Australians All

Why AustraliansAll.com.au, and why right now

Malcolm Fraser

Recently, disturbing trends have emerged within the broad body politic. As part of an increasing conservatism in contemporary politics, attitudes towards people have been changing. The Tampa election accelerated the process. Instead of respect and understanding of difference, leaders from both sides started to speak of difference in terms of threat, of not being able to fit in, of being “un-Australian”.

This website has been established to address issues that are beginning to define the essential nature of the country we live in. In the name of the so-called “war on terror” legislative change and the politics of fear are beginning to undermine a hard-won pride in an Australia which supports openness, tolerance and diversity and shuns racism, bigotry and discrimination.

In the first 50 years of Federation Australia was a narrow society in which racist policies were part of the status quo. There was a sectarian divide of serious and dramatic proportions – bitterness even hatred between Catholics and Protestants. We learnt through experience that such attitudes are divisive and destructive and after the Second World War, by deliberate act and careful decision, we built a different kind of society.

Australia opened its doors to people from many countries and many religions. By the mid-70s we had become a successful multicultural society. Respect for difference – of background, of colour, of origin, of race, of gender – began to be part of our self-image as Australians. The tradition of the “fair go” had real substance.

We signed on to the Refugee Convention, to the ideals of the United Nations, to the possibility of a peaceful world. We recognised, as did the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that the important values which create peace and stability are not unique to any nation, they are universal.

Understanding the “rule of law,” as central to the idea and practice of democracy, was critical. Support for democratic institutions was and remains vital.

New citizens of Australia have found such values easy to accept because they are the values of mankind that create peace and friendship. The Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance taken at naturalisation ceremonies embraces the values we have been proud to have at the centre of our society.

Recently, disturbing trends have emerged within the broad body politic. As part of an increasing conservatism in contemporary politics, attitudes towards people have been changing. The Tampa election accelerated the process. Instead of respect and understanding of difference, leaders from both sides started to speak of difference in terms of threat, of not being able to fit in, of being “un-Australian”.

Leaders, who should know better, began to speak of Australian values as though the essential elements of a peaceful society are exclusive to this country and strange and unacceptable to some who have come to our shores. Particularly, disguised by the use of careful language, views many regard as extreme have been given respectability. We were tacitly given permission to be being wary of, critical of, fearful of, followers of Islam. Moslems were set apart as different.

During early conversations that led to the founding of Australians All it became clear that many reasonable people of all political and religious beliefs believed that the world was thoughtlessly heading towards a hundred years of war between the West and Islam. A situation that is the product of policies pursued by the United States and supported so strongly by Britain and Australia in relation to the Middle East and Iraq in particular, coupled with the undermining of democratic principles. The impact on the entire world, the peace and well being of all societies, is potentially enormously destructive.

The group that has signed on to the charter of Australians All believes we need to make an effort in our own country to counter views and policies that seem to us alien and unacceptable. We are determined to promote an open, tolerant multicultural society and to oppose racism, bigotry and discrimination of all kinds.

Over forty people, whose names appear on this website, followers of Islam, members of the Jewish faith, of Christian churches and of lay people from across society have come together with this common purpose – but of course with individual perspectives. They will express their own views on this site and contributions and comments are welcome from everyone (see the “Contribute” section of the site).

We will examine and debate some of the created fears and false trails that have led to concerns for the future and a too-ready acceptance of attitudes which have no proper place in our society.