Australia backs multiculturalism despite extremist threats

AustraliahashadthreeterroristattacksoverthepastyearandthismonthformerprimeministerTonyAbbottpreachedtotheMuslimworldthatitmustbecome“enlightened”.YetthecountrysticksoutfromothersfightingIslamistextremismasmostofitspopulationstronglysupportmulticulturalismandlegalimmigration.

AfterFridayprayersinParramattaMosque,ayoungmanhurriesalonginjeans,shirtandthestapleAussiesummerfootwear:flip-flops.Inspiteofaterroristattackroughlytwomonthsagoafewblocksawaywhena15-year-oldlocalMuslimboyshotdeadaveteranpoliceofficer,thereislittletension.

NeilEl-Kadomi,ParramattaMosquechairman,saysthelocalnon-Muslimcommunityhavelargelyremainedsupportive.Arecentprotestbyfar-rightgroupReclaimAustraliaoutsidethemosquedrewjustahandfulofprotesters.“Itshowsjustwhatasmallminoritythisis,”hesays.“Wehaveintegratedwellintothecommunity.”

ArecentsurveybytheScanlonFoundationshows86percentofpeoplesaymulticulturalismhasbeen“goodforAustralia”,while67percentsayimmigrationhas“madethecountrystronger”—thehighestlevelrecordedsincethesurveywasintroducedin2007.

“ThisisthereverseofthetrendyouseeinEuropenow,wheretheNationalFrontandUkiparegainingsizeablesupport,”saysAndrewMarkus,aprofessoratMonashUniversityinVictoria.

ItisnothardtoseewhyAustraliaismoreacceptingofdifferentcultures.Aquarterofthecountry’s23mpopulationwerebornoverseas,whichmakesitoneoftheworld’smostmulticulturalnations,withmorethandoubletheproportionofimmigrantsthaneithertheUKorGermany.

“Australiansaccepttheyareanewcountrymadeupofimmigrants,whereasEuropewithitsolderculturesdoesnot,”saysProfMarkus.

HesaysinEuropemulticulturalismhasbeeninterpretedbypoliticalleadersasimmigrantgroupsretainingtheirownculturesandrejectingintegration.InAustraliaitisnowunderstoodtomeanrespectfordifferentcultureswhileintegratingintomainstreamsociety,saysProfMarkus.

Itwasnotalwaysthisway.Australiaintroducedits“WhiteAustralia”policyattheturnofthe20thcenturytodeteranincreasingflowofmigrantsfromAsia.Thispolicywasgraduallydismantledfollowingthesecondworldwar,andin1975thegovernmentunderGoughWhitlampassedtheracediscriminationact,whichoutlawedraciallybasedselectionformigrants.

Sincethentherehasbeensporadicracialunrestsuchasthe2005Cronullariots,whenclashesbrokeoutbetweenmembersoftheMiddleEasterncommunityandwhiteAustralians.Morerecently,thefar-rightgroupReclaimAustraliahashelddemonstrationstocampaignagainstwhatitdubs“Islam’sradicals”.Butthereislittlesignofanyfar-rightpoliticalpartygainingthetypeofelectoralsupportthatwouldgiveitrealinfluence.

Onemigranttobenefitfromthedismantlingofthe“WhiteAustralia”policyisHauVanPhan,whofledcommunisminVietnaminaricketyboatin1977insearchofahomeforhisfamilyinAustralia.

“Ican’tforgetthedayIleft.MywifewaspregnantandIcouldn’tstopcryingaswedidnotknowwhenwewouldmeetagain,”saysthe60-year-oldhospitalworkerataceremonyinSydneytocelebratethemillionsofmigrantsinAustralia.

Almost40yearslater,MrPhan,hisdaughterJulieO’HaraandherIrishhusbandPeterarepartofameltingpotofdifferentethnicgroups,religionsandlanguagegroupsthatidentifywithbeingAustralian.Despiteherfather’srefugeeexperience,MsO’Harasupportsthegovernment’srefusaltosettleanynewasylum-seekerswhoarrivebyboatinthecountry.Shesaysthethreatofterrorismisnowtoogreat.

Australia’stightcontrolofitsbordersanditsroleascolonyratherthanacolonialpoweraretwounderlyingreasonswhysupportforimmigrationremainshigh,accordingtosomeexperts.

TimSoutphommasane,Australia’sracialdiscriminationcommissioner,saysthecountrybenefitsfrombeinganislandcontinentthathasaplannedintakeofmigrants,mostofwhomareskilled.

“Youdon’thavetheproblemhereofmigrantsandtheirdescendantsfeelingestrangedfromthecountry,”hesays.

Australia’sstrongeconomy,whichhasgrownfor24consecutiveyears,isanotherpositivefactor.Unemploymentremainslowatlessthan6percentandtherearefeweroftheimmigrantghettosthatblightpartsofFranceandtheUK.

“Wedon’thavethelevelofstructuraldisadvantageattachedtoethnicitythatyouseeinsomeothercountries,”saysKevinDunn,professorofhumangeographyandurbanstudiesatWesternSydneyUniversity.

ButhewarnsthispositivepictureofamulticulturallifeinAustraliacannotbetakenforgranted.MuslimsexperiencediscriminationataboutthreetimestherateofotherAustralians,accordingtoarecentstudyProfDunnoversaw,andpeopleareemboldenedtoperformracistactionsduetoterroristeventsanddivisivemediaandpoliticalcommentary.

“Itisthepoliticalenvironmentthatdetermineswhetherracismflourishes,”saysProfDunn.“Thisisthebiggestrisktomulticulturalism.”