Time to address the Muslim Question, racism and citizenship

With the place of Islam in western societies firmly framed by a ‘clash of civilisations’ narrative, addressing the Muslim question will be the focus of a crucial Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation (ADI) conference beginning in Melbourne today.

In the wake of September 11, the Cronulla riots, the emergence of ISIS and the Paris attacks, ADI Director Professor Fethi Mansouri said the 14 and 15 December event came at a vital crossroad in public discussion.

“Conversation is becoming increasingly volatile when it comes to Islamic belief, ritual and practice – and its connection to Australian citizenship,” said Professor Mansouri.

“While the ‘clash of civilisations’ narrative is understandable, this approach only makes people more scared and leads to displays of nationalism and outright racism directed at the Muslim community.

“The case of Islamic religiosity in Australia is an interesting one for several reasons. First, according to the 2011 Census there are 476,300 Muslims in Australia, which is 2.2 per cent of the population.

“Yet Muslims evoke a disproportionately negative public response when compared to other religious groups in Australia.

“This two-day conference will showcase the latest empirically-backed thinking and provide a platform for considered and informed discussion.”

Professor Mansouri said there was a public misperception that Muslims were somehow not playing an active part in being an Australian citizen because of their supposed religiosity and faith-based practice.

“In fact, there is a perception that an intensity of religious affiliation is portrayed as an ‘excess’ that is hard to contain and which might have dangerous outcomes like violent extremism,” said Professor Mansouri.

“Our findings don’t provide evidence for these misperceptions.

“They show that religious practice is grounded in a duty of care towards  all of  God’s creations firstly by obeying the laws of the land, but secondly through local attachments with  respecting one’s neighbour  and working towards a ‘common good’.

“There is no ‘clash’ between Islamic ethos and notions of good citizenship within society.”

Day one of the conference features a preview of a soon-to-be-released report into Muslims’ religious practices in three Western cities – Melbourne, Detroit, and Lyon – which uses insights gained through a discovery project funded by the Australian Research Council.

The second day will focus on the Cronulla riots of December 2005 and see scholars tackle subjects such as belonging and social identity, hate speech, the rise of bigotry in Australia, and intercultural sociality after Cronulla.

Highlights of The ‘Muslim Question’: Citizenship and Racism in Australia conference include:

• Launch of Intergenerational Relations in Newly Arrived Communities in Victoria – a Pilot Study report;
• Launch of the bystander anti-racism video by Professor Kevin Dunn (Western Sydney University) and Professor Yin Paradies (ADI);
• Launch of a new book, Battle for the Flag, by Dr Amelia Johns;
• Professor Kevin Dunn on ‘Muslim Australians and resilience’;
• Associate Professor Adam Possamai’s examination of Muslims’ practice of Shari’a Law;
• Dr Susan Bird’s study into hate speech in public space;
• Dr Nahid Afrose Kabir’s research into young Victorian Muslims’ identity and their sense of belonging and how they find themselves situated in the ‘Muslim Question’; and
• Melinda Herron’s paper looking at how high school students in the City of Casey confront and live among difference and diversity in their everyday lives.

Helen Kapalos, Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, and Hon Frank McGuire MLC, the Victorian MP for Broadmeadows, will officially open the conference which is co-hosted by Deakin University and Western Sydney University.