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Protests are a 'wake-up call' to Australians in denial: Bernardi
September 17, 2012 - 2:04PM
Breaking News Reporter
Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi says the violent protest in Sydney at the weekend should serve as a ''wake-up call'' to people who are in denial about a significant problem emerging in Australia.
Senator Bernardi - who bills himself as a "straight talker" - said that the weekend's protest was a "portent" of what he had been warning people about for years.
''What occurred in Western Europe a decade ago is now happening here,'' Senator Bernardi said in a post on his blog today.
''The naïve cling to the romantic idealisation of the generations of migrants who have successfully settled in Australia, thinking things will continue just as they have in the past.''
Senator Bernardi argued that even though multiculturalism was seen as a ''triumph of tolerance'' it undermined national values and cohesiveness.
''Our culture is built upon the two great pillars of Western civilisation – the rule of law and Judeo-Christian values. To allow these great strengths to be undermined by supporting calls for any form of legal plurality or the indulgence of cultural practices that go against our social norms is to abandon reason.''
Speaking of the violence that has been condemned by most Muslim leaders in Australia, Senator Bernardi said: ''It should serve as a wake-up call to the naïve and just plain foolish who are in denial that a significant problem is emerging in Australia.''
Senator Carr added that the clashes outside the US consulate in Sydney's CBD on Saturday had undoubtedly sparked debate and soul-searching about the different faces of multiculturalism in Australia.
"It concerns me deeply, and I understand the response of Australians - those of Islamic heritage, those of other backgrounds - who look at the sights and hear the sounds of that demonstration and think: 'Why do you linger in Australia? There would be other countries where you'd be happier, where you'd be more fulfilled'," he said.
"The talk of beheading, for example, is the talk of people who will never be comfortable with the Australian democratic tradition.''
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said he was prepared to take action against rioters who are not Australian citizens, once the police investigation has taken place.
"Clearly this is not done in the name of Islam, and it is not done in the name of multiculturalism. It's done in the name of thuggery," Mr Bowen told reporters in Canberra.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political ... 2617k.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;According to the Immigration Department, a "substantial" criminal conviction could see an individual fail the character test needed to obtain an Australian visa.