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I think saying it when they were celebrating an important tent embassy anniversary was pretty insensitive to say the least.

I certainly have no more time for indigenous people acting like brainless yobbos than I have for others, but it was not a great time to be raising it maybe. I think too that indigenous people (for all their infighting and dramas) are the ones who should be saying when they feel the embassy should end.

I'm pissed off that it looked like Julia was the target too.

What a sorry spectacle.

Source

Aboriginal protesters overreacted to Tony Abbott, says Warren Mundine

From: AAP January 27, 2012 8:27AM

A SENIOR Labor figure has come to Tony Abbott's defence over comments the Opposition Leader made about the Aboriginal tent embassy.

The comments sparked a furious response from Aboriginal activists who besieged Mr Abbott and Prime Minister Julia Gillard at a Canberra restaurant yesterday.

The protesters targeted Mr Abbott after the Opposition Leader suggested it was time to move on from the politics of the tent embassy, established outside Old Parliament House 40 years ago today.

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine, a former ALP national president, said the protesters over-reacted to Mr Abbott's comments.

"The words were pretty timid," he told ABC Radio, adding Mr Abbott did not say anything about shutting down the embassy.

"He echoed words, I would have echoed."

Mr Mundine said when the tent embassy was set up in 1972 it met the aspirations of Aboriginal people at the time.

"But quite frankly it is irrelevant to the mainstream of Aboriginal people today and it has been for the last 20 years," he said.

Mr Mundine's comments follow similar remarks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda who said he was appalled at the level of disrespect and aggression shown towards the two leaders.

He described the protest as "aggressive, divisive and frightening".

"Vent your frustrations and your anger but do it in a peaceful way," Mr Gooda told ABC Radio.

"Do it in a way that befits Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."

He also defended Mr Abbott's comments, saying they had been misconstrued.

"Cooler heads have got to prevail."

Mr Abbott is standing by his remarks, noting that it was unfortunate he had been "verballed" by some protesters.

"As a result, it stirred people up," he told Macquarie Radio.

Mr Abbott said he did not think anyone could say indigenous policy had been neglected or the management was indifferent to what happens to Aboriginal people.

"That might have been true 40 years ago. It certainly isn't true today."

Mr Abbott suggested there need not be the same sense of grievance today as there was in 1972.

Later, Mr Mundine said the tent embassy had been hijacked by a "very motley crew" intent on tagging their own social concerns with the Aboriginal cause.

"We've actually moved on from those days," he told Sky News.

Aboriginal activist Barbara Shaw conceded she told the crowd where to find Mr Abbott, but had no regrets.

"I'm not responsible for people's actions at the end of the day," she told ABC Radio.

"I don't regret it at all because nothing came about it.

"The protesters just wanted to make a little bit of noise and that's what they did."

One protest spokesman Mark McMurtrie said he had footage of police assaulting activists and would ask for charges to be laid against one officer in particular.

He blamed Mr Abbott for inciting the crowd's behaviour.

"He made the comments in an inciteful and smug manner in Sydney and then flies several hundred kilometres to come down and sit 100m from us," he told ABC Television.

"It's akin to us going to the cenotaph on Anzac Day and asking you to pull that down."

Meanwhile protesters have offered to return Ms Gillard's right shoe which she lost in the dash from the restaurant to her car.

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy's Facebook page originally posted the stolen shoe would be returned in exchange for the stolen land.

"Julia will be eligible to make a shoe title claim which will take approximately 20 years," it said.

"This will be dependant on Julia being able to show continuous connection with the shoe."

Mrs Hinge was grateful Mundine spoke out (I wonder if Noel Pearson will say anything to defend his one true love - Tony Abbott) but I don't think she'll be as impressed with Mick Gooda - she took agin him a decade ago in the territory.

I mentioned earlier that Mrs Hinge was in Canberra this week. She had a cabbie of Indian descent who was very disturbed that fellow citizens of his country could be so disrepectful to its elected leaders.

Cool.

I am commenting on the link you posted re Hogg and his flag comments.
And yes his comments may have been idiotic, insensitive and inflammatory but in
this instance, not racist. As I said, it irks me when people can't tell the difference
between race and religion.
Speak out against Scientology, the catholic church, the jehova's witnesses etc,
there is barly a word heard, but speak out against the religion of peace and there
is an uproar and mnainly from the infidels. Why ? Because if you don't speak out you
will be considered a racist ?
Some people are not frightebed to stand up and be counted. We may not like
what they say, but we are not a free society if we can't take criticism.
Sometimes the truth hurts.

Hogg was quoted as tweeting:


I think the intent of his comment was pretty clear.
It's splitting hairs to defend his comment on the basis of it being a comment on religion rather than race.
If you want to believe that it was a religious, not racist, slur and that somehow that makes it more acceptable then you're free to do so, but I doubt many would agree with your assessment. It isn't at all surprising that so many other tweeters were outraged by this words.
But criticizing the press for misinterpreting his comments is a bit rich, I think.
As to his freedom of expression rights ... sure. Even idiots have the right to freedom of speech.

You really don't get it do you? To criticize islam is a race issue,
but to criticize any other religion is not ?
After flipping through some posts, I see you are confused.
This is what you said in August 2010 .....

Quote " In the que along with me were people from every nationality
you could think of. People speaking all varieties of languages. Muslims,
Italians, Greeks, etc, etc, etc" End quote

Greeks come from Greece, Italians come from Italy, and what country do Muslims come form?
They don't come from any particular country because they are not a race.
As I said previously, it irks me that people are labeled "RACIST" when they
criticize a particular religion. It is a cheap nasty trick to stifle free speech.
By the way, I am not against any religion that doesn't break our laws or
incite its followers to break our laws or aids and abets law breaking in this or other countries..

I think I do get it.
He didn't even mention Islam in his tweet.
He made it quite clear why he mentioned "Allah"
His comment was aimed at offending Muslims.
(go back & check)

I think that quote (of mine) was about queuing up to vote on election day?
So?
I thought (still do) it rather nice to live in such a multicultural community. (You could add lots of Indians to the que at the next election.)

I haven't suggested anyone stifle free speech in my posts here, have I?
I said thought his comment was idiotic & I still do.
I don't where where else to go with this, sorry.

Ok, I can see you are avoiding the point.

There are laws in this country that are aimed at protecting
people against racism and also to protect people who make
complaints about racism. By linking criticism of islam with
racism you are creating a very dangerous precedent.
At the first sign of criticism, the muslims scream "racism" and everyone jumps
on the band wagon, you included.
Before you know it, it will be illegal to criticize the religion of peace.
Heaven help us then.
I just had to make my point about differentiating
between race and religion and calling someone a racist
to stifle free speech..

I do thank you for your replies.

The religions of the Judeao Christian roots ask you to DO good and AVOID evil

Islam teaches us to COMMAND good and DESTROY evil

(Karl Barth said that not me). Damn insightful I say.

And I think you're talking bull.
We were talking about Rodney Hogg's comments .... what he actually tweeted, right?


No such laws were acted upon in Hogg's case.
Right?
He didn't criticize Islam, or Muslims ..... he clearly said his aim was to offend Muslims by his "Allah is ****" comment.
And was roundly condemned for it & apologized.
Do you have a problem with that?
I said his comment was idiotic. And yes, racist, too.
Can't you read?


If you want to argue that, then by all means go ahead.
And if anyone wants to discuss it with you they can, OK? But I have implied no such thing re Hogg's comments.
That is not what I was talking about.
It is a bee in your bonnet.

I presume she guided him to a quiet room where he could lie down with a cold towel over his face.

You said his comment was idiotic and RACIST.

Idiotic maybe, but not racist. My point is that you can't tell
the difference between race and religion
(Read your election queue comments)

You said Hogg was a thick as two bricks, in that case,
I suggest you and him are in good company.

Yep.
He got up on Australia Day & write a comment on the Australian flag, for god's sake, with the stated intention of offending Muslim Australians. Then tweeted his charming message for all to read.
If that wasn't an idiotic & racist act, I don't know what is.
I just wish fools like this would leave the Australian flag out of it. Their actions do not speak for most of us. We are a nation of immigrants, from all over the world. We are all Australians.

I think your problem is that you actually agree with him (& also possibly the likes of Alan Jones & the hatred they spout?) , but can't figure out a coherent "argument" to voice your support.
Instead, you couch your "argument" in terms of freedom of speech.
As if those of us who exercised our rights object to what he did where somehow endangering free speech.
As if he's made some valid comment about religion.
What rubbish.
Perhaps you should just say what you actually think?

-

So....how do you characterize his comments?

Can one not offend Muslim Australians these days without causing the the PM to look like she's being carried off as booty?

Have they got an inferiority complex?

Spendius, that whole episode gives me a headache ... even thinking about it.

But it had absolutely nothing to do with Muslim Australians. That protest was a response to the opposition leader's comments about the aboriginal tent embassy in Canberra.

Headaches are a message from your body to pack something in.