Don't Get It...

After the last couple of nights at work I’ve pretty much overdosed on commercial radio. Not something I normally do as local ABC radio is my preferred listening choice. The variety of options available from various ABC stations is a real saviour in the cab.

However during this period of extraordinary circumstances, ABC local radio steadfastly refuses to break with normal programming. Hence my visiting commercial radio for constant updates and running commentary on the riots. Indeed last night we were instructed to do so, via a general taxi broadcast,

CAREFUL AROUND CRONULLA AND MAROUBRA LISTEN TO NEWS ON COMMERCIAL (radio)

Earlier in the evening, before the trouble flared again, I was listening to a favourite ABC program, Evenings with James O’Loghlin. He of ABC TV’s The Inventors. In a broad debate on violence, O’Loughlin also considered listeners opinions on the riots. After one such discussion he was moved to note,

These riots are not about religion...I mean we didn’t see the Cronulla crowd on Sunday chanting Christian slogans....Okay, now we have a traffic report from the police - motorists are advised to avoid the Lakemba mosque area, where large crowds have gathered...

Sometime later commercial radio reported this crowd was chanting, ‘Allah is Great’. A crowd from which some 40 carloads of youths then departed for Cronulla, to cause further violence and property damage.

Other MSM commentators have also been at pains stating that religion is not a cause of the trouble. Rather culture, racism, ethnicity, exclusion et al are cited amongst a myriad of reasons. But not religion.

Surely though in this case, fundamentalist religion is intrinsically linked to culture. A culture which can give rise to the question,

Is the act of rape legally less culpable if your culture says that a young woman's attire and behaviour is an invitation ?

A cultural attitude recently annunciated by a Sydney Muslim cleric. Attire which has young women being constantly harassed by Muslim youth, a recurring grievance from local Cronulla beach goers when justifying their resistance last Sunday.

Furthermore, this particular Muslim culture dictates fundamentalist women wear the hijab, in accordance with their religion. Yet we are told religion is not at issue.

Therefore one can’t escape the conclusion a culture, which targets women’s uninhibited displays of sexuality, is indeed underpinned by religion. Why then in a pluralist society can this fact not be acknowledged ? Call me stupid, but I don’t get it...

Comments

[Bruce]

So now we know that they organise around the Lakemba Mosque and head out from there for their attacks?

Tell you something, mate. I was in the Hare Krishnas up at Kings Cross in the early 80's. Yeah right, f**ken what? Anyway, it was just a few years after the Ananda Margs bombed the Hilton (they admitted it! But their leader Anderson, now a 'civil rights advocate' got off, didn't he).

Anyway, Asio used to have all us Kings X Hare's on file, pics of us all and stuff. Sometimes they showed us the files when seeking info. We were harmless, unlike the Margs.

So I hope those '500 youths' outside the Lakemba Mosque are all on file too. Bloody better be.

[Yobbo]

They probably are with ASIO, but not with the local police.

[pat]

Spot on Adrian. Conclusion: either this is not a pluralist society or, the facts might destroy the MSM wish dream of a pluralist society.

Remember: only white people are racist.

[Huggies]

I remember a few years back in 2001 when the rape issue was coming to ahead with the threat of violence but then 9-11 happened.

The whole thing has been boiling away for awhile now and it has just gone off..

[Gareth]

Bloody hell Adrian, I have read, watched and listened to every newspaper, blog, radio and television news bulletin I can get my hands, head, ears and eyes around in the past two days.

Never have I seen such widespread and comprehensive miscommunication and misdiagnosis of the forces that lead to an event. Are our political leaders and those in the media really that out of touch with their communities?

This post of yours has it exactly spot on.

I watched Iemma's press conference live yesterday on Sky News. Does he really believe what he is saying? If so, he is unfit for office.

When are our leaders actually going to a) get in touch with the community, or b) stop telling lies?

[Olivia]

If it were any other religion, we could mention it. Especially if it were a Christian religion. But you can never mention the "I" religion in relation to anything negative. It is a religion of peace and equality and tolerance and wonderment and bliss, despite all the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. PC at its worst and most destructive. Islam has to acknowledge it has a problem and needs to change. But that'll never happen because we don't require that of it. We're too afraid to demand it, as they tend to get rather feral when anybody criticises their religion.

[jimmy]

the australian public are sick of being TOO politically correct!
Your blog is spot on

The police are incompetant...read this written by an sydney ex-cop

[gubbaboy]

I've turned off most media coverage now.

Don't look to media to get an understanding of the situation at Cronulla.

Groups are running their own agendas through the media, as are the media, with a disregard for reality.

The left are using Cronulla to paint Aussies as Howards racist battlers.
The Muslims friendship societies are using it to play the victim and thereby aquire more influence and funding.
The muslim gangs are enjoying the chaos and payback and continuing their standover ways.
Labor are playing cover up knowing their progessive approach to law and order is a failure.

Pity the mums and dads who just want to go to the beach without being harassed. That obviously is not a story of any value.

[Simon]

What has been allowed to occur in the last 2 nights is an absolute disgrace.

The media, the government, even the Bra Boys are calling racism on the Cronulla riot but not on the far more serious and criminal revenge attacks. What they are really saying is that they simply can't deal with the Leb gangs.

I, for one, hail our new Lebanese overlords.

[Bruce]

That's what the 'bra Boys are saying, 'We don't mind if you take Cronulla as long as you leave Maroubra alone'. Just great Kobie and Jai, thanks a lot, we'll sell you for 30 pieces of silver when we get the chance too.

[Jessica]

I normally listen to ABC radio too, specifically Radio National, and have found their coverage of these events over the last few days unbearably lax.

Although i found the 7:30 Report's coverage of events and attitudes quite balanced.

I for one am sick of the constant political correctness. If Tim Priest is too be believed it is political correctness that has made things the way they are now, political correctness that has hampered law enforcement in Sydney with these middle eastern gangs for fear of being labelled 'racists'.

It isnt racist to call a spade a spade and for them to do their jobs and arrest those committing crimes and it's certainly not wrong to say that religion is playing a part in this.

I dont get it either ... why are people so scared of the truth?

But regardless of what sparked this whole riot, i just want to see more people being arrested for these shocking crimes so people can start to feel safe in their own community, whether that be Maroubra, Bankstown, Cronulla or Lakemba, or wherever.

[Mel]

According to orthodox Muslim teaching on modesty, each person is to dress modestly, and avert the eyes from immodest people.

Basically, a Muslim should cover his/her rude bits, and NOT EVEN LOOK at other person's rude bits.

It is a sin for a Muslim to knowingly go to a beach, or any other place, where there is the possibility of seeing immodestly dresses men or women.