Most waves of immigrants brought emotional, ethnic, political baggage with them that had some violence or crime associated with it - whether or not it may have been exaggerated by more extensive media and community observation of the latest "New Australians' as we started calling them.
Has tended to wash out over time under the soporific Australian sun and most Anglo-Irish like me know some Chinese, Lebanese, Croation, Italian, Sri Lankan, Greek or African, etc. people and their offspring who we admire or like (or don't - other races don't have to be idealised any more than demonised).
Religious extremism of this current kind is harder to deal with because it persists as a 'belief' instead of being left behind and has persistent mischief makers with a Manson-esque (Charlie, not Marilyn) desire to incite, in their case, a religious world war.
Seems to me the moderate Muslims will have to be more active to control and refute the radicals, partly because you can become a Muslim 'cleric' by renting a shop-front - without doing any formal religious study. I guess the USA has radical free-lance 'preachers' and cults too, but that is a country founded out of religious radicalism and freedom of expression
So, I am happy to see the Grand Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, who has never previously fronted the media in such a way, who joined two prominent sheikhs, riot police and the NSW Police Deputy Commissioner, Nick Kaldas, this afternoon to declare their support for the actions of police during and after the violent protests last weekend.
"We are all on the same side," said Dr Mohamed, through his translator. (Don't start, his kids probably speak English)
"This country is not great or famous for its koalas and kangaroos. It is great for its freedom."
That's the spirit, Mufti old chap, and support by the rest of us in the community for moderates like him, not angry resentment at the radical element is most likely to be the best if not only effective long-term solution
The Norwegians absolutely shocked and awed me with their response to the guy who was at the absolute far end of possible responses to deliberate agitation for religious conflagration. On reflection, the murderer's response would have been getting high-fives all round at radical Muslim terrorist headquarters and the broader community's response must have had them cursing.
Support for Muslims who know and practice the central tenets of their religion should be supported in taking control of the arena and shunning the radical fringe.
