Now Sydney Churches targeted in riots

[Mycroft]

Now churches are targeted
Nick Leys and Dan Box
December 15, 2005

FOUR churches in Sydney's southwest have been attacked in 24 hours as the city's riots spread from race to religion.

A community hall linked to a Uniting church was burned to the ground early yesterday, carol-singers were spat on and church buildings peppered with gunfire.

In response, members of the Arab Christian and Arab Muslim communities have called for a curfew for all Lebanese youths over the weekend.

Police believe the attack on the hall, in the suburb of Auburn, was intended to destroy the Uniting church next door, while nearby StThomas's Anglican Church, which has a primarily Chinese congregation, had all its front windows smashed. Three of the attacks were on churches within minutes of each other. The night before, Molotov cocktails were used in an attack on an Anglican church in Macquarie Fields in the city's far southwest.

Arab Christians have suggested the attacks on churches may have been meant as a violent attempt to "shame" the city's Lebanese Christian community into supporting Lebanese Muslims in the race-hate war, which began as a battle against young white males over use of suburban beaches.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17572776^601,00.html

Wow, it's just getting crazier and crazier.

 

[TragicMonkey]

And the other countries thought the riots over the Rodney King beating verdict were something barbarous that could only happen in America. Well, they were half-right.

At least all our riots are race riots, and not race-and-religion riots. That's good....I guess.

 

[PixyMisa]

Arab Christians have suggested the attacks on churches may have been meant as a violent attempt to "shame" the city's Lebanese Christian community into supporting Lebanese Muslims in the race-hate war, which began as a battle against young white males over use of suburban beaches.

I saw this in the original article, and I think this is the fourth time I've seen it quoted, and it still doesn't make any sense.

Burning down Christian churches is supposed to shame Lebanese Christians into supporting Lebanese Muslims?

 

[Manny]

And the other countries thought the riots over the Rodney King beating verdict were something barbarous that could only happen in America. Well, they were half-right.

Not to make light, but here's what I don't get. During the LA riots, 50 people died, mostly from gunshot wounds. Here the rioters are spraying churches with bullets, there were guns in the Paris riots too; at least 10 cops were shot. But no one died. Are they using bb-guns, or are they just horrible shots, or what?

 

[PixyMisa]

At least in Sydney there have been no incidents of people shooting at other people. (In the recent riots, that is.)

 

[Skeptic]

I saw this in the original article, and I think this is the fourth time I've seen it quoted, and it still doesn't make any sense.

Burning down Christian churches is supposed to shame Lebanese Christians into supporting Lebanese Muslims?

Yup. You have to remember Muslims and Christian Lebanese were in civil war for a long time and generally hate, or at least suspect, each other.

The riots, if started by random drunks over a stupid incident, probably by now has leaders on both sides who are doing their best to turn this into a race war. On the 'Lebanese-Arab' side, it is almost certainly that these leaders are Islamists of some sort, in the same way that on the 'White' side it is certain they are white-power people.

Christian Lebanese tend to be better integrated into Australian society, better educated, more employed, etc.; they therefore probably are significantly less likely to join the proposed 'Arab vs. Australian' war the riot leaders suggest--not to mention the fact that they know from experience in Lebanon that 'anti-racism' riots by members of the religion of peace have a nasty tendency to turn into 'kill the infidel' civil wars.

The riot leaders, being Islamists, know only one form of 'convincing' people: terror, violence, and intimidation. It therefore seems perfectly logical to them that, if the Lebanese Christians are not joining the race war in sufficient numbers, that shooting at their churches will help. And besides, it is destroying a shrine of the infidel Christians, so its a good idea anyway.

 

[PixyMisa]

Well, if they meant "intimidate" it would make sense. I really doubt it would work, though.

 

[gtc]

Well, if they meant "intimidate" it would make sense. I really doubt it would work, though.

You are making the same assumption that most people are making - that these people are behaving logically or reasonably. I think it has gone beyond that now.

I live in the suburb next door to where the churches were burnt, while I type this I can here sirens near my place of work and I am about to catch a bus to a suburb where a white guy was beaten up for being an Aussie.

Still, it is probably no less safe than most European or American cities.

 

[Mycroft]

I live in the suburb next door to where the churches were burnt, while I type this I can here sirens near my place of work and I am about to catch a bus to a suburb where a white guy was beaten up for being an Aussie.

Stay safe, buddy.

 

[Skeptic]

Stay safe, buddy.

...and welcome to the wonderful world of the 'religion of peace'.

 

[TragicMonkey]

...and welcome to the wonderful world of the 'religion of peace'.

Don't most religions claim to be religions of peace?

Except those Maenads. They were the religion of pieces, and didn't put on airs. Got to hand it to those gals. Or else they'd come and take it.

 

[Flo]

Not to make light, but here's what I don't get. During the LA riots, 50 people died, mostly from gunshot wounds. Here the rioters are spraying churches with bullets, there were guns in the Paris riots too; at least 10 cops were shot. But no one died. Are they using bb-guns, or are they just horrible shots, or what?

As far as I know, there have been only two incidents involving gunshots in the recent French riots, both aimed at police vehicles, and fortunately without victims. I suspect 50% horrible shots and 50% no real intention to kill to begin with.

 

[Mycroft]

As far as I know, there have been only two incidents involving gunshots in the recent French riots, both aimed at police vehicles, and fortunately without victims. I suspect 50% horrible shots and 50% no real intention to kill to begin with.

Yeah, they didn't mean any harm. How many cars were destroyed again?

 

[corplinx]

How is this a racial riot? Most Lebanese are I've met/seen are honkeys. Mind you, not as pale as the English. But honkeys none-the-less. Is this a clash between white and off-white?