No More Multiculturalism?

Let’s play at spot the difference.

Until this week, Australia had a Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.

It now has a Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

To many, it appears that the Australian Government has found a clear method of expressing its disapproval of multiculturalism without actually issuing a formal statement to that effect. This follows:

• Clashes in 2005 on Sydney’s Cronulla Beach between white and Lebanese youths, the culmination of long-term antagonism between these groups.
• Various antagonistic pronouncements from Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilali, Mufti of Australia. One claimed that Muslim Australians have more right to the country than white Australians whose ancestors arrived as convicts. Another stated that Westerners, especially the English, are the world’s biggest liars and oppressors.
• Gang fights at this year’s Australian Tennis Open between youths identifying themselves with Serbia and Croatia. (Fights between different Balkans’ factions had already broken out at Australian soccer matches – but had been unheard of at tennis tournaments.)

When asked whether he was downgrading the role of multiculturalism in Australia, Prime Minister John Howard said:

“This is not condemning cultures, it’s just positively asserting the obvious and that is immigration should lead to citizenship and the path is you come to this country, you embrace its customs, its values, its language, you become a citizen.”

“You don’t lose a place in your heart for the country you came from and you’re not expected to. But the dominant consideration must be the integration of people into the Australian family.”

Speaking at a citizenship ceremony in Canberra yesterday, Mr. Howard spoke about Australian values, saying:

“We believe in the notion of the fair go, the idea of equality of opportunity…. We are a nation that holds very strongly to the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary. We believe very strongly in a free press.”

“I think most Australians think it’s very important that we embrace as our common method of communication with each other a single language, and that is the English language, because citizenship and interaction with each other is impossible unless we can effectively communicate with one another.”

“I say all of those things in acknowledging that the people who will become Australian citizens today come from a diversity of backgrounds. And … we don’t ask you to forget your homeland. We recognise that from now until the day you die you will have a special place in your heart for the country in which you were born.”

So the message from Australia seems to be; keep a place in your heart for your homeland, by all means, but you need to put Australia’s culture, values and language in front of your old ones.