Consultations Homepage || Meeting Notes: 7 April 2003
Youth Reference Group, Youth Partnership with Arabic Speaking Communities, NSW Premier’s Department
Department’s Bankstown office, Monday 7 April 2003
The meeting was chaired by Ms Mia Zahra, Project Officer, Youth Partnership with Arabic Speaking Communities and facilitated by Omeima Sukkarieh, Community Liaison Officer, HREOC. It was attended by 10 invited participants.
1. What are your experiences of discrimination and vilification?
Has the community experienced discrimination and vilification?
Both the Arabic and Muslim community are affected by discrimination and vilification. One participant said that her experience, especially through working with the community, is that a lot of people assume that Arabs are Muslims and vice versa. Personally and professionally she has seen the community being discriminated against. The challenge is how to deal with this discrimination.
Another participant, a tertiary student, referred to a serious misconception that all Arabs are Muslims. For example, CNN continuously refers to Muslims and Arabs as the same, interchangeably.
Another participant said he knew of many Muslim girls coming under attack, especially in public spaces, as a result of their religion. Other male participants confirmed that they personally had not been on the receiving end but knew of others, including family members, who had.
“It is obvious that it does happen so we can’t just ignore it”.
Another female tertiary student also reported that she had not personally experienced direct discrimination, however believes that it does exist and affects the entire community. She felt such attitudes offer an opportunity to educate and inform.
Another participant said she believes the people most affected are young women wearing scarfs. This is due to their visibility whereby the scarf is considered a trademark of Islam. Although she has heard of many stories, especially after 11 Sept. of racial attacks on public transport and on the street, she has never been personally attacked. However, she did have a few hostile comments directed towards her before 11 Sept., after the incidents in Telopea Street. She also recognises that young people can have short tempers.
Where is it happening?
At work
One participant reported she had been asked her religion and nationality during a recent job interview. She didn’t raise any objection as she is “not willing to kill her career with these people”.
Another reported that one of her friends was fired because she is a Muslim. She is taking unlawful dismissal action.
At school
There is a problem at schools “where teachers let go of racist comments indirectly at students.”
In the street or public transport
One participant reported having heard and seen a lot of incidents happening to friends, especially on public transport. On one occasion, an Egyptian station worker started questioning her identity and mocked her for being Lebanese, in addition to targeting friends and accusing them of littering. She believes that the more you are around areas of non-Arabs, the worse it gets, because they don’t know any better.
Another told of her experience buying a ticket. The officer said “You’re going to court, are you?”. She felt he had assumed that because she looked Arabic she was a criminal. As she paid for her ticket, having just enough change, he said to her “looks like you’ll be having a lean lunch”. She called State Rail to complain and after investigating the complaint, this officer was ordered to seek counselling and was given a warning.
Another participant also reported experiencing discrimination on the train, not because she looks Arabic but because she was overheard speaking Arabic on the train to a friend. Another passenger had approached her telling her that “she was bad for the Australian population”. She stood up for herself and tried to make the lady understand a little more about the issue and her culture and, although the lady was very ignorant, she did calm down eventually.
Another participant reported an incident from just the previous week. He was walking in the street in Auburn with a friend and saw an Anglo man abusing a Turkish man who looked Arab. The Turkish man clearly did not understand much English so he didn’t know what was being said. The Anglo man was being very racist.
People could be walking home and others would be blowing their horn, yelling abuse at them.
Other
The example was given of a club bouncer refusing entry to a Lebanese youth. This was said to be a common problem.
At an anti-war protest, a friend of one participant had her scarf pulled off by the police. As a result of this, she pushed the officer and this led to scuffle. The resulting media coverage portrayed the community in a bad light.
Another participant said she had witnessed the scuffle from her office together with some colleagues. They could see that the riot police agitated the crowd.
2. What is being done to fight anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination?
Government strategies and projects
The Youth Partnership is a positive strategy bringing together amazing young people of Arabic speaking background achieving things on both a personal and professional level. At least once a week, the Premier’s Department receives a request for a young Arabic-speaking person to sit on a board or committee or to facilitate a project, etc. This in turn promotes positive images of Arabic young people. The Partnership also informs young people of their rights and equips them with skills to deal with such issues.
The Community Relations Commission’s annual conference had a small section about youth issues, and more should be encouraged in the future.
The counter terrorism media campaign was not well received.
Through the Community Solutions Project, the Premier’s Department has also funded the Muslim Women’s Association to establish a service educating Muslim women on accessing information and about their rights.
There is a concern that a great deal of emphasis has been directed towards healing of the Muslims and others are falling through the gaps, as they are also being targeted and their experiences almost forgotten.
Existing strategies are now considered to be a waste of money as they are not targeting or reaching the masses of people, therefore, evaluations and carefully thought out strategies are needed.
There is also a concern and consensus that politicians are spending money on the issue without understanding it.
3. What more could be done to fight anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination?
School / Education
- The Department
of Education and Training should introduce Islam, Christianity, etc.
as part of the curriculum. Possibly require that at least the last half
hour or so of every scripture class be about other religions, possibly
using guest speakers.
- Education strategies
need to be not just in schools but on a broader scale, such as in mosques,
churches, etc.
- Establish more
links between Christian and Muslim schools.
- As attitudes are initiated in the household, this is where the issue needs to be dealt with. Schools could encourage parents to come along to training and information sessions.
Media
- Target radio stations for effective media campaigns, ethnic and otherwise, so as to reach those who don’t understand English well enough to access mainstream media.
Isma Objectives
The meeting proposed the following strategies for achieving the six objectives identified by Isma.
Challenging stereotypes
- There is a problem
with some Arab youth behaving badly. “They don’t know that
complaining is better than throwing chairs.” The community, especially
youth, needs to be more organised and there is a “need to educate
youth to fight for their rights calmly.”
- “If we can eliminate stereotypes, then we can eliminate racism.”
Strengthening relationships between communities
- Education of
Arabs and non-Arabs is the key. Educating ourselves about each other.
- One problem is
that racism exists between our own communities. For example, Muslims
drive past churches music blaring and swearing about Christians. This
further divides the community.
- There appears
to be a pressing need for community and religious leaders to make young
people who do this understand and become aware of other groups and the
importance of tolerance and acceptance of other religions.
- Education and
awareness campaigns should start on a small scale and then get larger,
using public relations officers, e.g. within schools.
- It helps when the workplace is encouraging, and where colleagues and others who are non-Arabs or non-Muslims stand up for Muslims.
Informing communities about their rights
- There is a need to be more proactive in the steps we take to eliminate prejudice. People need to be informed about their rights as well as following through with complaints. This includes taking a positive approach and responding in a more respectful manner, e.g. don’t abuse back.
Ensuring complaints are taken seriously
- State Rail should introduce cultural awareness training and education about the anti-discrimination laws.
4. Other issues and suggestions
“Before we can change the world, you need to change yourself, and don’t expect immediate results.”
Reduce the number of police patrolling areas where there are high numbers of Arabic young people such as Bankstown. This is provocative.
