Muslim violence in Australia doesn't rate

It seems we in Australia may have an over-exaggerated view about the level of violence in Sydney, at the recent anti-video protests.

A fair and comprehensive report by Al Jazeera shows it has quite a different definition of what constitutes violence. Al Jazeera reports contained the following comment.

"Days later, violent protests broke out in two Muslim nations," namely Pakistan and Libya, and the cause of the Libyan protest is not entirely clear.

'Al-Qaeda's Yemeni branch says the deadly attack on US diplomats in Libya was in "revenge" for the killing of its number two, Sheikh Abu Yahya al-Libi, in a drone strike in June. The Libyan government says the attack on the US consulate was pre-planned.' Al Jazeera again.

Protests across the Muslin world, from Al Jazeera reports, ranged from a little less severe than the Pakistani riots to peaceful protests. It appears the vast majority of demonstrations were peaceful or had limited displays of "agitated anger".

Riots were severe in Cairo, Tunis, Yemen and Sudan where deaths and injuries occurred to protesters.

Sizes varied with the largest being 10,000 (according to organisers) in Southern Lebanon, a few in the thousands, and most smaller, in the hundreds. These peaceful protests and demonstrations occurred in Afghanistan, Bangkok, Bangladesh, Gaza Strip, Germany, Iraq, Iran, Kabul, Kashmir, Lebanon, Morocco, Ramallah, Sri Lanka, southern Beirut, Tyre, Zaria, and Yemen. The main points here being they were generally not massive outpourings, nor extensive geographically nor violent. There are after all 1.6 billion Muslims across the world.

Of course there was much outrage from clerics and Muslim leaderships across the world which was reported by various media. But that's not violent protest. It is a demonstration of feeling and attitude. Some did call for protest, violence and murder, happily all with apparent little effect.

In south Asia several relatively minor demonstrations took place in Indonesia and Malaysia. Violence was nonexistent even though claims of injuries were made in Jakarta.

Al Jazeera failed to report on either our violent protest nor the protests in Malaysia and Indonesian. To be fair, that might be nothing other than Al Jazeera itself. It is after all a Mid East media organisation.

Our home grown protests while having elements of violence were at worst less violent than most of our more famous protests in the past. Compare Cronulla riots and the retaliation to them, Or the Grollo blockadel.

Or what about the Waterfront War of 1998, the Union attack on Parliament house of 1996, the Battles of Brisbane in the 1940's and, oh dear God, the Eureka Rebellion of 1854. For all of which video footage isn't readily available.