Grayling

Just listened to a discussion on ABC local radio about a Muslim school on the Gold Coast.

I had a sense of deja vu. The Aussies phoning in sounded exactly like the various callers to phone-ins on similar subjects in the UK.....and to some of the discussions on here.

The number of calls which stated "I'm not a racist but" was amazing.

Anyone else listen?

G

asprilla

Didn't listen to the phone-in.... but just wanted to say that I always have a chuckle when I hear "I'm not a racist but...."

ossigeno

Didn't hear it. No problem with any religion affiliated schools as long as not peddling hate.

The results of a survey of Islamic studies teachers are on the Jakarta Post today. Makes interesting reading. Indonesia is one of the more tolerant, secular muslim countries.

73.1 percent of Islamic studies teachers don’t want followers of other religions to build their houses of worship in their neighborhoods.

Only 3 percent of the teachers said they felt it was their duty to produce tolerant students.

MTPockets

I'm not a racist but...I am an atheist, and I do have a problem with any religiously affiliated schools - whatever the god and whatever the ethnic origin. I agree the average caller wasn't approaching the issue from that perspective but I also think it's fair to disagree with any addition to divisive education of children.

22B

Well, it would be a high number, given that the discussion was about a school for a particular religion, rather than a school for a particular race.

Or are you assuming that followers of that religion are always from a certain race. Which would be.....? The most you could really say is that such followers tend to be non-caucasian.

Either way, I'll hold my hand up and say I would likely have agreed with many of the callers - NIMBY!!

Grayling

I am not assuming anything.

The point of the post was that the arguments used and the comments made were typical of the sort of thing heard in the UK and on this forum from time to time.....hence the 'deja vu' bit.

same shit...different bucket

FrankB

Come on guys ... you didn't realize yet???

We are in AUSTRALIA ... far away from anything. What happens here is known as GLOBALISATION in other countries ... and indeed, it took a while for this worldwide issue to arrive here in Aussieland by obvious reason.

My personal experience is that Aussies like foreigners, in particular if they are tourists with pockets full of money. But if they have to share 'their system' with foreigners ... they don't like it. There is a very much 'Aussies first' culture in here (I am in QLD ) and I can feel it every day.

So, don't take them too serious, it's just the Aussie way of transition to the modern way of global life and may in 10 years or so we won't have these discussions because you will see at least one big mosque when you look out of your kitchen window as it happens in Europe.

BTW ... I am not a racist () but I lived in Middle East for more than 4 years and I am claiming that I know what I am talking about. Arabs do they same like us ... they look around where are the best places ... then they immigrate ... and after that they want to have the same life like home with similar amenities, like most people from UK do ...

bridie

It's hilarious isnt it, there were some statistics released last week and muslims make up such a tiny percentage of the population, yet "everyone" has such a problem with them.

I think it's sad that uneducated people assume all muslims are nutters that like to blow themselves and others up when the vast majority are normal, everyday people just trying to get on with their lives.

I do agree with MTP though, some of the best schools around us are religion based... apart from the hypocrisy of me sending my child there I dont want her head to be filled with rubbish in the process.

Cheetah7

Not all Arabs thank you very much - I shall tell my Arab husband that he 'wanted to look at the best places prior to his migration and then have the same life like home' - having grenades dropped through buses, bombs dropped in public areas and a country so dangerous that even the Foreign Office cant assure safety.

Yeah, I am sure he would like to replicate that.

How about the fact that he might just want to mix and integrate with Australian society, embrace the culture and lifestyle - has that occured to you?

Petals

Lots of muslim people embrace Australian Society. They are no different to any other people who do not follow their faith. Plenty of Jewish people do not follow their faith either.

Mind you I do not want a Mosque in my neighbourhood waking me up in the morning and I would definitely be a nimby.

Cheetah7

We used to live next to a church and by god those bells could be noisy

I dont like being woken up full stop

FrankB

It is an interesting statement! As I said before I lived in different Arabic countries for a while, learnt their language and socialised with them as much as I could. I still have some Arabic friends and that's because of one single, but very important, reason: They are tolerant and are able to accept different viewpoints from other (cultural) backgrounds. It is a typical reaction if an insignificant piece of dust appears somewhere around the world which might (!!!!) have a trace of critic or even black humour about their lifestyle in it, they’ll go mad because they expect something bad on their source. So, again for you Princess ... I don't mind to have Muslim schools in non-Arabic countries (as longs as they are following good faith) because it will improve understanding and interaction between different cultures (as it works to a certain extend in Europe).

The only thing what I am worry about is the fact that Aussies still have Aussies first mentality and I don't think that this is appreciated considering the demand for development and lack of Aussie resources.

So, put the fury back in the black box and make sure that people will understand why a multicultural environment is so important these days as it will (hopefully) improve living together.

MTPockets

Ok so this is getting a little off the original topic of the 'I'm not racist but...' issue, but how do faith schools 'improve understanding and interaction between different cultures'?

As far as I can see they do the complete opposite - isolate children according to the beliefs of religious parents, foster a lack of understanding of other religions as the emphasis wil necessarily be their parents faith (and depending on your view on theism possibly fill their heads with fiction).

Wouldn't it simply be better for ALL children to go to a school interacting with and befriending ALL others where either ALL faiths are taught/studied or none at all - enabling them to make up their own minds - hopefully as adults?

thedons

Well said !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ozzieeagle

We already do here, in Moreland, Melbourne. It's not a problem in this location. Almost certainly one of the most Multi cultural council districts in Aus.

I've already mentioned on other threads, the Arabs in this locale are so intergrated. I've heard greetings in shops from the Turkish/Lebanese and various Arab Shopkeepers "hello love"

The number of women wearing Burkahs with Full fair dinkum Aussie accents is astounding.

I think I would baulk at sending my Kids to an Islamic school though.