When Scott Morrison told the shadow cabinet meeting on December 1 2011 at the Ryde Civic Centre that the Coalition should ramp up its questioning of “multiculturalism” and appeal to deep voter concerns about Muslim immigration and “inability” to integrate, senior colleagues like Julie Bishop and Phillip Ruddock disagreed, pointing out that the Coalition had long supported a non-discriminatory immigration policy and saying it was not an issue that should be pursued.
Others said they had picked up on strong anti-Muslim sentiment in their electorates but thought running a campaign against Muslim immigration could be “misconstrued”.
But some of the right faction embraced the idea. Liberal backbencher Gary Humphries even went so far as to table a petition, signed by three people, calling for a 10-year moratorium on “Muslim immigration”.
The dog-whistling of the Abbott years has empowered these people who, flush with their success at stopping the boats from landing coupled with the rise of Daesh, have decided that Islamophobia is a vote winner.
This cynical opportunism by ambitious young upstarts like Josh Frydenberg shows how low some people will go to satisfy their own desire for advancement.
It also exposes just how dumb these people are.
When Frydenberg said that the Paris attacks showed a “problem within Islam”, criticising the Grand Mufti for a “lack of leadership” when he said the reasons for radicalisation were complex, others jumped on board.
Michael Sukkar, the Member for Deakin, said “It’s clear that Islam hasn’t had the same reformation that occurred in Christianity which means some of these medieval teachings and practices have not been stamped out.”
Our pouting ex-PM added his special brand of ignorance saying “It’s not culturally insensitive to demand … respect for Western civilisation. Cultures are not all equal,” as he too called for reform of Islam.
Aside from the historical facts about the Reformation being when Protestantism split from the unreformed Catholic branch of Christianity and the bloodshed that ensued, Abbott belongs to a church that is run by a couple of hundred celibate old men who condemn homosexuality, contraception, abortion and divorce while protecting institutionalised pedophilia. They refuse to let women take any part in decision making and those who choose to become nuns are made to wear a veil. They sit on a fortune that exceeds the wealth of any sheik while millions of their congregation suffer extreme poverty.
Catholicism teaches that, unless you chant some archaic phrases as you tip some water over your baby’s head, their soul will remain in limbo forever. They engage in symbolic cannibalism at Communion and believe that saying ‘hail Mary full of grace’ over and over again whilst holding on to some beads will absolve you of your sins.
They base their beliefs and laws on a book about a time thousands of years ago and genuflect to the tabernacle in a sign of submission every time they walk into a church.
And they want Islam to stamp out medieval practices?
Whipping up hatred and mistrust might be a successful short term political tactic but the danger it presents is a far greater threat to Australian society than anything that is happening in the Middle East.
