So a few nights ago I was present at the LMAs From Iraq to Gaza: The Politics of Fear panel. Some thoughts: - Credit where it is due, the panelists were heavily pro-Palestine and anti-Israel. Some good points were made about the nature of Israels terrorism and its genocidal agenda. However, they didnt go much further than appeals to the UN and existing powers, calls for boycott and the accounting of media and government. For us though, the very existence of Israel is the fundamental problem and we do not accept it as having any legitimate right to exist. The contrast in these positions was most stark when Tony Burke responded to a question asking whether he recognises Israel and he said yes, with 1967 borders. - Antony Loewenstein made some good points on the issue of the Muslim community and authority. He directly said that they are not our friends and we should not have friendly relations with them. If anything he was suggesting that we distance ourselves from them. Good on him for being clear in that regard. - One point that particularly irked me was one panelists delegitimising of Muslim anger. He said that we need to stop looking at things through anger because that will lead to wrongs. The assumption here is that Muslims are somehow predisposed to violence and injustice so anger is the fuse that will get us to (potentially even literally) blow. It is ridiculous that even our anger is a problem - if a Muslim isnt angry with the status quo, there is something seriously wrong. The irony is also telling in that Muslims are told to calm down when it comes to legitimate grievances but when it comes to certain images from Syria and Iraq, we *should* be angry and condemn, and so should the whole of society. Why not police that anger? - Liberal MP Craig Laundy said that hes scared of the terrorists in the Middle East and at another point said that the counter-terrorism laws dont target Muslims. During the question and answer session, I asked him why I shouldnt be worried about western secular liberal democracies bringing their freedoms to Muslims (by the bomb) since every time they do, it results in war, destruction, bloodshed and countless dead Muslims. I added that the kind of violence that is perpetuated in this manner, i.e. by western states, is in scope far beyond what any terrorist could ever hope to achieve. His answer to this was that I shouldnt be worried because I live in this country. Worst response Ive ever heard to a question. Worst. Ever. Im still trying to figure out how that was even an answer. I also asked him to spin for the audience justification for his farcical assertion that counter-terrorism laws dont target Muslims. He said they dont because the laws apply to all citizens. To this, I asked him again whether he was seriously saying that Muslims are not targeted by them. Once more, he said no and I persisted on this point, asking how he can possibly think that the community that has been besieged by the anti-terror laws for over a decade now is somehow not being targeted. At this point though, the exchange was cut as time had run out. - On a slightly different note, afterwards a reporter from the ABC came to me to ask for some comments and I politely declined. I bumped into her again and she asked for my name (she actually asked its Qureshi right?), and I asked for what purpose she wanted my name. She said that she wants to include some of what I said in my question in her report and I said Id prefer if she didnt use my name. Then she casually said that it had been an interesting night and in response I said it had been interesting but also frustrating. When I said this, I noticed that she quickly and swiftly moved the recorder she had in one hand into the other, hidden by the notepad she was carrying. She tilted it slightly upwards and in my direction and so I took that as my cue to excuse myself. Later I came across her report and was glad to see that she had respected my request. I was referred to in it only as man lol.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 01:11:21 +0000
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