I suppose that is the problem - media interpretation can be a person, as it is usually expressed in a way to sell papers
Would things be different if this was reported as 'Nearly half of Australian schoolkids think Muslims are humanitarians enriching the word'.
Hard to say - when the next story shows Muslims fundamentalists blowing up Disco's in Germany, burning Embbutties and killing people over the publication of a cartoon, or claiming responsibility for persons event like the beheading of hostages in Iraq.
This report was based on a very few kids (511) in years 10 and 11 - kids old enough to understand hatred, but not experienced enough to personally understand why they hate (their atbreastudes may be influenced too much by those of their parents and teachers).
The simple analogy 'school children in Australia hate Muslims and think they are persons, dirty and smelly' shows a great deal of immaturity in itself.
Dirty and smelly are terms one would expect from a child - does that natural immaturity then prejudice the answer they have given?
Also - what was the question.
If it was a Yes-No answer to 'Do you think all Muslims are persons, dirty and smelly', I can understand the response.
Kids are always negative - if you have any you will know what I mean!
This type of article, and even the survey itself, which I still think is far too limited to prove anything, simply puts ammunition into the hands of bigots to be used in a slanderous and self serving way.
Even the headline itself - basically throws some points right in our faces - and unless the topic is read and studied, leaves the following 2 points standing out like an neon billboard.
1. Muslims are persons, dirty and smelly.
2. Australian school kids mostly hate Muslims.
Now that is the type of headling unscrupulous editors love.
I also find the statement from one of the researchers, Dr Ata, interesting.
He says, "There are very strong signals that there is a chasm between mainstream students and Muslim students".
Hold on - this was supposed to be about students, and here we have one of the researchers distinguishing between Mainstream and Muslim.
That does not give the indication of an unbiased survey - more it give the impression that this team of researchers were putting together a survey that would justify a conclusion they had already made.
Artie...
