The Community Must Move On

news in watson

Why They Must Not Take Office Again

The Moral Case

Conditional support to the communities you say you love and serve is a choice you make. Ahmad in Greenacre is the same as John in Bankstown. Both of them want the best outcomes that impact their lives. Ahmad is pained by a genocide he’s watching on his phone and struggling with the basic necessities, and John cannot feed his family due to the cost of living. Meanwhile, elected politicians are surrounded by advisors strategising how to win votes. Ahmad and John share different faiths but are both community members. The day the candidate stepped forth to speak for Ahmad and John, he took on their burden and the responsibility of what he promised. If elected politicians cannot genuinely speak for the interests of all, it means that party politics trumps their needs. No lesson is ever learned when a party can dictate how to represent the community and still be allowed to hold power.

Politicians Have Never Seen Muslim Communities Mobilise

We’ve had 24 Years

Since the September 11 attacks, Muslims across the world and In Australia have been the subject of vicious discourse by politicians and the media. No country has produced more counter-terrorism legislation than Australia. Even with Labor in power, politicians continue to target and exploit every unfortunate event – that is almost always considered a “criminal offence” for others but “terrorism” for Muslims. The pattern of political behaviour is that mental illness is never the case for Muslims, terrorists can only be Muslim, and non-Muslims are always given the benefit of the doubt. Government officials meet with community members defending homemade bombs placed on a car with a Palestinian flag – as a “general crime”. For the last 24 years, Muslim communities have been subject to targeted security legislation, religious profiling by law enforcement agencies and vicious discourse that has created a fertile environment for discrimination against Muslims. It’s time this changed. Politicians have never seen Muslim communities mobilise – but what if they did?

They Failed to Condemn & Expect to be Rewarded

When people champion the cause of politicians who historically presented themselves as supporters of communities and made some feel warm and important over the years, one could almost be forgiven for overlooking their manoeuvring on minor issues and offering them some political excuse. However, these politicians are the same people who hid behind party politics when their representation was desperately called for. Whether it’s immigration, terrorism, and above all, genocide, the Labor Party has failed to act as it should have and failed to condemn yet expect to be rewarded. By default, human beings do not shift positions when they are assured of their position. This is why the community needs to move on. Communities cannot be taken seriously while they are caught in the vicious game of political manoeuvring. It is time to future-proof the community.

The Muslim Vote Australia

The Myth of Labor’s “Better” Stance

Calls to defend the Labor Party have been raised by some within the community, with claims like: “Labor is better than Liberal,” “Labor has done more for Palestine,” and “The Muslim community will go backward if we vote against them.” There’s also the argument that “It’s better to have Labor voices in Canberra than to lose them by opposing the party.” While this can be argued, it sidesteps a critical issue—what is the cost of blind loyalty when those voices fail to stand up for justice and community values?

For decades, Labor has benefited from the community’s unwavering support, yet when it comes to the most urgent issues, i.e. Palestine, they have been quick to offer half-measures and political rhetoric. The moral bankruptcy of this position cannot be ignored. It’s time to break free from the illusion that Labor is inherently better. Sending the message “the days of unquestioned loyalty are over” must be done for change. Accountability, not complacency. If we do not make our voices heard now, we risk being overlooked, again and again, in the future.

The Muslim Vote Australia

The Muslim Vote

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *