If football is the world game, then Australians must not only accept competing against the world’s best, but also be willing to open their arms to the many cultures which enjoy this truly global sport.
Australia’s World Cup draw was either a nightmare or a chance to restore some pride against the giants of the international game, depending on which side of the fence you sit.
But though it may be hard to imagine the Socceroos reprising their heroics of 2006 after being drawn in the same group as Chile, the Netherlands and Spain for next year’s World Cup in Brazil, that doesn’t mean there won’t be interest from all corners of Australia’s multicultural society in how Ange Postecoglou’s team fares.
There are few sports which come close to matching the worldwide obsession with football, however cricket – with its millions of loyal supporters on the Subcontinent – comes close.
So it was interesting to see the official Twitter account of Cricket Australia tweet a photo with the caption “will the real Monty Panesar please stand up?” about the popular English cricketer on Friday morning.
A deleted tweet from @CricketAus lol pic.twitter.com/DGRWdnZU52
— Danny (@R9Rai) December 5, 2013
Born in Luton, Panesar is a patka-wearing Sikh who remains a fan-favourite for his sharp-turning off-breaks, occasionally erratic fielding and trademark bushy beard.
What Cricket Australia thought it would achieve by tweeting a photo of four turban-wearing individuals seemingly dressed as Teletubbies is anyone’s guess, but the social media faux pas offers a starting point for a discussion on Australian perceptions of race.
In an age where taking offence and responding with apocalyptic-level vitriol resembles a competitive online sport, what made anyone at Cricket Australia think that inviting the Twittersphere to scrutinise its attitudes towards cultural diversity was a good idea?
There’ll be those who argue the tweet wasn’t racist in the first place, but it’s hard to see Cricket Australia tweeting something similar about Australian players Usman Khawaja or Fawad Ahmed.
And though it’s hard to quantify the hunch, it strikes me as an interesting coincidence that many of those who proclaim most loudly that Australia is not a racist nation, appear to be both Caucasian and born and raised in Australia.
I know what it’s like to stand out and feel different, because I used to live in a small town in Japan.
And when a nervous, Japanese-speaking police officer picks you out of a large crowd in the street and demands to see your ID card for no other reason than the colour of your skin, you suddenly get a crash course in what it’s like to be a visible minority.
Why is it then, that so many of those seemingly desperate to drive the discussion on race and diversity in Australia are already part of the majority?
Is it because, despite good intentions, Australia is still a largely xenophobic place – one quick to shout down anyone who suggests otherwise and in turn, shut down difficult discussions?
These are important issues because in just over 12 months’ time, Australia will host the Asian Cup.
It’s a fantastic coup for the football community, but it also runs the risk of exposing thousands of Asian visitors to some of the less enlightened attitudes on show in our community.
It also means that Football Federation Australia would itself do well to brush up on some of the cultural differences which exist across the vast Asian Football Confederation.
It’s all well and good endlessly talking up Australia’s multiculturalism, but turning around and serving Asian journalists meat pies and sugary soft drinks – as routinely occurs in press boxes at AFC Champions League games and World Cup qualifiers – suggests the sentiment is more style than substance.
Perhaps it’s easier to turn a blind eye and pretend that racism in Australian simply doesn’t exist.
But that would be to miss the point of hosting a tournament like the Asian Cup, and prove an opportunity ignored to forge a common bond with fellow football fans across the continent.
The Barry
Roar Guru
That makes no sense and is irrelevant. so why is Boonie not racist but Monty is...if race is not mentioned in either situation. The people that look at that Monty photo and say "that's r@cist" are the ones differentiating based on race. The guys in the photo are laughing and enjoying themselves...do they look exploited ? So, in a sense, you are, ahem, a d!ck. Your punctuation, needs, some work, as well.
Football administrator in Hong Kong
Guest
Bryan....are you serious? one example, in the mid 70s, circa 40yrs ago.....really?.....surely that is better described as a social experiment as oppose to social acceptance.
bryan
Guest
. i know this is a bit like "waking the dead",as it is an old thread,but I couldn't let this go by unchallenged:- Football administrator in Hong Kong said ."I have a very simple barometer for acceptance vs racism…..the day that Australia has an Asian reading news and weather on prime time commercial TV is the day that I will accept comments that Australia is not a culturally discriminating country". The day was somewhere in the mid 1970s,& the person was Alison Fan.---the Station was TVW7. Weather?-- I'm not sure,but Alison has had more hours of prime time TV exposure than you've had hot breakfasts--as an Investigative reporter covering major Local.National & International affairs. . Alison has also turned her hand to just about every aspect of Television . A formidable lady,indeed! Of course,you will probably try to weasel out of this,as she is an Aussie,despite her ancestry!
Simon Andras
Roar Rookie
Well it's just journalism. It is more "attention grabbing" than provocative. Not mention the message at it's core is true.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
The only reason that "...four short, fat blokes with moustaches [etc]..." doesn't get discussed is that the majority in any society always has the luxury of defining what is acceptable or not. So, in a sense, you are, ahem, right. There is no difference at all.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Sorry that I've come to this twaddle a bit late. What a load of rot...the cricket australia tweet was clumsy and stupid but they didn't mention race at all. It was a picture of four gentlemen with a passing resemblance to one another and a comment about their resemblance to another gentleman. It's the bleeding hearts who leap to the "that's r*acist" who turn it into something about race. If it was four short, fat blokes with moustaches and the comment said "will the real Boonie please stand up" would we be having this discussion? Absolutely not. There's no difference at all...
The Barry
Roar Guru
Isn't it racist to make a list of racist or non-racist countries?
JB
Guest
Depends what you define as racist, I think there are a lot of comments and behaviours that are incredibly ignorant, with no malice or prejudice behind them but they certainly would never come to fruition if everyone was the same colour. We are much stronger for being lucky enough to have a multicultural society we should work hard to make things as equitable as possible for any minority group, it's a social obligation for all of us sports fans and competitors included. I have had my share of slurs thrown at me playing at a rugby cub as a white guy surrounded by a majority of pacific islanders, and have also been in teams largely caucasian with a few pacific Islanders where I have seen the treatment reversed. I just hope that we all keep in perspective that whilst people may say something specific to race or culture that does not neccessarilly mean that the individual or group saying or doing these things think that they're any better or worse than the people or person the comments or behaviour is directed at.
Football administrator in HK
Guest
I'm not sure aussieincanada actually said there is no racism in Canada. He was comparing his personal experience living to his experience in Australia. Doubtless there is racism and intolerance; as there is anywhere around the world; an issue is acceptance. As I said in a previous posting, my litmus test is a very simple one; the day I see an Asian reading the news or weather on commercial, free to air TV in Australia, is the day I will believe that cultural acceptance is genuinely rooted in the psyche of Australians; go to a major city in Canada and you will see this. Anyway, I thought this was a football forum, so to bring it back to track I just want to give a plug for Hong Kong. Shame we will not be in Oz for the Asia Cup; we were 7mins away from controlling our own Asia Cup destiny before the Uzbeks nicked a goal. However for the first time ever, we will be going to the U16 Asian Championships; not a bad effort considering we only had circa 500 registered 99/98 born players this year.....how good is that?
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
Good spot Monners
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
Ok so everyone is racist so its ok for us as well?? Never understood this argument.
Chadd Friend
Roar Rookie
Interesting take on Racism in Canada; 'aussieincanada'. I have no right or grounds to reject your own experiences with racism (or lack theirof) in Canada. I would however suggest that generalising Australia with being racist and generalising Canada as not is also appealing for the lowest common denominator. British Columbia is a nice place, but if you want to go see the 'real' Canada with 'real' Canadian racism, step outside the very multi cultural (very Australian oriented B.C.) and go talk with Inuits and First nations in the N.W. Territories and Yukon. Have a chat with Black youths in Toronto. Of course the grand-daddy of them all; go and see in all its glory, the nation within a nation; Quebec. Racism is very very (very) much so alive and well in Canada. If anything I would regard Australia as being forward thinking when it comes to Racism. People here embrace the debate, I'm not sure if you were in Australia when the Adam Goodes-Collingwood Supporter-Eddie McGuire thing took place, but that was a brutal, honest and frank debate in public about Racism in Australian sport and Australia at large. Canada in my experience on the other hand sweeps this kind of thing under the carpet, look at the blackface in Le Hab's crowd which received little if no attention, also the group of 20+ individuals who decided to paint themselves black face as a tribute to Usain Bolt at Universite De Montreal. Can anyone here, or yourself aussieincanada imagine in today's Australia where you could get 20 university students to don blackface and go to any kind of public event? What's particularly astonishing is that Canada has far more of a connection to minstrel performances than Australia. There was however that instance of Hey, Hey, It's Saturday! a few years back. I don't mean this to come across as pegging you down, but Canada has a troubled history with racism that shows no signs of abating, if anything, since Le PQ has been elected, it is worse.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
I think that there are racists in Aus but Australia is not a racist country. There is however a high level of xenophobia in Aus but that is different - and no worse than any other country that I have been too, in fact it's less of an issue in Aus than some countries that I have been to.
Football administrator in Hong Kong
Guest
Micka, I think you might find that SBS is not commercial, but simply free to air. It is government subsidized. Furthermore it exists to provide multi-cultural programming, so it would be hypocritical for SBS NOT to promote diversity. Commercials exist on SBS so Australian tax payers don't get too upset.
micka
Guest
@ Titus Oops, beg yours. True re 9, 10 and 7. I wouldn't watch any of these 3 and expect real news either.
Titus
Guest
@micka....I didn't say that, FAIHK did. I thought about pointing the SBS presenters out to him but lets be honest, it's the multi-cultural channel, he still has a valid point when it comes to 9,10 and 7.
micka
Guest
@ Titus "…..the day that Australia has an Asian reading news and weather on prime time commercial TV is the day that I will accept comments that Australia is not a culturally discriminating country" Lee Lin Chin - weekend presenter SBS World News 6:30pm Amrita Cheema is of Indian origin and was host back in the mid 2000s SBS has had in show commercial advertising since 2006.
Titus
Guest
You see, how come I can't come up with witty, champagne comedy like AZ_RBB?
AZ_RBB
Guest
Funny, I always thought Sydney FC was the lowest form of humour.
Titus
Guest
Obviously your sarcasm detector isn't working FAIHK, I know it's the lowest form of humour but it's all I've got.