Australian Crusade!

Do you like to add Jim Ball and His Anti-Muslim Vendetta and Should 99.96% Muslims Be Involved in Terrorism? Who wants to see Gillard as pro-Israel and anti-Islam? and The ALP and Israel is like a disease that no medicine can cure are also interesting. “Osama bin Laden! Guilty or Innocent?” questions his guilt or innocence. “(Who invented) Osama bin Laden to Slaughter the Arabs and Muslims” is self explanatory. “USA Must Quit Afghanistan Now” clearly sets out reasons and grounds of getting out of Afghanistan as well as denounces Australia’s involvement in that conflict. Yet, some sick people say, “Muslims should be fighting in Afghanistan, … “. Well, the simple answer is, “the Muslims never asked or supported a conflict in Afghanistan, Iraq or anywhere” and people who defied all good reasons and grounds to avoid war and virtually blackmailed Australians in that conflict should be fighting over there and not Muslims!

Muslims furious with media portrayal as terrorists and criminals

ADELE HORIN

July 12, 2010

Remarkable country ... Nadia Saleh with her children, Mohsen, 20, Kamal, 19, Rana, 17, and Hady, 16. Photo: Ben Rushton

AUSTRALIAN-MUSLIM families have good relations with other Australians, and feel safe and happy here. But they are furious with the media for depicting Muslims as terrorists and criminals, a report for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship reveals.

''The families felt strongly the media was gunning for Muslims; it was a huge concern for them,'' said Ilan Katz, the director of the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW, and a co-author of the study. The research is part of a wider project commissioned by the department to understand the concerns and needs of Muslim Australians.

Based on in-depth interviews with 72 family members, it found people traced a change in the media's depiction of Muslims from the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

''They felt community attitudes had hardened towards them since then because of the media,'' said Dr Katz.

An Iraqi father said: ''The media portrays us as terrorists; the media is against us.'' A man from Sudan said, ''Australians listen to the media, that is what they believe.''

Yet the Australian-Muslims were mainly positive about their daily interactions with ordinary Australians, friends, workmates, and passers-by. On the whole they felt accepted and appreciated what Australia could offer. Another father said: ''Australian government high schools even have a mosque [prayer room] … and the students perform midday and Friday prayers there.''

However, a major concern was low income, with some blaming workplace discrimination. Some parents were troubled their children had become more religious than they were. ''The daughters were wearing the hijab but the mothers weren't,'' Dr Katz said. Others were anxious about their children's involvement with drugs, sex or alcohol.

Nadia Saleh, 42, of Punchbowl, calls Australia ''this remarkable country'' that she came to from Lebanon 21 years ago. With her husband Karl, 52, she has raised four children.

''We have got some people who do the wrong thing but it is unfair to criticise the entire Islamic community,'' said Mrs Saleh, a manager at the Riverwood Community Centre.

The study highlights the diversity of Australian-Muslims, who come from countries as disparate as Albania and Nigeria.

Dr Katz found Imams were a main source of guidance for parents with family problems and needed more help and resources from government and non-government agencies to do a better job of pastoral care.