RELEASE REGARDING THE SYDNEY EVENTS - 13th December 2005
After
yesterday’s incident in Cronulla and after watching on the screen people
chanting “kill the leb” and seeing a poster held by a young woman from
the Patriotic Youth League that read “Aussies fighting back”, I spent
the night trying to understand the definition of an Aussie. Who is
classed as an Aussie? Could I be considered an Aussie after living in
Australia for 33 years? Is my wife who was born in Australia from
Lebanese background classed as an Aussie?
Are her
parents who were also born in Australia from Lebanese origin and served
in the navy during the WWII classed as Aussies? By the way, the Lebanese
migration to Australia goes back 150 years. Are my children who were
born in Australia classed as Aussies?
We all
came to this country from different parts of the world, be it England or
Italy or Greece or China or Lebanon. Only the Aboriginals are the
traditional owner of this land. We all pledged to build a nation and
enjoy a way of life envied by many nations around the world. No one
community or one ethnic group or race can claim this or that part of our
country. This country belongs to all of us and we all are Australians
and should be equal before Australian law, punished equally if we commit
a crime and rewarded equally when we serve this country. And no one,
absolutely, should take the law in their hands.
I could
not imagine that we can easily in one day change from a tolerant society
to the ugly face of racism. I am reminded of the Nazis attack against
the Jews and it made me wonder if that Patriotic Youth League is
practicing the culture of the Nazis.
I would
like to quote a paragraph of a speech I gave two weeks ago in a function
for the Lebanese Community in Queensland. Addressing the youth I said:
“I ask you to challenge the rulers of this great country by repeating
with the philosopher Khalil Gibran: Here I am a young tree whose roots
were plucked from the hills of Lebanon yet I am deeply rooted here and I
will be fruitful. You can be fruitful by producing riches to this
country, by being good citizens, by acknowledge the other person’s
right before asserting your own but always be conscious of your own, by
being free in word and deed but to know that your freedom is subject to
the other person freedom and finally by enjoying and protecting this
beautiful Australian way of life.”
This is
the difference between the culture we believe in and the culture of the
Patriotic Youth League. I hope the government take a firm stand and
bring quickly to justice any one who dreams of disturbing our way of
life before we sink further into hate and split our society, and then we
will be offering a good service to the enemies of peace and of
Australia.
Antoine
Ghanem
President Australian Lebanese Association of Queensland
Chairman culture and heritage committee of the World Lebanese Cultural
Union |
