledged a problem of racism in Australia, and 12 percent admitted to being racist themselves even by the narrowest of definitions.

This hardcore of racism suggests "dramatic scope for inter-communal relations tensions in Australian society."

While almost a quarter of Australians experience everyday racism, such as name-calling, lack of trust and disrespectful treatment in restaurants, 35 percent of non-English speaking migrants experienced it in the workplace and 30 percent in education.

The worst racism was found in working-class pockets of Sydney.

"Racist attitudes are positively associated with age, non-tertiary education, and to a slightly lesser extent with those who do not speak a language other than English," said the study.

However, the study found that only seven percent are opposed to cultural diversity in Australia.

Among the questions, the respondents were asked was whether they believed there were any ethnic or cultural groups that did not fit into Australian society.

At least 1 276 nominated Muslims or people from the Middle East while 746 mentioned Asians and 58 believed indigenous Australians did not fit into Australian society.

But when asked if they would be concerned about a close relative marrying a Muslim, about 54 percent said they would be concerned with almost 25 percent saying they would be very/extremely concerned.

"Interestingly, while women were generally more relaxed about out-marriage to all groups, they were more concerned about out-marriage to a Muslim than were men," Dunn wrote.

"This suggests that Muslims suffer quite dramatically from the stereotypes of Islamic misogyny/sexism." - Sapa-AFP

[angkor]

no doubt linked to recent geopolitical events, media representations

No doubt?

Why didn't you ask "why" in your study, fool?

[IowaHawk]

I didn't know Islam was a "race."

[JeeperFreeper]

Gee... muslims blowing up tourists, muslim mullahs calling for death for infidels( the rest of us), muslim rape gangs, etc. and the Aussies have the gall to not like 'em.
What a pantload.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

"no doubt..." Indeed!

The best way to end war and ensure peace is to kill the enemy.

[Billthedrill]

Well, a "bogeyman" is supposed to be an imaginary demon. Recent events in Bali demonstrated this particular demon to be very real. If certain portions of the Australian population don't seem to like some Muslims, might it not be because the latter are trying to kill them?

[IowaHawk]

I don't want my kids to marry anybody who is a member of:

Flat Earth Society
Professional Bowlers Association
Trekkies
Ku Klux Klan
Hair Club for Men

Does this make me a "racist"?

[Amerigomag]

We've come a long way baby. All courtesy of the liberal press.

Austrailians are now racists.

Never mind that most Austrailians are classified as European caucasoids and so are Arabs. Never mind that Islam is a religion and not a race.

Let's not let the facts get in the way of politically correct pronouncements.

[winner3000]

Maybe muslims should ask themselves: "why do they hate us?"

[headsonpikes]

So with the terror bombings and gang rapes to go by, Australians draw a not improbable conclusion.

Hardly evidence of pre-judgment at all. If negative feelings were stronger towards aborigines, and less so towards Arabs, that would seem to be evidence for prejudice and stereotypical thinking-- but that's not shown in this survey.

[Blackyce]

"Islamaphobia" is alive and thriving in Australia, according to a new academic study which has found 55 percent of Australians would be concerned if a close relative married a Muslim.

I'm a Christian, as is my entire family, of course I'd be concerned if a relative married an infidel.

[InspiredPath1]

So, "Islamophobia" is what it's called ....

As a father of two girls, and now knowing what I know about the subservience required of muslim wives, if I were asked how I would "feel" about one of my daughters marrying a muslim ... I would give a negative response.

This is not a "racist" reaction, this is a religious reaction. I would have the same negative reaction if asked about other religions. A devout Christian believes that he is correct, why would he want his offspring to choose another path.

Muslims need to decide if they are a "race" or a "religion". They can't have it both ways.

[marron]

Nothing will cure irrational Islamophobia like a line of young Muslim men lining up at the recruiting station to serve their adopted country.

Any day now would be fine.

[Mr. Lucky]

Aussies should be concerned for the 45% of their countrymen who apparently wouldn't be worried if a close relative married a muslim.

[muawiyah]

The writer is trying to distract Australians from the fact that their only enemies at the moment are all Moslems.

They should pick him up and stuff him into jail for the duration of the conflict.

[Oztrich Boy]

Muslim groups have complained of a sharp rise in anti-Muslim sentiment since the Bali bombings in which Islamic extremists are accused of killing more than 190 people, 88 of them Australian, and since a series of gang rapes by Muslim youths who received record jail sentences last year.

Funny how that works. Must be a coïmncidence.

[Oztrich Boy]

Actually there's a very large group than nver gets any attention from "racist Aussies":

People of Indian, Ceylonese, Sikh descent. They're about 1.33% of the Australian Population, 250,000 people: greater than the Spanish, Lebanese, and Vietnamese.

And can they get any attention from "racist Aussies"? Not a sausage.

Reason: Shared cultural values between India and Australia: English languange, free market economy, Westminster system parlimentary democracy, Independent legal system based on English Common Law, freedom of press (especially vigorous in India, mayber less in Oz), and they play cricket.

[Morrigan]

They call it Islamophobia, I call it self-preservation.

[Smedley]

Sydney - "Islamaphobia" is alive and thriving in Australia, according to a new academic study which has found 55 percent of Australians would be concerned if a close relative married a Muslim.

Meanwhile, "honor killings" are still the norm for Arab-Muslim daughters who marry a Cheristian.