ADC call to fight racism
The Jewish anti-racism group ADC has called for more proactive action to fight racism in response to recent events both in Australia and overseas.
Anton Block
Anti-Defamation Commission Chairman Anton Block said cases of thugs terrorising Africans in Melbourne were deeply concerning.
“In a week that saw the tragic Norwegian massacre by racist political extremist Anders Behring Breivik we should be reminded of the need to stand up against racism before it reaches violent extremes.
“All racism is dangerous. We need to act against hate crime whether it is against property or people. There is no question that incitement and hate are a gateway to violence. We must not wait until people get hurt.
Mr Block said as a Jewish group, ADC felt compelled to speak out on behalf of minority groups now being victimised, including the African and Muslim communities.
“The Jewish community has a long historical experience of the dangers of prejudice. We know that what starts with a stereotyped image or a piece of graffiti can end with tragedy. What happened in Norway was extreme but the sentiments expressed by Breivik are not unfamiliar.
“Here in Melbourne we have reports of racist gangs like “Bros Over Hoes” involved in drive-by shootings, home invasions and street fights. These people are responsible for racist graffiti and we know some of them stockpile weapons.”
Mr Block said the Jewish community was also experiencing some virulent attacks. Graffiti with the slogan “Kill Jews” was sprayed on a public wall and Israeli-born chocolatier Max Brenner had faced violent protestors attempting to force a boycott of his shop.
He reiterated Jewish community calls for a specialised police hate crimes unit to respond to prejudice-motivated crimes.
“The time to act on racism is before some extremist goes crazy with a gun,” he said.
The ADC did a wonderful Job defending the Muslim community when they wanted to build a Mosque or Islamic Prayer center in the heart of the Jewish community. Irrespective that this Jewish Org knew the majority of it’s constituents were not happy and did not feel comfortable with a Islamic Prayer center in their midst , hey ,why worry about them.
The ADC didn’t quite see the irony of a Jewish org defending and representing the Islamic community when all the Synagogues , community centers and schools in the immediate neighborhood must spend tens of thousands of dollars per year securing their premises from Islamic extremists..
I wait for the day we see the Muslim equivalent of the ADC strongly defending Jewish Interests…Maybe a test case would be for CHabad to open up a Synagogue in Preston or Lakemba !
The ADC very properly speaks out against racism. The attacks on Africans and Indians are completely unacceptable in any civilised society. But I haven’t heard about any attacks on Muslims; perhaps because I am in Sydney and the ADC is Melbourne centric. And I didn’t read any condemnation by ADC of the violence against Max Brenner shop in Melbourne. I haven’t heard ADC protesting the anti-Israel (read andisemitic) action against Israeli cosmetics at various shopping centers around Australia. So lets all be fair and condemn all wrong: towards others and towards ourselves. A chappie called Hillel urged Jews to some such similar action; perhaps too long ago for ADC members to recall.