Observer
An issue that has divided Australia. Most Australians would agree with the Singaporean Government on this one. But we doubt that the minutes silence will be given to these hooligans!
One has to remember that it isn't just 'white Australia' rioting as most posters here would have you believe. Lebanese youths surrounding the Lakemba Mosque were heavily involved in setting cars alight, and smashing shop windows etc... But unlike some posters here who see a white Australian rioting and tar us all with the same brush, I wont use the fact that these Lebanese youths reflect the whole of the Islamic demographic in Australia - in short they don't.
As for the comments relating to Australia's "convict" past. Please get your facts straight. The vast majority of Australians are first,second or third generation Australians and can in no way trace their ancestory back to Australia's convict settlement let alone the U.K. I myself am a third generation Australian, but my ancestors chose to settle here from Malta, Spain, England and Ireland. Hardly a convict past in my genes!
I have personally spent 6 months on military exchange to Singapore some time ago. I find some of the comments comming from Singaporeans on this issue quite sad. Whilst in Singapore I never felt "out of place", loved the people, the lifestyle and even the fact that there was a law for everything and people repsected that. Sinagpore was to me an inclusive country, I stayed with Indians, Chinese and English families... all Singaporean to the bone! Some of the comments here coming from supposed Singaporeans are outright racist and won't for a second change the way I view Singapore. One bad egg doesn't spoil the dozen so to speak. This is equally true for Australia. We are an inclusive society, we value the diversness of different cultures, and support the rule of law. We also value our democratic rights to peaceful protest and to question our government. What is unfortunate about these incidents from both Islamic and non-Islamic rioters is that it seems to tar us all with the same brush. Hardly a ture reflection of Australia as a nation.
