By: Yusra Sarwar
Australia, the land of cultures and diversity, is slowly sinking into the colours of far-right extremism. Anti-immigration protests rose on the streets of Australia, including Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Canberra, over the clash of values and ethnicity under the ‘March for Australia’ slogan. The protests clearly showcased the rise of right-wing extremism within a segment of the public due to the participation of Neo-Nazi groups such as the National Socialist Network. The slogans chanting against the mass migration were of their kind, depicting hatred against the Australian government and its immigration policies. The anti-immigration rally was more of an anti-brown rally, especially targeting the South Asian community.
Despite raising positive points in the rally, like climate change, housing crisis, health care systems, jobs, and others, the propaganda carried out through these protests was clear: to promote hate against the South Asian diaspora, particularly the Indian community. The participation of leaders from the neo-Nazi group gives legitimacy to their voices. The wave of far-right extremism is not new in Australian history. These anti-brown and anti-immigrant slogans have been a regular part of Australian politics. But since the ‘March for Humanity’ was carried out to raise a voice for Palestinians, the sentiment of betrayal and hate reached its peak among the white Australians.
The government, on the other hand, raised its voice in opposition to these protests, preserving Australian cultural and ethnic inclusivity. Instead of seeing patriotism in these protests, the government responds to these rallies as a part of a bigger agenda of Neo-Nazis, who only aim to promote white supremacy. A senior minister from the Labor Party, Murray Watt, criticized these protests and expressed that these protests are creating further division in our society. Other government officials also condemned these protests, stating that this type of rally does not promote social harmony. It is creating a disbalance in society and hatred among the public.
The emergence of these anti-immigration protests also poses a challenge for the Pakistani community as well, who are in large numbers present in Australia. Their right to education, getting permanent residency, white collar jobs, and so on, will decrease if this continues. White supremacy will dominate, and the survival of Pakistanis will become a big question in the near future.
Green Senator Mehreen Faruqi also pointed out that racism, hatred toward one group or ethnicity, has been in the blood and roots of colonizers. Neo-Nazi groups are becoming a threat to the people, giving them threats of rape and expelling them from countries whose generations have given their blood and soul in the growth of Australia.
Therefore, these protests should be a wake-up call for the government to preserve the social harmony, democracy, and diverse culture of Australia. In the face of rising voices on national issues, these protestors hold a prejudice against the migrants that needs to be addressed at the earliest. They should take action against such groups promoting hate sentiments among the masses. Moreover, they should devise certain laws for the preservation of dignity and respect of migrant communities, and if anyone dares to break them, they will be given a harsh punishment.
She told the parliament how she was threatened to move back to Pakistan, otherwise she and her family would be found dead, even though they had been living in Australia for more than two decades. She raised concerns over the Labor Party’s support for last year’s anti-refugee and anti-immigration laws.
International students, especially brown ones, were used as scapegoats for the housing crisis existing in the country.
Even in society, an alternative view exists. If some are supporters of Neo-Nazis and white bloc, others support the immigration policies as they are aware of the fact that Australia is nothing without its migrants, whether they be white English, Chinese, or brown South Asians. This fact cannot be negated that other countries’ immigrants are rich from their background and are not a big burden on the Australian economy. They take admissions in universities on a self-basis, contributing to the GDP of Australia, while brown communities, such as those in Pakistan and India, are not that rich. Mainly, students taking admission are either on scholarship or bringing a very minimal amount to support themselves. Thus, they are not able to contribute much to the growth of the economy. Moreover, the majority of them are doing multiple part-time jobs in order to survive, which creates an additional burden. This is creating hate in the white supremacist bloc.
But this fact cannot be negated that many ordinary jobs, such as waiters, cleaners, and others, are done by the South Asian community, which is the backbone of running daily Australia. The government took immediate action against the protesters to maintain the social harmony of the country, involving the police. Even the leaders are raising their voices against these protests, showcasing that the views presented in these rallies are not their views but represent only part of the Australian community.
Therefore, these protests should be a wake-up call for the government to preserve the social harmony, democracy, and diverse culture of Australia. In the face of rising voices on national issues, these protestors hold a prejudice against the migrants that needs to be addressed at the earliest. They should take action against such groups promoting hate sentiments among the masses. Moreover, they should devise certain laws for the preservation of dignity and respect of migrant communities, and if anyone dares to break them, they will be given a harsh punishment.
The writer is a researcher at the Consortium for Asia Pacific Studies (CAPS)
çiçek siparişi