by Margaret Rodgers
Christians need to fight deep-seated racism in Australia.
Did you know about the large community of midnight to dawn talk-back radio listeners in this city? Some are obviously evening shift-workers, others people living alone who want someone to talk to, a few seem to be slightly disordered, and others are people of mature years who occasionally experience fitful sleep. (That's me!)
In this supposedly sleepy timeslot the late night callers are wide-awake, alert, and vocally conservative on community issues. After the riots in Cronulla last January, their views crammed the airwaves. The riots were followed by reactions to overseas rioting over the so-called Danish cartoons.
Other callers often join in because they feel their own community is under attack. It becomes on many nights a rich mix of views, a kaleidoscope of opinion, helped along by the radio hosts, who seem, at least on the station I prefer, to be hired because of their right-wing views.
Every issue is talked over interminably. Immigration is a frequent topic. I am shocked by the deep-seated racism that seems to be a given in the late-night talk back community. Is it idiosyncratic to them or are they simply the tip of a racist iceberg in today's Australia?
Some callers are clearly members of Australians Against Immigration or its various offshoots. They call in with seemingly carefully prepared statements, making use of the fears of others to further their own political causes.
Other callers do sound afraid, mostly of the cultural and ethnic changes they see happening around them, as well as what they foresee. How long will it be before Australia is predominantly a Muslim community is a frequent topic.
The population of Australia has tripled in size over the last 60 years, mainly through immigration from many countries. Each group of newcomers has met resistance to their arrival " terms such as "wogs', "dagos' and "chinks' represent what I mean. But it has soon passed as they become valued and productive Australians who have deepened our rich cultural mix and heritage.
We don't like to see ourselves as racist " a 2002 survey conducted by a senior lecturer in geography from the University of New South Wales found 83 per cent of respondents agreed there was racial prejudice in Australia, but 80.2 per cent denied they were racist themselves.
As part of its humanitarian program Australia has recently accepted many Sudanese refugees. What distresses me is the rising number of hostile late night calls about them.
They have been settled in the state capital cities as well as some large regional centres such as Newcastle, and Toowoomba. Obviously there has been and will be problems as they settle. They come from a developing nation into a developed nation, and from a country that has experienced decades of internal warfare. They have fled from desperate situations.
Shortly after he became CEO of World Vision Australia, Tim Costello was asked to visit the refugee camps in the Sudanese Darfur region by World Vision International. He called a media conference when he returned. As he talked to the journalists and described the pitiful conditions he saw in Sudan he wept. Tim " pastor, lawyer, social activist " well informed about poverty in Australia. But it pales into insignificance in comparison.
Many Sudanese refugees are Anglican. It was a stirring moment in February at the Ordination Service when Archbishop Jensen presented two Sudanese clergy with licences for ministry in this diocese. They and other Sudanese clergy, both here and in other Australian dioceses, are leaders in their own community and focal points of assistance to their people as they settle into this community. The people need assistance to learn our language and with understanding basic facts about life here. They need help and friendship from our parish communities.
Anglicare is already at their side, and so are some parishes. We must all endeavour to help them to settle into Australian life, and to let them know they are very welcome.
