In a seemingly dishonest move to obscure the issue of radicalisation, Australia’s Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton has urged Australians of “all religions” to have an “honest discussion” about violent extremism.
Well Minister, Australians of all religions (and none) may well have that honest discussion about violent extremism, but it is likely that they will be speaking about one particular religion.
In is worth noting that the minister’s comments come after a change in rhetoric which has occurred since Friday’s slaying of Police accountant Curtis Cheng, at the hands of teenager Farad Jabar Khalil Mohammad. A new word, “extremisms” has emerged which will only obscure matters and prevent us from having that “honest discussion” the minister urges us to all have.
My sense is that many Australians are absolutely fed up with the continued divergences and avoidances that are trawled out by the mainstream media, politicians and Islamic apologists. Whenever Islamic violence is raised, someone brings up the Crusades or Christianity, or the United States and George W Bush.
Whilst these, and many others are worthy issues for a conversation on another occasion. Yet, when it comes to Islamic extremism, some other issue is inevitably thrown in, and that honest conversation which we need to have about violent Islam never happens.