Al-Quds rally in Sydney – we want the lot
Iranian, Bahraini, Hezbollah and Palestinian flags dominated the Al-Quds Day rally held recently in Sydney’s Hyde Park.
160 predominantly Muslim protestors assembled to listen to speeches before marching to the US Consulate in Martin Place.
One of the speakers clearly outlined their domestic goal. “We are asking for the Australian government to impose sanctions against Israel. Israel is the most tyrannical regime in the world today,” he stated.
The speaker then clarified their overseas goal. He stated: “When we say Free Palestine, we don’t mean the (the little that is left). We want every square centimetre that has been occupied since the beginning. We want the removal of the entire Zionist regime from the land of Palestine. We don’t want the little dots on the map. We want the entire land. We want the removal of every single Zionist.”
Other speakers at the rally included Jamal Daoud, Michael Coleman, Toni Borso, Sheikh Zaid Alsalami and Hussein Al-Dirani.
I found myself walking around this rally on the day afternoon in question, on the way to a meeting on the other side of Hyde Park.
Police were in watching attendance while a man ranted hate speech over a loud speaker, against Zionists, Israel and the Australian Government as a growing throng including women and children gathered. I felt distinctly uncomfortable and offended.
I was unable to hang back and monitor what was said. I do think however that the key speakers at such public gatherings should be challenged through formal complaints under the federal racial vilification legislation.
At the last meeting of the NSWJBD there was much self-praise for the wonderful community building that was going on with the Jewish/Muslim cooking group. In view of the hate vomited by the Arab/ mohammedan rabble in Hyde Park, our communal leadership’s self-praise is hard to swallow.
Paul unless we can get more ‘right’ thinkers involved, this will only get worst I’m afraid.
You need more than ‘right’ thinkers. A few people who actually do something about it would help.
Paul, you are being extremly unfair.
Our communal leaders, whether at NSWJBD, top blokes, or ECAJ even more topper blokes, are doing a great job. They work ceaselessly on building bridges, some even play bridge, and that is why you shall never see them taking part in these totally ignorable discussions right here, where little people like us, with NO communal important titles, no titles at all, in fact, carry on and on and on about issues that DO NOT matter.
What matters are those fantastic photos of the same our top- bloke- leaders with:
– State Premiers
– Ethnic Communal Leaders
– Federal Cabinet Ministers – preferably Foreigh Affairs Minister, a REAL friend of Israel
– State Premiers
– Ethnic Communal Leaders ( I nearly mis-spelt Ethnic as Ethic – G-d forbid )
– Federal Parliamentarians ALL friends of Israel
– State Premier
– ETC.
well, show me a picture of you ,my Budapest-bundle-of-bother kedves haver. Paul Winter with any of the above : NOWHERE !!!!
n.b. “kedves” means fishmonger in Hungarian
Want to make a difference !? Publish a picture of you and I, Otto Waldmann, that will be “Paul Winter, a very liked member of the NSW Jewish community with a member opposite”. And maybe Shirlee would like to join me , also opposite. ( hey Shirl, when I said “join me ” it did not mean that I am fallin’ appart, love ! ).
p.s.
would Henry ever take me seriously and publish this !!!
Otto, I appreciate your sentiments and humour.
BUT…”kedves” means: dear, kind, gentle, nice
while fishmonger in Hungarian is: halkereskedö
NB in Hungarian the “s” is equivalent to our sh sound and “sz” is the equivalent of our s. Ah, those fishy Huns!
I was only looking for a reaction, kedves edes apam, and confirmation that multiculturalism is so alive. I hope ( remelek ) though that we can use halkereskedo somewhere in this context.
So paradoxical. Here is a group of people who are championed by many in our community as a demonstration of their celebration of diversity. Yet these same supporters somehow fail to notice – the little detail – that the banners and proclamations preach hatred and intolerance; the polar opposite of diversity. It can only leave one suspecicous of the motives of those who support such events and groups.
The stated aim was never in doubt – other than by Jews in the New Israel Fund who say that the only problem is us not wanting to agree to end the “occupation”. Naively Robin Margo believes that by “occupation” the Arabs mean the West Bank.
And very generously, Margo who has never done anything to support Israel other than to criticise it, which is apparently his way of assisting, is willing to offer it to them.
Luckily, he only served 2 years instead of the traditional 4 years as Presidnet of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.
J-Wire could also do the community a service by naming the speaker who made the statement reported.
Peter
And that is precisely what I call ethnic harmony !!!
I really wonder what was on the menu that night at the NSW Premier’s dinner where photos of friends from all sides of the DIVIDE knew how to concoct smiles for our benefit.
At the time I made the huge mistake of refering to the George St. CBD demonstrations. How terrible.
I apologise profoundly : IT WAS THE HYDE PARK !!!