It has been an interesting time in recent weeks with two well known Australians making controversial statements inciting old racial and religious fears. The fact is however, is that their comments will washover and we will look back with outrage and bewilderment. It’s 20 years since Hanson made the speech in Parliament where she said, “I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians”. Twenty years down the track, Asians have integrated well in Australian society and become wonderful contributors to this society. Hanson is truly the master at pandering to peoples fears and creating division in society. Thankfully, she does not represent the Australians and the Australia that I have been brought up in.

My family came to Australia in 1968, just 2 years after the abolishment of the “white Australia policy”. They were welcomed into the northern suburbs by some wonderful large hearted Aussies. “The Hills, the Rainbows, and the Rays” were some of the families that made my parents and elder brother feel welcome and helped them settle. The Giarrizzo family hailing from Italy equally made their transition smooth. These are the true Aussies that make this country great. Hanson and Kruger are not.

I was born in Australia but my skin colour naturally distinguished me as Indian. I considered myself Aussie on the inside being a lover of vegemite, Aussie rules football, and going to the beach. One day however, I felt my skin colour difference acutely. I was playing football for school and was having a particularly good game, picking up many possessions and being a real nuisance for the opposition. Then, from the other side of the ground, I heard the opposition coach yell out, “can someone get on that black bastard”! Thankfully I had a thick skin and it washed off me like water off a ducks back. I don’t consider that man to be a true Australian either.

When I think back 30 years when I was in school, it was unfortunately quite normal to make fun of certain minority groups. “wogs, asians, homos” all suffered from abuse. Thirty years down the track and all of that has washed over. We pride ourselves on the best coffee in Australia thanks to our “wogs”! We savour the fantastic occidental flavours of South East Asia thanks to the “asians”! And we respect the sexual decisions that every individual has a right to make. Times have changed and so they should. 

Kruger making outrageous comments about banning Muslim migration and Hanson wanting a moratorium on the issue are just isolated ignorant spikes on social media that will disappear into insignificance. No intelligent informed individual considers the ISIS fundamentalists and terrorists as representative of the Muslim faith. There is nothing Islamic about terrorism. I feel for Muslim school kids who are being bullied and taunted as “terrorists”. It is simply not fair, and the Hansons and Krugers should be rebuked by those in positions of responsibility and leadership in government and in media.

I am all for freedom of speech and for debating important issues, however, people in public positions such as in the media have a “duty of care” of responding to crises and problems with a level head for the greater good of all concerned. I condemn the comments of Kruger and Hanson, but understand where they are coming from- fear and ignorance. This is where the choice lies. Act from fear and create division. Or act from our humanity and choose unity.

Australia is a great county, but it’s a very young country and it’s still working things out. All will be well.

In Health and Wellness

Ranjit