HREOC Website: Isma - Listen: National consultations on eliminating prejudice against Arab and Muslim Australias
Consultations
Homepage
|| Meeting
Notes: 28 May
2003
Consultation with members
of the Indonesian Muslim Community of Victoria, Monash University, 28
May 2003.
The meeting was attended
by eight members of the Indonesian Muslim community of Victoria and by
Susanna Iuliano and Omeima Sukkarieh from HREOC.
Experiences of discrimination
and vilification
In public places
“I have
had many experiences of discrimination like many of our community, and
probably because of our appearance. What they do is for e.g. I was standing
beside the road and was given the finger. Or when I enter the store,
some people look at me like a stranger and make me feel uncomfortable,
and some even say ‘terrorist’.”“One
day, I went to the CBD with a friend. We were about to cross the road
when two men started yelling ‘you are Taliban – go home!’
I keep thinking about it. I don’t feel safe when I go around places.
One year after 11 September I crossed the street to go to campus and
a young man gave me the finger. I told my supervisor who said ‘it’s
silly the man did that – you can report it’. But how could
I get that man’s ID? Where do I go to complain?”
On public transport
“My friend
was coming back from work and she had to travel by train. An old man
sitting in front of her intimidated her. She was wearing the hijab and
he said ‘you’re from Indonesia, you’re Muslim right?
Well you’re a terrorist right?’ She started crying. She
got off at Frankston station and the passengers all watched this happen.
Another young passenger said ‘old man shut up’. This happened
about a month ago.”
At the University
Several participants
described feeling safe on the campus and that they are treated equally
by both lecturers and other students.
“There
was support from the faculty after the Bali bombing. I felt I was safe
that time. They are educated people, and they know what it’s like.”
At work
Women wearing the
hijab continue to face difficulty obtaining work.
“I have
a friend who applied for a job and got it and the company rang her and
she had to wear a uniform and she is not allowed to take off the scarf,
but the interviewer gave her the job and told her to start the following
Monday. The company then rang her and told her that ‘[they’ve]
got someone else’. Another friend had the same experience too
whereby the following day the company rang and told her that ‘[they’ve]
got someone else’. The problems are for women who wear the scarf.”
Indonesian qualifications
are generally well-regarded in Australia.
“My husband
is a medical scientist with undergraduate degrees from Indonesia and
obtained a Masters and PhD in Australia. Indonesian people are hard
working and his supervisor saw how hard working he was and got him a
job.”
Some Australian employers
have accommodated Muslim workers’ need for space and time to pray.
“I work
in a casual position at the bakery which is large and there are many
foreigners there so everyone knows we pray. We ask the employer to use
the changing rooms, so it is good to work with foreigners because there
is understanding.”“Since
11 Sept. and the Bali bombings, people at work are starting to learn
about what is Islam. I pray in a special room at work and I am the only
Muslim. Because of this I have been asked a lot about Islam.
Who is targeted?
The meeting generally
agreed that women are more likely to risk abuse.
“I’m
lucky because I am a man. I haven’t had as much abuse or discrimination.
Maybe it’s because no-one can tell that I’m a Muslim. But
I have to take care of my activities / practices as a Muslim, so in
public places where there are people, I have to pray. I have prayed
many times in public places like parks, but people just look at us..”“I don’t
have any problems but when my wife is alone she sometimes has problems,
but not when she is with me. People stare at her similar to the other
stories, but when she is with a family she has no problems.”
Common stereotypes
about Muslims generally and about Muslim women in particular are especially
to blame.
“Many
people, especially other women assume that much is forbidden for Muslim
women. In Iran and Iraq for e.g. women are not allowed to work outside
and they think that men suppress women but that’s nothing to do
with Islam. It is about ethnic stereotypes.”“Outside
Uni mostly older and aged people stereotype and they look at us as if
we came from another world. Who will tell old people the truth about
Islam? Information needs to go to all people.”
Mixed experiences
“I have
also had good experiences. Not long after Bali, a colleague came up
to me and said ‘Salam alaykum. Happy Eid!’ I said ‘thanks’.
He said ‘I know your Eid’. Some western person asked us
about our culture and greeted us. That felt good. During Ramadan people
often ask ‘why are you so happy, you’re fasting!’
I think that Australians are good. I am disabled so I don’t know
if I get discriminated against because I am disabled or because I am
a Muslim, but generally they are nice. Sometimes I just get pointed
at and yelled at whilst waiting for a bus and I think ‘who cares’.”
The role of the media
The potential of
ethnic media was felt to be somewhat limited.
“Our
ethnic media isn’t very effective. One day a week for half an
hour there is Indonesian Radio (Southern FM 93.5) and on channel 31
there is half an hour a week. SBS has I hour for twice a week but it
is all Indonesian relay and the radio announcers are usually Muslim.”“Radio
Kita 3222 broadcasts news from Indonesia and the programs have never
addressed the issue of discrimination.”“Once
they talked for about an hour on discrimination after 11 September,
but the problem is that Indonesian radio is in Indonesian language and
Australians won’t understand. And not all Indonesian people know
about the radio programs.”
Stereotyping by mainstream
media was felt to be critical to public reaction.
“Media
are responsible for the worst stereotypes, like Muslims are terrorists,
when Islam means peace. If someone has an agenda to make Muslims appear
bad then they have an agenda. People want to see Muslims as bad. Like
women in Islam wearing the hijab is portrayed as a sign of backwardness.
And people eliminate the fact that other religious or ethnic groups
can be terrorists. People think that only Muslims can be terrorists.
They single out ‘terrorist’ as equaling to ‘Islam’.
There is a big political agenda behind all of these who really wants
to have an image that a Muslim and Islam is bad.”“The
only education about Islam people are getting is from the news such
as CNN, BBC, CBC, Channel 10, 9 and 7 and SBS all have a very effective
language and special language of reporting. For example, in relation
to Aceh they use the word ‘invasion’, especially 9 and 10.
On SBS and BBC they use words like ‘crack down’.“People
in the media have to be responsible for bringing good sources of news
to the Australian people. For example, the way ‘A Current Affair’
in NSW portrayed the Baulkham Hills prayer room issue was unfair. We
need more responsible media!”
What existing government strategies
to reduce prejudice are you aware of?
“Once,
the Australian Federal Police came to the University and the Muslim
students were gathered by the AFP and were told that if they face any
discrimination to call the AFP. This was right after the Bali bombing
and they were afraid of any arson retaliation attacks. [I don’t
think we would complain though. Probably because we don’t have
good experiences with the police. We don’t feel welcome.”
What community strategies
were implemented?
“Perwira
is a mixed organization representing many different religions. We gave
out information about human rights and put the information in our Bulletin,
in addition to putting out information about the AFP, with the message
that if “you don’t feel safe, call us”. The Bulletin
is sent out only to members.“The
IMCV only started in 2002 so it is fairly new. We have a newsletter
and are in the process of developing a website. Interaction with Australians
is limited and we don’t have any special programs to educate Australians
about Indonesian Muslims.“The
Consulate General of Indonesia in Melbourne has a weekly gathering in
Melbourne. And has a weekly Javanese / Balinese dance or Indonesian
cultural events and the invitation is open to anyone and everyone, and
I think it works.”
What new strategies or approaches
are needed in future?
The meeting identified
the need for public education about Islam and about the value of cultural
diversity.
“People
who are knowledgeable about Islam are not like others who think Muslims
are bad because of what’s in the news. It is not just our duty
to tell people. It’s the duty of the government to tell people
about Islam too. It is imbalanced in the news. If the government spent
enough efforts to educate the Australian people and balance information
with what’s good about the Muslim community, then there would
be some change. Only a small part of the people have extreme attitudes,
but the whole Muslim community gets the blame.”“If you
educate people in primary school, e.g. if government gives out information
about all religions in primary school that will be good. In my children’s
school they have ‘harmony days’, and that’s good for
the kids. It teaches them that Australia is composed of different people.
This needs to be done at primary and secondary schools. It’s hard
to convince someone especially when there is no discrimination in schools.”“We need
to talk about personalities not just religion. Muslims are not taught
to do any harm. Terrorism is not Islam. Some other religions have good
and bad also. We need to change people’s opinions.”
There was support
for extending federal anti-discrimination law to the ground of religion.
“I think
naturally people are afraid of being punished so the law does have an
impact. It does give some security. But it has to be launched properly
and also reinforced because there is no point to it if it is not reinforced.”
On the other hand:
“In regards
to the law, I don’t think that having religion in the law is going
to really have an effect, because people will go against the law regardless.”
