Waleed Aly has made a compassionate plea to Australia in the wake of comments aired by media personality Sonia Kruger.
Kruger made headlines this week when she appeared on morning television and agreed with Andrew Bolt that Australia should end all Muslim immigration.
Aly who is open about his Muslim faith, used the opportunity not to shame Kruger but to change the circulating dialogue.
The appeal was broadcast on Tuesday night’s episode of The Project in a solo segment.
The co-host said two options were offered to individuals when they're presented with a radical opinion.
"When we're presented with an outrageous opinion, we're actually presented with two options: destruction or construction," he said.
"We can react emotionally or carelessly or we can consider what motivated that person - try to understand their fear and try to empathise with their conclusion."
The philosophy comes in the wake of the incredible backlash Kruger has faced since her comments were aired.
Aly addressed that criticism directly to offer the media personality an olive branch of empathy.
"Sonia Kruger is not evil - she's scared and she's trying to make sense of the world," he said.
"Yesterday she admitted to not feeling safe."
Aly went on to say how he too is a victim of fear and that it is this fear that binds both sides.
"Because the truth is - what motivates them is fear and fear is the one thing we're all sharing right now," he said.
"I'm scared too. I'm afraid for this country. I see such hostility and aggression and I'm afraid what it could do to this country."
"I'm terrified about what it's doing to my friends and my family."
Aly spoke about a letter published by The Australian newspaper that carried the voice of one man who suggested "internment" for Muslim people.
Internment is the term used to describe the practice of locking up a person or group without trial.
"This comment was published in a national Australian newspaper," he said.
The co-host said that individuals needed to step up and choose the stronger option.
"While it feels good to choose destruction - right now I feel we need to choose construction," he said.
"Assuming the best in people. Showing others radical generosity in the face of their hostility - even when it hurts. And this is the much harder choice."
Aly ended on the hope that forgiveness could replace anger as the trending topic.
"Wouldn't it be amazing if just once, we could send forgiveness viral," he said.
Yes. Yes it would.
Waleed's incredible speech was written by Waleed Aly and Tom Whitty.
Top Comments
In February 2006, Treasurer Peter Costello gave a speech in which he warned that migrants who did not share Australian values should be refused citizenship. Those who do not attain Citizenship should be expelled from Australia. The question is what constitutes the appropriate values for Australians to uphold? At a minimum it should be passing standard of English along with the willingness to assimilate and integrate into mainstream Australian society. This should be demonstrated with evidence of an assessable contribution by a prescribed timeframe.
Ahm. I think the citizenship test has been set up and in place for years, unless I am mistaken. I think that people are asked to uphold the values and laws of the land. They even introduced a deportation program for those receiving a sentence of 12 months or more and there are all sorts of people disputing that THEY should be deported.
Does a Sunni Muslim who is a journalist and staff member of the Global Terrorism Research Centre at Monash University have the objectivity to present an editorial on live television? I suppose he does have the freedom of speech to present his opinion also. But the learned person already knows the real face of Australia, one that has been tolerant and accepting, but one that will turn the moment there is a sovereign citizen threat. He should be scared.
|that will turn the moment there is a sovereign citizen threat.
That's more of a hardcore US Republican line of thinking, opposed to the average Aussie.
We are much more grounded as a nation.
I am not sure why being a Sunni should stop someone being able to speak. Is there a particular thought on why Sunnis are uninformed on this topic? The real face of Australia has already experienced a sovereign citizen threat. It is called invasion, both by academics, historians, the current Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Waleed doesn't need to be scared. Australians have a way of working things out amongst ourselves.