Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Standing Against Sharia in Melbourne

Nilk: Melbourne Demo #1

Whenever we Americans think about Australians, we picture a bunch of tough, straight-talking people who take no nonsense from anyone, and never give in to bullying. So it comes as a bit of a surprise to learn that despite the growth of Islam and Multiculturalism, no group has mounted a significant anti-sharia demonstration in Australia.

Until last Sunday, that is. On that day anti-jihad activists, led by the newly-formed Australian Defence League, gathered in Federation Square in Melbourne to protest the Islamization of Australia.

Below are excerpts from two reports on the May 15 demo in Melbourne. The first is from Nilk, who was present for the occasion (and who also took all the photos):

Standing Against Sharia or, Free Speech in ‘Melbun’.

Yesterday was the first demo of the Australian Defence League. We were standing against sharia in Australia, at Federation Square in Melbourne, because it’s about time that someone did and we’re also rather partial to free speech.

Over the course of the past few months, I’ve had people ask me why on earth I’d bother being involved with any sort of rally. “It’s not time.” “It’s racist.” “You’ll look just like those EDL thugs.”

And, of course, “You won’t accomplish anything.”

Needless to say, there are also people who think that the mere idea of speaking out against the islamification of your country is “racist”, but we already knew that and were expecting some opposition.

Nilk: Melbourne Demo #3What began as a bit of a facebook group advertising as a “Rally Against Racism And Fascism” (using the acronym RAAF, which I find rather offensive to our Air Force, by the way) ended up as a fullblown socialist extravaganza with those twin pillars of democratic Western Civilisation the Socialist Alliance and their fellow travellers the Socialist Alternative shouting into megaphones at us such rhetoric as, “Muslims are welcome, racists are not!” and “F*** off, nazi scumbags! F*** off, nazi scum!”

Well, yesterday we had people from other groups standing with us. They were not there as representatives of those groups; just as Australians who are concerned about the imposition of sharia requirements on our country and culture.

We were a small group, too. I’ve heard of estimates of about 100 people, but I would hesitate to go that high. I’d say 60 max, but I need to check more photos. A quick glance here will give you a comparison, and according to the HeraldSun, 40 was more like it.

I won’t argue with that (much), because it was quite fluid with some people arriving later than others, and some leaving early. When it started getting physical, then some did leave.

This is understandable when you consider that the people who came were not professional or serial protesters like the opposition.

Nilk: Melbourne Demo #2We are just ordinary people who are tired of having to pander to a particular minority…

We don’t want halal meat.

We don’t want special times at public swimming pools to cater to muslims who don’t want to share with the kuffar, or window coverings to protect those precious petals from our evil gaze.

We don’t want to have to hear about eid at christmas time, or all about how islam is wonderful. Tell that to the Royal Women’s Hospital with its FGM unit. While FGM is not exclusively an islamic practice, the majority of women and girls who have suffered it are muslim.

We just want our Australia back.

[…]

The enemies of freedom can tell the world that they won, and that’s fine.

It doesn’t mean that they did.

It just means that they beat up on a bunch of ordinary Australians who were exercising their legislated freedom to say, “We don’t want sharia in Australia”.

Read the rest at Right Wing Death Bogan.

Aeneas also posted a report at the International Civil Liberties Alliance:

Beginnings Of The Australian Counterjihad: Australian Defence League (ADL) Holds Demonstration In Melbourne on 15 May 2011

Earlier today members of the Australian Counterjihad demonstrated against Islamisation in the city of Melbourne in the State of Victoria. Australia lags behind Europe and North America with regard to the intensity of Islamisation but its political elite seem determined to follow their lead and make the same disastrous mistakes that have strengthen the hand of Islamic fundamentalists.

The demonstration was compact but included key activists from across Australia and marked the public launch of the Australian Counterjihad. A broad range of Australians were present at the ADL demo from many age groups which illustrates the range of the population that is concerned about the Islamisation of Australia. This is how movements in Europe and North America were established and which now have tens of thousands of activists. Key regional organisers will go back to their local areas and grow their Divisions locally. The demonstration in Melbourne has been a good focus and a key catalyst for the strategic organisation of activists across Australasia. Networks are developing and the key nodes are now in place. This is just the beginning and we expect impressive progress with the Australian Counterjihad in the months and years ahead.

Nilk: Melbourne Demo #4

Patriotic Australians protest against sharia under the gaze of King Tut

Of course, as in Europe and North America, the media and politicians were quick off the mark to demonise the fledgling ADL rolling out the usual label designed to delegitimize without having to win an argument. Here is an article about the ADL demo from the Herald Sun that seems to focus on the reporting political pronouncements such as ‘bigotry would not be tolerated’ which erroneously implies that the ADL has an agenda of bigotry which could not be further from the truth. The powers that be are afraid that a mass movement will emerge that will bring their deliberate encouragement of Third World cheap labour immigration and its associated Islamisation to a halt. That would not sit very well with the globalised elite which national governments, such as that in Canberra, serve or face the consequences.

Again, like in Europe and North America, the usual left wing mob turned up to counter protest. This is often comprised of the misguided, the ill informed, and those who cannot tolerate anyone who is not a Marxist. These groups are quite happy to undermine freedom of speech, allowing only speech that is approved by their own narrow ideological stance. They cannot abide those with differing viewpoints and seem to have a deep seated hatred focused against Western Civilisation. The standard leftist tactic is to try to intimidate their opposition which they tried in Melbourne. Of course members of the Counterjihad held their ground and made their point despite their intimidation.

Nilk: Melbourne Demo #5 (counter-demonstrators)

Counterprotestors complete with nose rings and Mohican haircut

One of the speakers at the counterdemonstration seemed to take an extreme anti Western stance while wearing a symbol of Palestinian terrorists — the kaffiya. He seemed to think he was on the barricade in Russia in 1917. He also appeared to care more about refugees than Australians and the stability of Australia. Perhaps he believes that the sole purpose of Australia is to accommodate people from failed states to embrace the cultural norms that caused those states to fail. Of course we have a tradition of welcoming refugees in the West but in the past such refugees were willing to come on our terms and adapt to our culture. Today they come as colonists who demand that the West adapts to their preferences and it is that is at the heart of the problem of recent immigration. Those of a Marxist disposition are the ones who want the social problems that are caused by such colonisation because it undermines the ‘system’ that they so despise.

[…]

The demo in Melbourne was small but successful, key strategic objectives were met, and the basis of the Australian network was put in place. The Australian Defence League has started the ball rolling in Australia and it will grow both in terms of membership and success just like its counterparts which started small in Europe and North America.

Read the rest at ICLA.

13 comments:

mace said...

Baron,

I heard two commentators on public radio here in Australia,smugly describe the EDL as 'racist',they obviously didn't know anything about the organization.I assume the ADL will be tarred with the same brush.

I appreciate your attempt to speak Melburnian,however the correct pronounciation is "Melb'n".

Blogger said...

So this ridiculous "anti-fascist" group is here to antagonise the ADL in Oz now as well. I suggest that the ADL find a new way to protest that will out-smart this absurd group. Otherwise they will simply lock into a victim-tyrant dyad and the ADL message will never get across. The "UAF" group NEEDS these street protests to keep it fed. Give up street protests and find new ways, then the UAF, or RAAF, will die a natural death.

Baron Bodissey said...

LOL, mace! That was Nilk's spelling, not mine!

She lives in Melbourne, so that's her privilege. If I were to spell it the way it sounds to me when y'all say it, it would be "Milb'n".

The Graduate said...

I live in Melbourne and didn't even hear about this till I read your blog today!!

mace said...

Baron,



Actually, "Milb'n" is closer than "Melbun". You might find the New Zealand accent something of a challenge-it only has 2 vowel sounds.

Nilk said...

LOL Mace. I use that spelling with a good mate of mine over in the States. That's how he pronounces it and it's become a bit of a joke.

I usually call my hometown Melbournistan.

Unknown said...

After reading this article it reminds me about a documentary "Muslim Women: The Bill & Us" which explores the politics behind the reservation of Muslim women in politics. Political leaders nearly all men are having some different point of view over women right. That's why there is huge opposition for the women reservation bill. Some Muslim men believe that if women are attending Parliament they should attend in Purdah but women are against of this specially Dalit and backward caste women.

To watch please visit - http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/4074

Truthiocity said...

The ADL should confront those left wing groups vigorously in the media. Take control of the public perceptions before they do! Go on the attack now!

These left wing groups are behaving just like hired pinkertons for people who are as right wing as it is possible to be. It's the ADL who are championing libral values and it's the Islamists who oppress women, homosexuals and indiginous minorities.

For those who don't know about the labor movement in America the Pinkertons were a private security company hired by various mine and factory owners to crush the unions and used extremely violent methods to do so.

Perhaps these left wing groups never heard about how the Islamists treated the left wingers who helped them win the revolution in Iran. As soon as the leftists were of no more use the islamists started imprisoning and executing them.

As soon as the democratic forces started a revolution in egypt the islamists hijacked it and manipulated the democratic process to marginalize them.

The Australian socialist groups have shown political incompetence and suicidal naivete in aligning itself with a group that has a history of being treacherous to it's allies.

siegetower said...

"Right Wing Death Bogan" - That made me choke on my own laughter. What a great name. Ironic but locally significant.

I wonder if the Bogans of the Western Suburbs of Australia's cities will embrace the ADL, like the working class Brits with the EDL.

But how to explain Bogans to the rest of the world? Think working class people on middle class wages, they love their beer, drive Holdens and are the backbone of society. So the wanna-be richer people in the posh Eastern Suburbs look down their snobbish noses at Bogans.

*

Another Australian story that I don't think made it very far with the blogs came out last week.

The Daily Telegraph published the findings of a study into how well refugees vs immigrants integrated into society. Surprise surprise, East Asians mostly find jobs and don't go on welfare. Surprise, surprise, refugees are still on welfare and unable to hold down even menial labour as employment, 5 years after receiving their permanent residency. Some classes of refugee, up to 83% dependant on welfare and the state, 5 years after arriving,

What a wonderful situation for the taxpayers, Anglo-Saxon, Jewish and Chinese alike, to suffer.

"A World of Long Term Welfare for Refugees" from The Daily Telegraph 5th May 2011:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/a-world-of-long-term-welfare-for-refugees/story-e6freuzr-1226050094427

mace said...

@Nilk,

"I usually call my hometown Melbournistan." Not yet--there's still time.

Nilk said...

So we'll see you at the next demo then, Mace? ;)

mace said...

Nilk,

I'm not sure of your tone,if you're being sarky, it's not appreciated.The answer is "No" for 2 reasons.

In demos you can never be sure of the agenda and there's always those people with cameras who aren't from the press.Of course Special Branch has been disbanded,or so the government said.

I've already been harassed by members of one particular ethnic group. When I objected to their behavior they naturally "played the race card". I finally 'won' however,at my age the entire process was a very unpleasant and frightening experience.

If you really attend demos,be very careful.

Nilk said...

It was a friendly question, Mace.

If you're not comfortable attending for whatever reason then you shouldn't be there.

I go because I need to - it's a matter of witness, and also of making a stand.

I take my camera, and don't pretend to be media; the opposition also take cameras, and they put up photo walls of people they don't like for id purposes. I understand that.

For me, the time has come to stop talking. I keep my mouth shut, and a mild demeanor, and hopefully out of trouble, but I also expect the worst.

It's not for everyone, although there will come a time when everyone will have to make a decision on whether to stand or not.