Guilt &/Or Innocence of Muslims in Sydney and Melbourne

Uh-oh spaghetti-oh.

Mountains of virtual blah, political fallout and some further arrests has been generated by the ding-dong in Sydney on the weekend. The Minister for Immigration’s declaration that foreign-born trouble-makers could be deported if found guilty of unnamed crimes brought to mind a Herald Sun editorial from about twenty years ago regarding the ISO’s alleged master-minding of similarly rowdy protests and the anonymous editor’s belief that the same rule should apply in the case of the mad Marxists…

Among the more useful responses to the storm in Sydney are those by crazed Richmond supporter Waleed Aly (Anti-US violence isn’t about a film, it’s about an excuse) and Mohammad Tabaa (‘He’s my brother – why angry Muslim youth are protesting in Sydney’) — a man whose footballing allegiances are unknown at this stage.

One of the things Tabaa complains of is a lack of appropriate leadership of Muslim yoof by local authorities; attempting to step up to the plate and articulate (or channel) their resentment is groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir. Believing Australia’s gonna join the global caliphate may be as reasonable as assuming I’m gonna be barracking for Carlton next year, but while somewhat misguided the group’s media release makes some reasonable points.

In Melbourne, meanwhile, a rally against Islamophobia may or may not be going ahead on Sunday at the State Library: a Facebook page promoting the Event would appear to have disappeared some time in the last 24. Predictably, the rally has generated opposition from Islamophobes, and media report that a text message has been circulating which reads in part: “ATT: All Australians, this Sunday these Muslim [OMGWTF!] are planning a protest in OUR city. I call on all brothers and sisters to meet at [OMGWTF!] on Sunday for a united march to the state library.” The content of the message has been censored by the Herald Sun but, curiously, was not censored by The Australian — or not initially, at least.

I expect there may be one or two policemen in attendance in any case.

Extra SAlt!

Trotskyist group Socialist Alternative declares you’re either with the Muslims or you’re against the Muslims in Why we stand with Muslim protesters (September 17, 2012). I says I get up, and nothing gets me down. You got it tough? I’ve seen the toughest around. And I know, baby, just how you feel. You’ve got to roll with the punches to get to what’s real. Oh can’t you see me standing here, I’ve got my back against the record machine, I ain’t the worst that you’ve seen, Oh can’t you see what I mean?