Unlike past waves of migrants, the current wave of Muslims provide the biggest
challenge to social integration because of its apartheid behaviour in food, education
banking and business.
Waves of migrants since WW2 have came and were successfully integrated into our
communities including Italian, Greek, Vietnamese and Yugoslav but this current wave
of Muslim migrants seem, on the face of it, the most challenging.
The socially alienating aspects are:
-Halal food -no alcohol (this precludes locals from inviting the migrants to the back yard barbie
which in the past was the usual social intergator)
-Face and head covers of Muslim women puts a social barrier between them and local women
-Muslim small business has displaced the locally owned (incl cafes)
-Muslim Banking
-Muslim separate schools.
How all this will translate into the next generation (1st generation of Aussie Muslims) is
not known but there is some community apprehension due to percieved experiences
in Sydney's West and overseas.
Unlike the previous wave of Yugoslav migrants who integrated and moved on, this current wave of African and Middle East
migrants have set roots by taking over the small village shops and cafes. To some traditional locals this has changed
the village character and is causing some angst.
Our Muslim neighbours are very friendly, considerate and quiet which we really appreciate.
And coincidentally, the incidence of break/enters and car thefts in the local community has dramatically dropped in the past
decade.
