As a human that was by chance born in to a white-skinned body immediately symbolising privilege, I feel almost ashamed to be part of a race that, in this nation, is so concerned with shunning those humans who were born in to bodies with ‘coloured’ skin. In saying that, I know that I must be grateful for the privilege associated with being caucasian and I am fully aware that many people of colour would do anything to experience such privilege. Privilege which in itself is just so darn unjustified and bizarre.

What seems almost more unjustified and bizarre to me is the death of a young man in what is now being labelled a “terrorist attack” by the sensationalist commercial media outlets. I’ll admit I’m no terrorism expert, nor am I particularly informed on the issue of ISIS nor even Islam or muslims. But personally I feel it is so wrong for the media to be calling the tragic death of a muslim man during a violent confrontation an act of terrorism.

What if it had been a white man who had stabbed the police officers? Would the media still be calling it a terrorist attack? Would Australians still be applauding his death? I think not.

So what’s the deal with the media attacking muslims at the moment? It’s not a direct attack, and nobody is encouraging caucasians to turn against muslims (which itself is a strange thing to say given the former is an ethnicity while the latter a religion). But the sensationalism about Islam bookshop owners in QLD being arrested, raids of muslim communities in NSW and again this alleged terrorist attack in VIC is obviously instilling fear in some Australians; I’ve witnessed it in my very conservative and at times blatantly racist family. And this will only cause further divide, and by extension perhaps it will cause even more tension between the two ‘sides’.

Sure there are extremists out there who take their religion to the next level of intense violence and threats. But the same goes for Christianity (i.e. KKK, Westboro Baptist Church) and just about every religion out there. I just think the Australian media and the government is handling this all so awfully and making minorities feel isolated, excluded and unwelcome. Those are the exact feelings described by one of my best friends, who belongs to the minority. Having seen the identity crisis they face at the moment, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this issue. Hence this blog post.

I just want all 7 billion of us humans to come together for one big group hug. It won’t solve any problems but it would be really nice, wouldn’t it?