Consultations Homepage || Meeting Notes: August 2003
Consultations with NSW secondary school students at three Sydney government schools, August 2003
These notes summarise three separate consultations attended by a total of 41 high school students in Years 7 -11 from three government schools in the Parramatta, Granville and Bondi school districts in the Sydney metropolitan area. Most students invited to take part in the consultations were of Muslim or Arabic-speaking background. Students were required to obtain permission from their parents in order to participate. The meetings were organised with the assistance of the NSW Department of Education and Training and participating schools. Staff members from each school attended consultations as observers. The meetings were facilitated by Omeima Sukkarieh and attended by Meredith Wilkie or Rawan Abdul-Nabi (Isma Project Reference Group member) from HREOC.
1. What are your experiences of racism and discrimination?
General
Students felt that people who are readily identifiable as Muslim experience more racism and discrimination than others.
“I don’t wear my religion on me so I never get called any of these names.”
“I don’t get targeted because I don’t look Muslim and I’m not Muslim. People wear crosses for this reason.”
“I personally don’t experience much but my sisters do a lot because they wear the scarf.”
“I don’t look Muslim but I am. I look like an Aussie but because I hang around Muslims I get abused.”
Women and girls who wear hijab are seen as particular targets. One girl explained how the steady stream of abuse and discrimination was causing her to rethink her decision to wear the hijab.
“Living in Australia it makes me want to wear the hijab less and I shouldn’t have to feel that way.”
On the positive side:
“[Muslim] men treat me with much more respect because I’m wearing the hijab. Other Muslims will greet me in the street. Being under attack has brought us much closer.”
Boys were generally believed to attract less discrimination on the grounds of their religion.
“You have to recognised as a Muslim to be discriminated against. Unless the boys have beards or wear the hat, which isn’t compulsory, they aren’t recognised and they aren’t discriminated against.”
However, students believed that young men of Arabic background attracted more attention from police and security guards because of their ‘ethnic’ appearance.
“My brothers’ cars get pulled up because they look ‘wog’.”
While gender influenced participants’ experiences of discrimination and vilification, international and national events also had a bearing on the timing and frequency of racist abuse. Students reported an increase in racism and discrimination following September 11, the Bali bombing and the war in Iraq. The intense media scrutiny in 2001 of a series of gang rapes perpetrated by young Lebanese-Australian males in Western Sydney in 2000 also generated backlash against people of Muslim or Arabic background.
“There was a huge impact on the community after September 11 but I think for young people it got worse after the gang rapes incidents because it was in Australia and it was concerning young people.”
“It’s happened more after September 11, because September 11 shook the world…The gang rapes I think were when we were worst affected because it happened here in Sydney. The effect of the Bali bombing was big too because that affected Australia too.”
Discrimination and vilification also varied according to social setting. While some students reported instances of discrimination in school, participants more commonly discussed incidents which took place outside the school setting.
In school
From students
Many students felt that racial discrimination was not a major problem in their schools. Young people from schools with a high proportion of students from language backgrounds other than English were especially likely to report that racism was not a big issue in their school.
“I don’t think there’s a problem because we’re all wogs. Being in a co-ed school helps too.”
“I have never been discriminated against at school or anywhere else and I don’t know if that is because I am not a Muslim.”
“At my old school we - the Arabs - used to get called ‘Arab’, ‘Osama’, ‘Taliban’. But here it’s a multicultural school so it’s not that bad.”
“We recently had to choose the Prefects and there were about 12 to 15 of them to choose from and we had a whole range of people from different religions and cultures. It was great.”
“In this school we all have different opinions but we still respect what others feel and are thinking even if we do fight about it. The teacher for example in Legal Studies when we start talking about these things [terrorism and the war in Iraq] controls the discussion and allows everyone to have their say and it reflects understanding generally across cultures.”
While most participants reported that racism was not a major problem in their school, many felt that racism did nonetheless exist and that it sometimes manifested itself in teasing, name-calling and bullying between certain groups of students, particularly between students of Arabic background and Pacific Islander background. In one instance the former group refer to themselves as ‘wogs’ and the latter as ‘fobs’ (meaning ‘fresh off the boat’).
“There are divisions in cultures and you can see that in sport. There are Wogs and Fobs in different sport categories. Wogs play soccer and Fobs play Rugby but there’s not much sledging going on though. It’s pretty good actually.”
“When I first started here, I came from a Catholic school and before I started I heard rumours that the students were all Muslim and that there would be problems because I’m Maronite - but there were no dramas. There are dramas with other boys in the school though, mainly Islanders.”
“The Islanders get told by their parents not to talk to Arabs.”
“The only problem at this school really is with people’s accents and kids get picked on when they talk.”
“I’ve had comments like, ‘Go back to your country!’ and I think well, ‘You came from England! My mother was born here.’ The only people that can tell us to go back to our country are the Aborigines, the Indigenous people.”
“Muslims get called ‘Spics’ [after a tiny insect that breeds in great numbers] and Catholics get called ‘Sarkis’ [a common Lebanese Christian name] and people wearing the hijab get called everything. It’s normal now.”
“My mates who aren’t Muslim even as a joke call me ‘rapist’.”
“Some people don’t mean anything by it when they call you names and some people do. I don’t get too offended by it. It happens so often that you don’t get offended.”
While participants felt that racist teasing and name-calling is relatively commonplace, racially motivated physical attacks are less common.
“There are a lot of Asian kids at our school too and each section controls the others. It’s a bit like you have your own territory. When there are fights, and I don’t think there are many at this school, you have a fight either one on one or all bash them. So if there’s a fight where an Asian kid picks on an Arab then we either all get involved or none of us get involved....”
Student perceptions about teacher support
Students expressed three main concerns about teachers: favouritism towards non-Muslim students, lack of support or assistance in coping with discrimination and a perceived lack of understanding of students’ religious and cultural backgrounds.
“I’ve been in class and other students have said, in front of the teacher, ‘Why do you have a towel on your head?’ or ‘The Muslims are coming to bomb us’ and ‘All Muslims are terrorists’. But the teacher said nothing. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going up to them [teachers] because I don’t know what they’re thinking. They won’t stand up for us and they won’t help us either. They’re not supposed to be biased in favour of any group of students.”
One student who complained to her teacher about a racist comment from a fellow student was disappointed with her teacher’s response: “Don’t worry; she’ll grow out of it.” Another student was so dismayed with the principal’s handling of her complaint of racist bullying that she left her former school.
“I used to go to a girl’s school where most of the students were Jewish and I was the only Muslim girl. They used to be so racist to me and I had enough one day and after going to the principal so many times to complain my mother met with the principal and he said ‘There is nothing I can do. The message is brought from home and I can’t do anything about that.’ He also told my mum that if I couldn’t handle it then I could leave the school. So I left the school and came to this one. I didn’t want to speak out because then I would look racist.”
The issue of providing a prayer space for Muslim students in schools was a subject mentioned by several students in different schools. At one school, students felt frustrated by the lack of support from teachers in their campaign to have a suitable space set aside for lunchtime prayers. The Muslim students felt that they are not given the same consideration and support by staff as the Christian prayer group which has a room set aside for its meetings, a notice in the school newsletter and reminder announcements over the PA system.
“They say ‘You can pray’. But they act as though we’re inconveniencing them.”
“I feel I have to beg for the key [to the room set aside for prayer].”
“We did have a room last year. It was next to the staff room. But they said we were noisy and didn’t clean up. We have to wash and then the floor gets wet. We did use tissues to dry it. But what can we do if there aren’t enough tissues?”
Another student reported that his school is much more understanding and supportive of Muslim students’ need for a space to pray during lunch. However, there is still some ignorance among teachers about the necessity for and protocol of prayer.
“Even though it’s a school with mostly Muslims, there are teachers who still don’t know certain things about our religion. Like one of the teachers at our prayer room, which is the gym, he walked across the front line of the prayer while we were praying. He didn’t know you can’t do that so he needs education.”
“We were locked out of the gym once so [now] we don’t pray in it. But generally the school is supportive and the principal is supportive with the prayer. A few times, there is a team who want to play basketball - they are mostly Islanders - in the gym during lunch. They usually get 20 minutes to play and we get 20 minutes to pray. A few times the teacher wouldn’t give us our 20 minutes because the other guys were getting the shits.”
Impact of Sept 11 in schools
In response to the September 11 attacks, many schools arranged assemblies or organised condolence books to express sympathy for the victims and help students resolve feelings generated by the event. Such activities were at the discretion of individual school principals. The Deputy Director-General (Schools) in New South Wales issued a memorandum to all school principals in the State on 13 September 2001 asking them to “exercise discretion and care in relation to the constant broadcast and availability of these disturbing images” and reminding them to provide counselling to students if they showed signs of distress.
Several students feared or experienced an immediate backlash in their schools following the events of September 11.
“On the day after [Sept 11] some girls came running up saying ‘The Muslims are coming to bomb us’. My friend said to me to watch out because they’re really going to hate us now.”
“Another student knew people who’d died and she blamed and teased the Muslim kids – even kindergarten kids. One of us told the teachers about it but she didn’t react at all.”
Most students reported no major disruptions or problems in their school following the terrorist attacks.
“The principal did come on the assembly and talk about it. People thought it was funny at first ...”
“The teachers were trying to keep everyone calm. At assembly we had a minute’s silence.”
“We were told that the counsellor is available for anyone who wants to talk to her about it.”
Students felt that talking through the issues raised by the terrorist attacks was an important part of coming to terms with dramatic events. While most felt able to discuss their feelings about the attacks with their teacher immediately following September 11, some students expressed disappointment that they were not able to continue the dialogue after the Bali bombings or during the war in Iraq.
“We would ask a couple of teachers what’s going on and we would talk about it, but that’s it.”
“After September 11, we had a lot of arguments with teachers about what happened. But communication leads to discussion and so we need to give way to each other to speak.”
“After September 11, we didn’t discuss politics in school because the school includes people from many cultures ... you just feel like you shouldn’t discuss it.”
“After September 11 everyone talked about it but then after Iraq and Bali some of the teachers wouldn’t let us talk about anything, and they just tell us to shut up.”
Outside school
Students were keen to describe incidents of discrimination or vilification against themselves or their family and friends which took place outside school. Most young people felt that prejudice and discrimination against Arab and Muslim Australians was becoming more commonplace, especially after September 11, the Bali bombings and reporting of the gang-rapes in Western Sydney in 2001.
In the street or on public transport
Students reported that Muslim women and girls who wear hijab are particular targets of violence and vilification on the street or on public transport. One student, a young Muslim girl who wears the hijab, objected when she saw another passenger on her bus trying to set fire to the hair of the passenger in front of her. The offending passenger kicked her and yelled ‘Bloody Taliban! Bloody Muslim!’
A young male of Lebanese background felt that he was targeted and fined for having paid incorrect fare by ticket inspectors on a train because he was travelling with his sister who wears a hijab. “I know he [the ticket inspector] picked on us because my sister wears the hijab.”
A serious incident happened to a student and her friend in the Sydney central business district. A young ‘white Anglo’ man punched her friend, tore off her hijab and swore at her, yelling abuse such as “you Muslim terrorists! You don’t belong here!” Many people witnessed the attack but did not intervene. The victim was too scared to go to the police and also felt there would be no point. Despite her fear since the attack, the young woman who was victimised continues to wear hijab.
Another student reported that for at least six years women and girls entering the Surry Hills mosque via the rear door (located in a back lane frequented by homeless men) have been subjected to racist taunts such as ‘Dirty Muslims’ and ‘You’ll be the ones burning’. Although members of the mosque have complained, nothing has been done to stop the abuse in six years.
Women in hijab are not the only targets. One student, an Australian-born girl of Egyptian (Christian) background, explained how a family member was attacked following September 11.
“My Aunty was walking on the street in Granville and this guy drives past in his car and threw stones at her and she fell to the ground and was lying on the ground and after a while a stranger came by and then she was taken to hospital. That happened right after September 11 and till this day she is afraid of leaving the house. It’s scary because you don’t expect to get stones thrown at you, especially at Granville, and she’s not a Muslim either…”
Young male students in the consultations explained how they were also targeted and abused or attacked. Racist perpetrators focused on their ethnicity, or perceived ethnicity, as ‘Arabs’.
“When I was at Burwood recently with my friends, even though we were wearing the cross [crucifix] some guy said to me ‘Stupid dirty Arab, go back to your country’. What do you say to people like that?”
“People call me an ‘Arab’ or Lebanese all the time and mum experiences discrimination too because she wears the hijab. Turkish people do experience discrimination.”
“When I went to Tallara and Wagga on a boxing tour, the Australians, the ‘Anglos’, were scared. You can tell they were afraid of me because I was an Arab. They would always say to me, ‘Don’t take offence, but what religion are you?’”
Sport and recreation centres
One student reported an incident at a soccer match that involved spectator abuse, in this case, of a family member. The incident shows that discrimination against Arab and Muslim Australians is not the exclusive preserve of ‘Anglo-Australians’.
“My brother went to play soccer and I was watching them at [a soccer club] because that’s who he plays for. Someone got injured in the team and my brother went to get a drink of water and this guy from the crowd yells out to him and says ‘You black c**t…go back to your country!’ Then he started blaming us for September 11. So my dad got up and said to the man ‘You go back to your country!’ and the man said ‘September 11 was your fault’. So my brother asked the man, ‘You’re Italian?’ It got worse and dad and the man started fighting.”
Another student felt targeted by employees of a local cinema.
“At [a cinema] in Auburn, the worker, an Aussie started arguing with me after September 11 about everything. He was so racist and would make comments against Arabs all the time. We had a fight once, and I think it was some conspiracy between him and another worker to get rid of me.”
In shopping centres, banks, government offices etc
Several male students described incidents involving their mothers being abused or attacked in or outside shopping centres. As a consequence, they were often required to accompany their mothers on shopping excursions to help them feel more secure.
“My mother is proud of taking my older brother, who is 23 years old, out with her shopping and stuff. She feels it’s more protective.”
“Mum got rolled in Granville outside the shopping centre and she doesn’t go out by herself anymore.”
In the media
All students felt that vilification of Arabs and Muslims in the media was cause for serious concern. Young male students felt ‘provoked’ and outraged by media commentary on a range of specific incidents from September 11 to the student protests against the war in Iraq on 26 March 2003.
“The talkback radio stations, they are so racist. They don’t shut up. Every morning there is something negative about Muslims or Arabs.”
“September 11 unleashed it all and it gave everyone, especially the media, a reason [to target Arabs and Muslims]. You can’t really identify religion by terrorists or rapists, because no religion says this is ok. No religion says it’s alright to kill people, or rape them.”
“If I wasn’t Muslim myself I wouldn’t like them either the way the media portrays them.”
“The media is always attacking us, making us like animals and like they are protective of the Australian community from us. And we are reacting instead of responding. It’s our attitude that makes media perceive us that way. And what makes us like that? The media.”
“The media make us fight. They want to stir us up. It’s like we are animals. If they attack us and step in our boundary, we want to protect our reputation.”
Several students alleged that media reporting of the ‘Books not Bombs’ anti-war student protest which took place in downtown Sydney on 26 March 2003 was biased and provocative. One student claimed that a reporter told young ‘Arabic-looking’ males at the protest to ‘go psycho’ and that following the protest, assuming that all protestors were Muslim, cameramen and reporters went to schools with high proportions of Muslim students to try and get follow-up stories.
“The media always portray us as being very bad. Like the student strike in the city…the cameramen went straight to our high school and another high school after the student strike. Why? There were students from all over Sydney and there are a lot more Christians than Muslims who did things at the rally. It’s a fact that they were all Arabs, so it’s not a religious thing.”
Another student, a keen boxer, gave a specific example of media misrepresentations of Muslim men as ‘violent’ in an article which appeared in a Sydney tabloid newspaper.
“There was an article in the Daily Telegraph a few months ago about Muslims doing boxing because they want to be violent. The journalist came to the gym and asked if we liked the article. It was bad!”
Students also commented on media portrayals of all Muslims as terrorists. The failure to include information about the death toll of Iraqis or Palestinians in media coverage of Middle East conflict was another example cited by participants of media bias.
“After September 11, Time Magazine always raised the issue of terrorism and the pictures were always of Muslims, especially women, and business people read this all the time.”
“Maybe there are Muslims starting to think that Muslims are terrorists. It’s sad.”
“A lot of people aren’t aware that we get affected too by terrorist attacks. Muslims also died in the Towers. They don’t say that in the media. When Muslims die in any conflict they don’t give the number but when two American soldiers die it’s big news.”
“If you don’t hear about the other side dying, you don’t know they are.”
“You live in a Western country you get Western eyes news.”
Students felt that the most damaging media coverage was of the gang rapes which took place in Sydney’s western suburbs in 2000 and were widely reported in 2001.
“The media has a big influence. The biggest problem is when they started using the words ‘Lebanese Gang Rapists’, like it’s the first thing that comes to their mind, and they don’t care about the effect it has on people.”
“When the gang rapes happened they [the media] kept saying that it was a part of the culture of Islam and that they don’t respect women. But they don’t show the facts.”
“With the gang rapes, the media kept repeating that it was Lebanese Muslims but a couple of months later there was a gang rape by Lebanese Christians but they only said they were Lebanese and only a couple of weeks ago there was a home rape in Newington but they [the media] didn’t mention their religion and ethnicity but only bring it up when they were Lebanese or Muslim. In this case the race card wasn’t used.”
In politics
Students felt that certain Australian and international politicians were either inflaming anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiment or not providing enough support to help counter stereotypes.
“When Fred Nile said those things about Muslim women and that they could be hiding guns under their clothes, man, that’s stupid. If that’s not racist and makes people scared about Muslims, I don’t know what is? How is my mum supposed to feel? It makes Muslim women scared of others too. They don’t leave the house.”
“In some cases when we have bombing or war it’s because politicians spread it out. Like George Bush says we’re going to be attacked by terrorists then people believe this, especially since September 11.”
“Because of our politicians people think that all Muslims are evil, savage terrorists.”
“Politicians should focus on the good and the positive as well as the bad.”
Policing
Young men were far more likely than their female counterparts to report feeling ‘targeted’ and ‘picked on’ by police because of their ethnic background. Police surveillance of young men of Arabic background, particularly young men in groups, was a particular concern for many young male students.
“We were outside Parra [Parramatta] station not long ago and a couple of cops walk past and say to us ‘What’s with the ‘ratties’ these days?’…If cops see a‘rattie’ [this is a term used to describe the Rat tail/plait hairstyle popular with some boys] or a hot car, then they stop you. I was with a friend and he was wearing a white hat and we were pulled over. We didn’t know what we did wrong so when we asked them why they pulled us over, he accused us of being part of gangs.”
“Cops say that Lebs and Wogs are all part of gangs. Cops pull us up outside Westfield’s [mall] all the time. Sometimes we ask for it ‘cos my mates yell out ‘pigs’ and they [friends] do need to stay away from them. But cops do single us out. Cops need to understand that it has to do with us as teenagers, and that we wear things ‘cos it’s a trend not because we’re in gangs.”
“Me and a mate went to Auburn Park and the cops followed us there and said that they have been watching us for the last couple of minutes and we were just having a conversation, and they asked us “Are you sure you’re not part of a gang?” They told us that we weren’t allowed to sit together and asked us to go our separate ways and then they followed my mates. We weren’t even doing anything wrong. They’re afraid of seeing people who look like Arabs together in a group. They automatically think that we’re part of a gang.”
“The cops caught me once on a train without a ticket. I didn’t buy a ticket and in one second they were in the carriage and went straight up to me. My mates are all Islanders and they weren’t stopped even though we were all together. Even people who carry the right ticket and look Arab or Muslim get stopped at train stations to get checked and it’s clear because other people don’t get stopped.”
“At Burwood Road, at our hangout, the coppers would provoke us all the time, and because I’m big they are worse. Once one of the coppers said ‘Come on you bloody Arab. You think you can take on this road? This is ours…’”
Several students alleged that police had acted in a provocative manner at a student anti-war protest which took place in downtown Sydney on 26 March 2003. Students stated that the media reported that: “A group of young men, described by police as `Middle Eastern males' created havoc by throwing chairs, rocks, bottles, eggs and golf balls at the police and media during several hours of chaos in the CBD.” Several students who attended the protest also alleged that police provoked a violent scuffle when a uniformed officer from the Tactical Response Group (TRG) tore the hijab off a young woman’s head. One young man also alleged that police were provoking young men with racist comments.
“One copper at the student protest said, ‘Your parents could only afford half a haircut’. We can’t say anything. I reckon ‘cos you look Arab they provoke you…”
Law and justice
Several students commented on the sentencing of the young men convicted of gang-raping several girls in Western Sydney in 2000. While no students condoned the rapes, some felt that the severity of the sentences was more related to the ethnicity of the perpetrators than the nature of the crimes.
“I think all rapists should get long sentences. But when an ‘Anglo’ boy rapes a girl he doesn’t get 55 years; he gets 10 years or something like that.”
2. How do students respond to discrimination and vilification?
Students responded to discrimination and vilification they experienced in a variety of ways.
Some try to ignore abuse.
“I get called a ‘dumb Lebanese’ and I’m Egyptian, but I don’t really get upset about it.”
Fear and trepidation were more common reactions.
“We’re scared for ourselves and our family. How could I live my life if something happened to them?”
“I have to think about the whole family as well. Even though my father passed away I still have responsibility to protect them.”
“Women are the most important people in the world. I fear for my mum the most.”
“Granville, Auburn, Lidcombe…people were scared after September 11 so they stay in these areas. You feel more security for yourself. In an area where there are a lot of Muslims you can’t feel scared. Everyone knows everyone.”
“After the gang rape thing, Muslim Lebanese women were scared that Australian men would do the same thing to them...”
“We were scared after September 11 and Bali…and after the gang rapes meeting up with girls was hard. We had to watch our moves around a girl. It was hard to approach a girl. You had to be careful.”
Many students reported that they are tired of being judged on the basis of their religion or ethnicity and ‘fed up’ with constantly having to explain or justify their religion or culture.
“Everyone asks you now what religion or background you are. They judge you by your religion and culture.”
“I’m sick of comments that aren’t directly racist but are said with that tone of voice.”
“I’m sick of always having to justify my beliefs. I shouldn’t have to. I don’t make Jews or Christians justify their beliefs.”
Students were especially frustrated by what they regarded as ‘double standards’ in the way Muslims are portrayed compared to other groups.
“The priests who raped the young boys – people don’t look down on Christianity because of that. But when a few Lebanese Muslim boys raped some girls, the religion is looked down on.”
“The rapists were not religious leaders and may not even have been religious. It’s just their background. But the Catholic priests were religious leaders.”
“The Tamil Tigers have done more suicide bombings than in the Middle East but you never hear about them.”
Sometimes, frustration can lead to violent outbursts as in the following incident.
“I was going to Melbourne with my Aunty and the way this Australian man was looking at her, it was awful. He started speaking to his wife and he says ‘F***ing Arabs! Terrorists!’ We retaliated and so there was a scuffle on the plane. So the security came and took me and my Aunty off the plane and said to us to board another plane. You get angry and hurt but you can’t do nothing.”
However, students themselves talked about the need to keep their anger in check to avoid a cycle of escalating violence and discrimination.
“Take it in a calm way because [otherwise] people get more geed up…”
“Everyone has to respond and not to react - especially us.”
“Don’t retaliate. People believe that all Islam does is teach you violence, so it’s important that people when they respond don’t make themselves so noticeable.”
Tell someone
Few students actually told teachers or parents about their fears and experiences of discrimination. However, most participants felt that they could approach their teachers or school counsellors with problems. Relatively few participants knew about the designated position of Anti-Racism Contact Officers (ARCOs) in schools, however students had used their services and regarded them as simply ‘counsellors’. No participants reported racist incidents to external authorities such as the police or community or government agencies that receive formal complaints.
“Year advisors or teachers are pretty approachable. We’re comfortable with them and I think teachers feel the same way, like they can open a discussion with us and they know they’re not going to get eaten. And teachers are not going to reply in a way that’s going to hurt my feelings…”
“Most teachers already know about different cultures and we share our beliefs and experiences with them and they ask us questions and know that they can inquire about anything and we’ll tell them.”
3. What are the underlying causes of discrimination and vilification?
While students were
not asked this question directly, many were eager to share their thoughts
on the underlying causes of discrimination and vilification against Arab
and Muslim Australians.
One possible cause of racism and prejudice identified by students was
ignorance of the tenets of Islam.
“People who know ‘Islam’ means ‘surrender’ think we’re saying ‘surrender to us, we’ve got the weapons’. But it means ‘surrender to Allah’.”
“Terrorism is the opposite of Islam. But everyone hears ‘terrorist’ and thinks ‘Muslim’.”
“Islam means peace and it’s a religion of peace, love and brotherhood. Muslims have been forced into war because people look at them as if they are nobody.”
“Why is it that whenever someone asks you what religion or culture you are, and you say Arab or Muslim, you are seen as a fundamentalist? Someone should teach people at a young age that not all people are fundamentalists.”
One student, a young male, who stated he was of Lebanese (Christian) background, felt that people’s ignorance and misconceptions about women’s role in Islam was a major factor in the moral panic and widespread fears generated by the gang-rapes in Western Sydney.
“Who gave the rights to women? Islam gave rights to women. In SURAH 2 of the Holy Qur’an, it talks about how women are precious and deserve the highest respect. I’m not Muslim and I’ve read it. People attack other people because they are different. Aborigines were killed because of it. Black people in America are killed for this. Anything that’s different they kill, and not just physically.”
Another student blamed the climate of fear generated by terrorism as fostering prejudice.
“Everything these days is mixed and there is a variety of things happening around the world but they bring it as one issue; the issue of terrorism, even if it has nothing to do with it. No wonder people are confused.”
Several students also felt that internal divisions within Arabic communities often spark or exacerbate discrimination between groups.
“This stuff happening against Arabs and Muslims has been a long time coming. For example, with my parents who are both Arabs, other families had trouble accepting them because they are both Arab, but one is Lebanese and the other is Egyptian. Sometimes people have fights with each other within their own community.”
4. What is being done to fight anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination in the school?
Students mentioned several programs and events organised through their school which aimed to fight racism.
One participant talked about his involvement in the ‘Cooling Conflicts’ program.
The program involves the use of drama techniques to examine identifiable stages of conflict and to offer participating students ways of managing their own conflicts and those of their school and its community. The program focuses on issues of racism and involves the peer teaching of younger students by older students.
“We are doing an anti-bullying pilot program using drama for English regarding de-escalating conflicts and most of us here have done a mediating course as part of something called ‘Cooling Conflicts’. This is really good and we just try and make sure that there isn’t much conflict around the school.”
Another student mentioned multicultural events like ‘Harmony Day’ although he was circumspect about how much such events can tackle racism.
“Our multicultural days are ok. They’re a bit of a bludge but on every assembly there is a different cultural dance and I guess that helps you show your good things about a particular culture.”
5. What more could be done to fight anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination?
“I can’t even see it getting better in the future. Nobody gives a damn.”
Very few students were as despondent as the student quoted above. Most students were eager to share their ideas about a range of different strategies to address anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice in schools and in the broader society.
In school
One participant argued the necessity of having more inter-school visits and exchanges between schools whose students are of different faiths.
“We should integrate more with other schools. It would only take a day.”
One student was actively involved in conducting inter-school visits and lectures through his local (Maronite Christian) parish church through a program called ‘Cuminvarim’ [Latin for ‘True Light’]. The student felt that, while it is important for key religious figures such as Priests or Sheikhs to be involved in inter-faith education, involving young people was crucial. “It’s more effective when young people teach young people…”
Many students felt that students themselves should be given the chance to educate their peers and teachers about Islam and to learn from their peers about other religions.
“We should have a chance to explain to the rest of the school about Islam. It could be a day where students from all religions talk about their beliefs. If I heard a well-spoken, intelligent girl talking, I might change my opinion about her religion.”
“The teachers here need to be educated about Islam. We could have an Islamic Festival like they have at the University.”
This would have to be handled with care, others felt.
“If we spoke about our religion other students would say ‘You’re going extreme’.”
Outside school
Promoting positive public awareness
Many students felt that community organisations could be more actively involved in educating politicians, government workers and the broader public about different religions, not just Islam.
“Community leaders should be doing letter drops or something. They should be educating their community about Islam like this. This should be about different religions, not just Islam.”
Students also stressed the importance of inter-cultural awareness training for people in positions of authority such as politicians or police.
“I would tell John Howard to go out and learn more about Islam.”
“Police, politicians, all of them, they should be educated about Islam, on Arabs, the culture. Young people need to also learn about it, Arabs and Muslims included and it will be more peaceful.”
“Make sure that all cops at all levels attend the cultural training.”
“Workers should be educated on the different cultures and the issues of the culture, especially the police.”
Challenging stereotypes
Challenging media stereotyping of Muslim and Arab Australians was seen as crucial. Some students suggested the best way to do this is through enforcing a more ‘balanced’ perspective in newspapers and talkback radio and promoting more positive images of Arabs and Muslims through alternative media.
“[We need] more media programs and pamphlets on Islam.”
“They show programs about Jesus at Easter. They could show programs on Eid about the history of Islam…”
“For them to change the whole way the news is reported and presented is huge. But they should have to do unbiased reporting on whatever they’re covering.”
“There has to be a balance in the media and in politics.”
“They should keep religion out of politics.”
Informing communities about their rights
Making information about anti-discrimination laws and discrimination complaints procedures was seen as vital by several students.
“We need to make young people more aware of their rights.”
“Some people don’t take it [racism] seriously. They should have workshops which can teach people how to deal with these incidents, for young and older people.”
