In the wake of the recent rise in terror levels, debates about the banning of the niqab and discussion around refugees, it seemed quite obvious that such a topic would make an interesting editorial. Yet putting pen to paper on such subjects is like writing a love letter to a stranger; awkward and uncomfortable. I began thinking about the most appropriate way to discuss such topics.
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What a difficult thing to achieve as everyone offers different opinions on the subject. I find that instead of speaking our minds we willingly, and sometimes unconsciously, censor ourselves in an attempt not to offend.
I was recently reminded of this the other night while I was having a conversation with some acquaintances. The topic was how homosexual marriage should be accepted in the Catholic church. While the group, mostly made up of people from generation Y, believed that it should be accepted, there was one girl in the group who said she didn’t. She was Catholic and although agreed with marriage equality, disagreed with the notion that the Catholic church should change a religion to pander to equality.
The girl was demoralised for speaking this way, the idea that someone in our day and age could be so backwards was outrageous. This to me was absurd, it seemed as though we had gone full circle in this ideology of free speech, years ago you were condemned for speaking for a minority, today you are persecuted for speaking up for something that is considered ‘old fashioned’.
Similar to the argument that if a woman chooses to stay home and look after her children, she is anti-feminist, rather than a good mother.
Which brings up the issue of how much emphasis we are putting on political correctness. During the 20th century, the English speaking world decided that it was not in good political grace for segregationist laws and attitudes to be forced towards non-Caucasian races and those with disabilities.
Stemming from the idiom that such people suffered from various forms of oppression from their ‘supreme’ counterparts. Our progressive world decided it was socially correct not to offend those we have wronged.
Recently, there has been a strained tension in the midst of the recent terror threats. On one hand we have the muslim community of Australia speaking out against racism, on the other, we have a scarred community shaken up by recent events.
Protests have spiked in the muslim community about unfair treatment and, in particular, discussions around the banning of the niqab. There are 382,000 muslim people in Australia and as many as 300 young Australians who have left for the Middle East.
It is interesting that these protests on racism have arisen, that an Australian citizen stood up to protest on how our government is discriminating against muslims as a minority, as opposed to saying that it is great that our security is taking precautions to secure our safety.
It is seen as an act of racial discrimination instead of national security.
