Australia: Survey finds many anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic

[Feuer Frei!]

HALF of Australians harbour anti-Muslim sentiments and a quarter are anti-Semitic, according to the biggest survey ever done on racism in this country. One in three also admit some level of racist feelings against indigenous people.

The 12-year-survey, conducted by leading universities, found NSW and QLD to be the most racist states, while Victoria was one of the most tolerant.
Among the 12,512 people surveyed Australia-wide, 48.6 per cent were negative towards Muslims, Asians (23.8), indigenous Australians (27.9), Jews (23.3) and black Africans (27).
According to the survey, racist hotspots in Australia tended to be in areas that had economic hardship, recent immigration and below-average education levels.
He said the high levels of anti-Muslim feelings in Australia were an accumulation of international political events, “poorly-informed public debates” and “sensationalist media treatment”.When it came to immigration, the survey found more than 40 per cent of respondents believed “Australia is weakened by people of different ethnic origins sticking to their old ways".

SOURCE

Firstly, 12 years for a study which only involved 12, 500 people?
What the hell where they doing for the rest of the 11 years?
And to be absolutely honest, this doesn't surprise me one little bit.
All too often the media presents Australia as open to other cultures and the Multicultural welcome mat always out at the front door.
However on the ground things are different, certainly have been for a long time.
People are very unforgiving and judgmental towards Asians and Indigenous people.
Also, i can speak from experience, when i first came to this country back in 1981, i experienced racism to it's truest form, having 'copped it' throughout my schooling years, being called anything from Hitler to Nazi to Jew Killer to mocking me about my ancestry to getting the Hitler salute pretty much daily.
Racism is bred out of ignorance. Pure and simple!
People here are very ignorant to the real facts, believing the media too much in what is written or aired about certain cultures.
Calling a German a Nazi is is a prime example of that.
Australia may be a free country, it may be a beautiful country however there are more serious 'root' issues that need openly addressing.
For too long have the media portrayed us as a welcoming country when in fact surveys like this and the general consensus and personal experiences (me) tend to say otherwise.
People who are ignorant tend to be racist.
Shame on you, racists!

[Freiwillige]

I say, and? Its a free country and people are allowed to feel how ever they wish as long as they keep it to themselves I see no Issue.

I have far more issue with governments telling people how to think.

I know some racists, Some white, Some Hispanic, some black. There are always certain groups that dislike something about other certain groups.

Heck I have even met people Racist against there own groups.

My point is that most civil nations have strong laws to deal with anybody who can't control there urges. The world will never be perfect.

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by Freiwillige

people are allowed to feel how ever they wish as long as they keep it to themselves

But they don't, and that's the problem, racists, the ones i have experienced don't keep it to themselves, nor do the people that where surveyed here, i agree, if they kept it to themselves we wouldn't have a problem would we?

I have far more issue with governments telling people how to think.

Not the point of this thread.

I know some racists, Some white, Some Hispanic, some black. There are always certain groups that dislike something about other certain groups.

Of course

[Freiwillige]

Originally Posted by Feuer Frei!

But they don't, and that's the problem, racists, the ones i have experienced don't keep it to themselves, nor do the people that where surveyed here, i agree, if they kept it to themselves we wouldn't have a problem would we?

How are they not keeping it to themselves? By expressing an opinion when asked? Answering yes or no on a questionnaire? I mean I will be honest in that Australia is not something I follow closely but is there an epidemic of race crime there? Is it like the U.S. before the civil rights movements?

If its just voicing an opinion then so be it as long as they don't act out to prohibit or hurt anyone based on there opinions.

12 years to question 12500 people from a population of 22+ million...looks more like a case of not finding the answers they they wanted! ,that or there was a really good amount of grant money involved.

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by Freiwillige

How are they not keeping it to themselves? By expressing an opinion when asked?

Well, what is racism? Expressing an opinion about a culture or another person, based on their belief system or cultural identity.
It is out and out discrimination. Now if that is an acceptable form of offering 'opinion' on someone or someone's belief system or cultural identity then shoot me now.
Calling me a Nazi or Jew killer is acceptable? Just an opinion? Far from it.
Calling a Dark-skinned person the N word and bringing all sorts of slanderous accusations against that person because of their skin colour? Opinion? Or just out and out racism?
In relation to your claims about them keeping it to themselves, they aren't keeping it to themselves, if they were wouldn't this just be a dandy little world we lived in, where all races, classes and cultures could live together forever and ever?

Answering yes or no on a questionnaire? I mean I will be honest in that Australia is not something I follow closely but is there an epidemic of race crime there? Is it like the U.S. before the civil rights movements?

Does it need to be an epidemic or a crysis before it becomes a problem? Or a issue which people of non-ethnic backgrounds have to deal with day in day out?
Violence and aggression come to mind when talking about racism, perfect example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Cronulla_riots

Epidemic enough? Race-motivated, no doubt.

Another example:
http://www.time.com/time/world/artic...921482,00.html

Race-motivated, no doubt.

If its just voicing an opinion then so be it as long as they don't act out to prohibit or hurt anyone based on there opinions.

See above, unfortunately it is not a case of "they are just quietly voicing that they dislike other cultures or the indigenous and no-one is getting hurt", but the thread that i posted is a all too often occurrance in Australia, with racial slurs and undertones of racial abuses and the 'zero tolerance' stance towards other cultures all too familiar all too often in the daily news.
I would like to get the other Aussie members here to chime in with their views.
The point of this thread is 2-pronged:
Firstly to highlight a growing feeling of racism here in Australia, for us Australians who don't consider ourselves racist, we are under the belief that this particular survey just pinpoints once again that this is real and perhaps the word will get out that things aren't as rosy as what our lovely media and promoters make it out to be.
Reality check.
Secondly, that racism breeds violence and ignorance is another factor. So, when i am asked if it's just voicing opinions or quietly sitting down at a cafe sipping a latte and talking to a pimply-faced uni-student on whether you think muslims or asians should get out of the country and that they are not welcome here or that they are taking all our jobs and ie we hate them, or that aboriginal people are lazy black so-and-so's who should just be gotten rid of, well, you see my point.
The survey highlights a feeling that has been present in this country for many many years.

[Gerald]

Feuer Frei! I can understand personal motives in this thread, is it so?