Who really needs “protection” – Ali or her critics?
Sunday 3rd June 2007, I went to the City Recital Hall and politely started to distribute my leaflet, "THE POLITICS OF ARAB AND MUSLIM BASHING" outside the $35 per person lecture.
Within ten minutes a police officer amongst the approximately twenty strong contingent, courteously asked me to provide him a copy of my leaflet. He read the item and then placed it in his hip pocket. Soon after most of the security guards present asked me for a copy of the same material and I made it available to them. Almost all of those security guards had a very polite exchange with me regarding Ayaan Hirshi Ali. At the outset, it appeared a common sense approach by those police officers and guards, their interaction with me was an example of the Aussie ‘fair go’ attitude at work. But, the ‘boss’ from inside the hall started to put pressure on the security guards to be nasty and forceful with me. The police officers did not intervene as I was not in breach of any law. The embarrassed leader of the private security said, "Mate, you are breaching the peace here – I have to ask you to move". My startled response was, "You know I don't believe in violence and I have not done anything to incite violence, therefore you must not accuse me of such fictitious grounds”. He then said, "Your materials are offending some people inside and they are getting very hot under their collars – they might attack you". I responded by saying, "That would be their problem and how come they are unable to accept any fair criticism and are threatening ME with violence?"
The embarrassed, yet reasonable security guy who by no means would be risking his security licence to be a paid thug or anyone’s hired, violent stooge. He said, "Look just move fifty meters from the hall and you will be fine". I said, "I don't have to move, but, for the sake of peace I will walk an extra mile".
However, during the period I was leafleting there, I observed that there were a few different types of people attending the lecture. One group refuses to know you if you do not look like them and walked straight past me. Another group treats words like ‘Arab’ or ‘Muslim’ which were in my leaflet like poison! This second grouping like the first refuse to get involved or to even acknowledge you. The third grouping are in between – they are struggling to find their positions.
One over excited, blustering, middle-aged woman said to me, "Your materials are wrong". I replied, "Why"? She then said, "Look, UTS Professor Jamila Hussain is wrong and it is a fact (that she’s wrong)". She attempted to support her opinion by pointing out Professor Jamila's quote that I had used in that same leaflet. I responded to her, "You are presenting your opinion only and it’s not a `fact' to dismiss my materials. I myself regard Professor Jamila Hussain’s statement here as valid". She roared at me in frustration, "Are you calling me a liar?" I said, "Why are you so militant in nature and how come you are not presenting your argument in a logical manner?" She then continued in her provoking way, "Are you one of those killers who are hunting for her"? I replied, "You are reminding me of those brave child killer Israelis who have been murdering unarmed Palestinian children in their kindergartens, schoolyards and backyards with machine guns, apache helicopters and F18s."
Another cranky, flustered old woman approached me too. The security guards found her exchange with me hilarious and said to me later, "Is she your first critic"?
She begun with, “I am a Dutch, I know everything and you know nothing. Are you Australian? Where do you come from? She (Ayaan) is educated. She will fix violent Muslims". With a giggle I said, "That's why your good friends are supporting and financing her. They will dump her after her ‘use by date’ – you watch". She continued, "You should not be allowed to talk in this country – you should be banned."
The irony here is that the security asked me to move because they feared for my safety. In reality, we need protection from the supporters of Ayaan and not the other way around, where as the entire tour of Ayaan is claimed to be based on her needing around-the-clock security!
Is this a case of “violence begets violence” or more precisely, does it confirm my point that the financial backers of Ali are using her to disguise their own violence against Muslims and Muslim countries around the world?
During the initial stages of reporting of Ali by the Australian media the articles were balanced and they also quoted a number of local Muslims who were critical of Ayaan’s blanket condemnation of Islam based on her incorrect stand and faulty reasoning.
After a couple of days of her appearance in Australia the screws were turned, the clear bias emerged and her monologues were selectively used to create deliberate confusion, uproar and cause injury to the Islamic community.
Surely, the Sydney Writers Festival should be about dialogues and robust discussions. That was the reason I distributed my flyer to generate open and fair debate. In the current atmosphere in Australia it would appear the only dialogue possible now is via the internet and not out in the open in real life.
Are Ayaan Hirshi Ali, Ershad Manji, Norma Khoury and a few more confused, yet conveniently compliant soles being used as a distraction away from many burning issues one of which is the longest running concentration camp known to mankind, located in the occupied Palestine? Because, this slow motion Israeli holocaust in Palestine is much more painful than the former one!
Sunday 3rd June 2007, I went to the City Recital Hall and politely started to distribute my leaflet, "THE POLITICS OF ARAB AND MUSLIM BASHING" outside the $35 per person lecture.
Within ten minutes a police officer amongst the approximately twenty strong contingent, courteously asked me to provide him a copy of my leaflet. He read the item and then placed it in his hip pocket. Soon after most of the security guards present asked me for a copy of the same material and I made it available to them. Almost all of those security guards had a very polite exchange with me regarding Ayaan Hirshi Ali. At the outset, it appeared a common sense approach by those police officers and guards, their interaction with me was an example of the Aussie ‘fair go’ attitude at work. But, the ‘boss’ from inside the hall started to put pressure on the security guards to be nasty and forceful with me. The police officers did not intervene as I was not in breach of any law. The embarrassed leader of the private security said, "Mate, you are breaching the peace here – I have to ask you to move". My startled response was, "You know I don't believe in violence and I have not done anything to incite violence, therefore you must not accuse me of such fictitious grounds”. He then said, "Your materials are offending some people inside and they are getting very hot under their collars – they might attack you". I responded by saying, "That would be their problem and how come they are unable to accept any fair criticism and are threatening ME with violence?"
The embarrassed, yet reasonable security guy who by no means would be risking his security licence to be a paid thug or anyone’s hired, violent stooge. He said, "Look just move fifty meters from the hall and you will be fine". I said, "I don't have to move, but, for the sake of peace I will walk an extra mile".
However, during the period I was leafleting there, I observed that there were a few different types of people attending the lecture. One group refuses to know you if you do not look like them and walked straight past me. Another group treats words like ‘Arab’ or ‘Muslim’ which were in my leaflet like poison! This second grouping like the first refuse to get involved or to even acknowledge you. The third grouping are in between – they are struggling to find their positions.
One over excited, blustering, middle-aged woman said to me, "Your materials are wrong". I replied, "Why"? She then said, "Look, UTS Professor Jamila Hussain is wrong and it is a fact (that she’s wrong)". She attempted to support her opinion by pointing out Professor Jamila's quote that I had used in that same leaflet. I responded to her, "You are presenting your opinion only and it’s not a `fact' to dismiss my materials. I myself regard Professor Jamila Hussain’s statement here as valid". She roared at me in frustration, "Are you calling me a liar?" I said, "Why are you so militant in nature and how come you are not presenting your argument in a logical manner?" She then continued in her provoking way, "Are you one of those killers who are hunting for her"? I replied, "You are reminding me of those brave child killer Israelis who have been murdering unarmed Palestinian children in their kindergartens, schoolyards and backyards with machine guns, apache helicopters and F18s."
Another cranky, flustered old woman approached me too. The security guards found her exchange with me hilarious and said to me later, "Is she your first critic"?
She begun with, “I am a Dutch, I know everything and you know nothing. Are you Australian? Where do you come from? She (Ayaan) is educated. She will fix violent Muslims". With a giggle I said, "That's why your good friends are supporting and financing her. They will dump her after her ‘use by date’ – you watch". She continued, "You should not be allowed to talk in this country – you should be banned."
The irony here is that the security asked me to move because they feared for my safety. In reality, we need protection from the supporters of Ayaan and not the other way around, where as the entire tour of Ayaan is claimed to be based on her needing around-the-clock security!
Is this a case of “violence begets violence” or more precisely, does it confirm my point that the financial backers of Ali are using her to disguise their own violence against Muslims and Muslim countries around the world?
During the initial stages of reporting of Ali by the Australian media the articles were balanced and they also quoted a number of local Muslims who were critical of Ayaan’s blanket condemnation of Islam based on her incorrect stand and faulty reasoning.
After a couple of days of her appearance in Australia the screws were turned, the clear bias emerged and her monologues were selectively used to create deliberate confusion, uproar and cause injury to the Islamic community.
Surely, the Sydney Writers Festival should be about dialogues and robust discussions. That was the reason I distributed my flyer to generate open and fair debate. In the current atmosphere in Australia it would appear the only dialogue possible now is via the internet and not out in the open in real life.
Are Ayaan Hirshi Ali, Ershad Manji, Norma Khoury and a few more confused, yet conveniently compliant soles being used as a distraction away from many burning issues one of which is the longest running concentration camp known to mankind, located in the occupied Palestine? Because, this slow motion Israeli holocaust in Palestine is much more painful than the former one!
No comments:
Post a Comment