Meaning It
Just in case Australians didn’t think their country was mean enough after 10 years of Howard, his putative successor has come out swinging. So much for the “subtleties” of dog-whistle politics. Peter Costello condemns multiculturalism and claims that radicals in the Muslim community seek to impose Islamic law on Australian society, the latter charge refuted by prominent Muslims, and the former by anyone with any real understanding of multiculturalism, something Mr. Costello either lacks or suppresses in his zeal to achieve the leadership position so successfully held by the culturally divisive John Howard. This is politics at its worst, and while it would be laughable in a different climate, it’s a serious matter right now. Costello is desperate to become his party’s leader and take over the Prime Ministership for at least the last three years, and the only way he sees to manage this coup is to push the Howard line beyond even the meagre limits set by Howard himself. As a new Australian-to-be (and having taken the “test,” which consisted of naming two of my responsibilities as a citizen and two of my privileges), I’m appalled at Costello’s proposal, what amounts to establishing a second-class category of citizen, offering to strip away naturalization for anyone who fails to meet his standards. I’d agree that anyone who lies in their application should indeed see their status revoked, but there’s a point at which deportation is no longer an option, when the criminal justice system can be successfully invoked, and it’s not clear what the limit are of Costello’s proposal. It seems to be his intention to take the qualification for citizenship out well beyond the oath and into normal daily life. Multiculturalism isn’t simply a matter of “food, fashion, and religion,” as he defines it. And while the behavior of some Muslims around the world over the offensive prophet cartoons deserves condemnation and contempt, I don’t recall any riots involving Muslims in Australia other than Cronulla.