As everyone has rightly noted, the riots on Sunday were fuelled by racism and are the logical, if not sad outcome, of the race politics of Howard, Hanson and other conservatives (I have to say reading the media coverage of it here in Melbourne, I have been not only saddened, horrified, but not surprised, but also on the verge of tears when I think of how disgusting this all is). 

 

Little, however, has been said about the role of sexism in the riots.  The anglo racist thugs who have justified their racist behaviour have sought to do so in many instances stating that they opposed how the "Lebs" and "Arabs" treat not only "their" women but "our" women.

 

Reading this comments makes you realise that little has changed at Cronulla since Kathy Lette and Gabreille Carey wrote Puberty Blues (which depicted the Cronulla beach and surf culture in the late 70s from the point of view of two teenage women).   The sexist yobbo surfie culture is obviously alive and well and women and girls are still seen as the property of the "surfers dudes".  The mentality of these thugs see women as their property, to be treated like either virgins or whores and to be objectified and oggled at (but hey, that a good ol' Aussie value ain't it)

 

These racist thugs are utilising women's bodies to justify their disgusting racism and this needs to be strongly opposed. With the demise of an organised women's liberation movement, sexism is stridently on the march again.  Sexists and racists, however, are trying to use patriotism and a warped version of feminism to justify their racist attacks on Muslims and Arabs (both men and women).  They point supposedly to the mistreatment of women by all Arab and Muslim men but fail to recognise their own sexist behaviour. 

 

 It makes me sick everytime I pick up the paper and read the letters pages (which I do often) and read regularly racist comments about how all Muslim and Arab men supposedly treat their women but little is said about the sexist objectification of women in the media and Australian anglo culture. 

 

As feminists and socialists we need to be standing in solidarity with not only Muslim and Arab women, but also Muslim and Arab men to campaign against not only the sexist and racist stereotyping that is taking place but also to combat real sexism and racism, across all communities and races and ethnicities.  

 

comradely,

Kim