Plagued in a Racist Story

[Sayf Udeen]

'You're ni**ers and black dogs,' family told


Fatume Shabal said she has been abused and harassed by a racist neighbour. Picture: Mike Keating Source: Herald Sun​

• Ethiopian family taunted for eight years
• Mother-of-seven reduced to tears over attacks
• Family appeals to move out of area "ignored"

THE Office of Housing has been accused of ignoring a migrant family's alleged eight-year ordeal at the hands of a racist and abusive neighbour.

Documents presented to Melbourne Magistrates' Court allege the neighbour threatened to shoot an African man living below his Richmond commission flat and regularly swore at his children, calling them "niggers".

The alleged victim's wife, Ethiopian mother of seven Fatume Shabal, was reduced to tears when describing the daily abuse and threats that she said had turned the family's pursuit of a better life in Australia into a "nightmare".

"Every day he is yelling at my children 'black dogs, black dogs' and he starts banging on his floor with a hammer early in the morning," Ms Shabal said.

The Sunday Herald Sun heard audio recordings allegedly revealing the man abusing the family.

Ms Shabal said the OoH had ignored pleas to move the family away, despite a magistrate granting an intervention order banning the man from approaching the family or going within five metres of its flat.

The 2006 order has since expired.

"I complain to the police when he comes to my door and they move him on and I used to complain to the OoH and security every day but nothing ever happens and for three months now I just shut my mouth," she said.

OoH spokesman Brendan Ryan said the department had not received a complaint from the family since 2007.

"However, the local office has made contact with the family this week to establish any unresolved issues," Mr Ryan said.

He also rejected claims the department had ignored the family's pleas to move away from the neighbour, saying an alternative flat had been offered.

"In all communities, tensions between residents sometimes occur, but if we can establish a case of racial vilification, such evidence will form part of any action to evict at VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal)," Mr Ryan said.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/national/menaced-by-racist/story-e6frfkvr-1225911370119


This is so disgusting - but unfortunately, I'm not surprised at all.
It just seems to be how it works among some people in the country. Anyone who is of a different race to them is somehow 'sub-human'.

It just doesn't make sense to me...

 

[David]

It just seems to be how it works among some people in the country. Anyone who is of a different race to them is somehow 'sub-human'.

Australia is a very multicultural country. Australia is lucky to have many different cultures, and they are lucky to freely set up landmarks and buildings, such as temples and even cities (Chinatown).

In every country, there are instances where it just isn't right, and the media does a good job in "promoting" the negativity, which you therefore perceived it as "how it works". I for one know that there is far more equality than inequality, especially in urban areas.

 

[Jonathan]

As always in life, some people are just like this. I refuse to believe that the Housing Office just denied them, understanding what was going on though. I think she most likely just went about it the wrong way unfortunately.

 

[Sayf Udeen]

It just seems to be how it works among some people in the country. Anyone who is of a different race to them is somehow 'sub-human'.

Australia is a very multicultural country. Australia is lucky to have many different cultures, and they are lucky to freely set up landmarks and buildings, such as temples and even cities (Chinatown).

In every country, there are instances where it just isn't right, and the media does a good job in "promoting" the negativity, which you therefore perceived it as "how it works". I for one know that there is far more equality than inequality, especially in urban areas.

Name one 'Chinatown' city - most Chinatowns are about a street in a city.

I am a Muslim and in Australia, and when I've gone out in Islamic garb, I've had things shouted at me. ONE instance, in a country Australia, anything like this - is tooooo many!
So no, my perception of 'how it works' is from experience, David, not naivety.

 

[juststeven]

Racism is a big problem in some/most places. I have to sadly say that England is no better.

 

[Jonathan]

I have to disagree with the above comment. I think that all Western cultures are overall very accepting of other races these days. I've never seen proper serious racism and I visit London quite often, sometimes even the very grotty parts.

 

[David]

The Chinatown in Sydney is considered a small city. Chinatown is more than just a street. Also, there are ethnic cities, like Cabramatta in south Sydney, where the Vietnamese community is dominant.

You may have had a bad experience, but you can't define the whole Australia as "how it works". That's just poor judgment and inconsiderate to others who have had a good experience.

You don't 'have' to wear an Islamic garb. If you feel as if you are going to be threatened, then why wear one in public? I'm not saying you shouldn't, but definitely consider the necessity of wearing one if you know you're going to be threatened.

Also, your community doesn't present itself well. Did you hear about the story where an Islamic woman supposedly had her burqa forcedly removed by an police, which was later found to be false. How does that look on a national scale? With the added forces of the media, it doesn't look good for any Muslim.

I know a few Muslims myself, and we get along well. If you're view of "how it works" is so strong, then how come I can get along so well? Again, you've had a bad experience, but that doesn't prove that Muslims in general are being treated badly. There are even whole Muslim cities, where there are mosques and shopping centres where Muslims can interact, and different cultures happily blend in.

To put this into a worldly perspective, would you rather live anywhere else? Australia is really the lucky country, but sorry that you've had a bad experience. Bombs don't go off every hour, people don't run around with guns freely, there are no constant earthquakes, the weather is consistent, people have equal chance at getting jobs, education is equal for students, mosques or temples or shrines or monuments can be put up etc. Yes there are bad stuff going on daily, but it's not as bad as other countries.

I can speak from experience.

 

[MissTake]

For as long as time it's self racism has been a problem, no matter how hard a country works at uniting communities there will always be some that go against the natural flow and think that one race is more superior than another.

Where I live is very mixed race (at one time it was predominately white) In the 1960's a lot of Jamaican people moved over and then that changed to an Asian community forming, Since 2000 we also have people from Poland, Africa, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan living in the community. We have Muslim shops and mosques, polish and African food stores.

I take people as I find them (I've said this a hundred times before) there are good and bad in ALL races and the colour of their skin or the nature of their religion is not a factor to me.

I don't however like it when people play the "race" card for no other reason than that they can, this causes conflict that otherwise was probably not there in the first place.

I'm pretty sure that once a genuine case of racism is highlighted someone will help this family to gain a better life 😉

 

[nextzone]

Racism, although it may not be abundant as we think it is, is still very serious. It is the reason why we have most modern wars. It is the reason of some crime. It is the reason why some people can't get jobs. It is the one thing keeping us from an almost peaceful society.

 

[Hotspot]

What a horrible human being that neighbor of theirs is, can't he get in trouble for being abusive like that?

 

[katy perry is hot]

I have to disagree with the above comment. I think that all Western cultures are overall very accepting of other races these days. I've never seen proper serious racism and I visit London quite often, sometimes even the very grotty parts.

My friends Grandparents are from England they come here all the time and they shout about the " God damn blasted bloody Pakis" and other more severe slurs.

All western cultures, especially the US, are not accepting at all of other races.

 

[Deleted member 1609]

All western cultures, especially the US, are not accepting at all of other races.

Bull! Except for gay marriage being illegal, women making less than men on average for similar work, almost all Americans being opposed to the "Ground Zero mosque" that's five blocks away from Ground Zero (not "just a few yards" as the "liberal media" would have us believe), a majority of Americans supporting having every mosque in the country shut down by government force, education being grossly underfunded and terrible in areas where the population is mostly black or Latino (I know this because I live in one of those areas), the United States is very accepting.

 

[David]

All western cultures, especially the US, are not accepting at all of other races.

Have you been to Australia? Say you enter Australia via Sydney International Terminal, you immediately see Asian restaurants and shops. Take the train to the city center and you see a whole array of Asian, Islamic, and European restaurants and shops side by side. Enter any building and expect to see a non-European worker there. The multiculturalism is very appropriate and very accepting.

I don't know where you got that comment from.

 

[Watch Me Sink]

It just seems to be how it works among some people in the country. Anyone who is of a different race to them is somehow 'sub-human'.

Australia is a very multicultural country. Australia is lucky to have many different cultures, and they are lucky to freely set up landmarks and buildings, such as temples and even cities (Chinatown).

In every country, there are instances where it just isn't right, and the media does a good job in "promoting" the negativity, which you therefore perceived it as "how it works". I for one know that there is far more equality than inequality, especially in urban areas.

Name one 'Chinatown' city - most Chinatowns are about a street in a city.

Please tell me you've never been to NYC. The Chinatown there might as well be considered another borough, as it's so big (exageration, but it's still huge). In fact Chinatown has simply swamped up what was Little Italy into one street (Mulberry Street).

 

[katy perry is hot]

Yeah, chinatown is crazy. You aren't really exagerating at all.

And david, I don't mean like restaurants and stuff, I mean the general attitude of the west.

 

[Sayf Udeen]

You may have had a bad experience, but you can't define the whole Australia as "how it works". That's just poor judgment and inconsiderate to others who have had a good experience.

I have had good expiriences too. But one bad one is too many when it comes to bigotry - do you not agree?

You don't 'have' to wear an Islamic garb. If you feel as if you are going to be threatened, then why wear one in public? I'm not saying you shouldn't, but definitely consider the necessity of wearing one if you know you're going to be threatened.

I meant 'Islamic garb' as a blanket term, meaning any article of Islamic clothing I wish to put on.
The necessity is high, for it is my belief to and my right to wear it.

The punishment should never be on someone for innocently existing, or walking down the street.
It should always be on the idiot with something to say about it.
Why is this rarely the case?

Also, your community doesn't present itself well. Did you hear about the story where an Islamic woman supposedly had her burqa forcedly removed by an police, which was later found to be false. How does that look on a national scale? With the added forces of the media, it doesn't look good for any Muslim.

Weren't you, just before, telling me not to generalise? :/
Ah yes...Here we go...
You may have had a bad experience, but you can't define the whole Australia as "how it works".

I made a passionate statement in my OP. Of course I'm not summing up the whole of Australia. So please refrain from doing the same to Australian Muslims!

There are even whole Muslim cities, where there are mosques and shopping centres where Muslims can interact, and different cultures happily blend in.

Where? Bankstown? Lakemba?
They are not Muslim cities - they are the Muslim capitals, but only 30% of people there are Muslim, according to the censis.
Far from a Muslim city.

Please tell me you've never been to NYC. The Chinatown there might as well be considered another borough, as it's so big (exageration, but it's still huge). In fact Chinatown has simply swamped up what was Little Italy into one street (Mulberry Street).

I've never been to NYC, and have very little interest in going.
I'm talking about Australia, though. 🙂

 

[David]

I have had good expiriences too. But one bad one is too many when it comes to bigotry - do you not agree?

The fact that you defined the whole Australian Muslim community to have bad experiences doesn't support your case whatsoever.

I meant 'Islamic garb' as a blanket term, meaning any article of Islamic clothing I wish to put on.
The necessity is high, for it is my belief to and my right to wear it.

I know what it is, as noted in my argument. You can't say since it's your belief, you have every right to wear it. According to international law, if your belief, or parts of your belief does not protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others, then you have no right to practice such actions. The garb is the least of all problems, but you can't just say "for it is my belief to and my right to wear it". It's not your right to manifest anything, it's in accordance to the law.

The punishment should never be on someone for innocently existing, or walking down the street. It should always be on the idiot with something to say about it. Why is this rarely the case?

It's because you freely came to Australia, or your parents etc., and you chose to live by the customs of Australia. Again, I say you are lucky to be living in a country where you are not threatened by death, only comments which you decide/choose to take seriously.

Weren't you, just before, telling me not to generalise? :/
Ah yes...Here we go...
You may have had a bad experience, but you can't define the whole Australia as "how it works".

Do you not understand that example given or its purpose? The purpose was to show you that you can't just define the country as such, so giving that example and you giving that reply does in fact show you aren't just defining the Muslim community.

I made a passionate statement in my OP. Of course I'm not summing up the whole of Australia. So please refrain from doing the same to Australian Muslims!

Yes, you were summing up the whole Australia, namely: It just seems to be how it works among some people in the country. Anyone who is of a different race to them is somehow 'sub-human'.

Where? Bankstown? Lakemba?
They are not Muslim cities - they are the Muslim capitals, but only 30% of people there are Muslim, according to the censis.
Far from a Muslim city.

Have you been to Auburn in Sydney's inner west? About 41% are Islamic, so that's quite dense. I can walk through Auburn (and occasionally do) without having the need to say anything; everyone gets along, amongst the different cultures. "How it works" isn't present in Auburn.

I've never been to NYC, and have very little interest in going.
I'm talking about Australia, though. 🙂

Australia has far better race tolerance than most other first world countries. NYC is a great example of where different cultures can easily work together.

 

[Callum93]

bigotry

Anyway as for this thread... genuine racism is uncalled for and hopefully they'll get this settled soon.

 

[Gimgak]

Bull! Except for gay marriage being illegal, women making less than men on average for similar work, almost all Americans being opposed to the "Ground Zero mosque" that's five blocks away from Ground Zero (not "just a few yards" as the "liberal media" would have us believe), a majority of Americans supporting having every mosque in the country shut down by government force, education being grossly underfunded and terrible in areas where the population is mostly black or Latino (I know this because I live in one of those areas), the United States is very accepting.

Yeah, the US is where it's at! 😛

(Of course unlike Australia our politicians aren't trying to steal our porn yet, so we're still better than them )

 

[David]

Bull! Except for gay marriage being illegal, women making less than men on average for similar work, almost all Americans being opposed to the "Ground Zero mosque" that's five blocks away from Ground Zero (not "just a few yards" as the "liberal media" would have us believe), a majority of Americans supporting having every mosque in the country shut down by government force, education being grossly underfunded and terrible in areas where the population is mostly black or Latino (I know this because I live in one of those areas), the United States is very accepting.

Yeah, the US is where it's at! 😛

(Of course unlike Australia our politicians aren't trying to steal our porn yet, so we're still better than them )

Are you saying that all Australian politicians are stealing porn? This whole topic revolves around assumptions and defining a whole community by a few actions, so clearly you're not any better.