We must all reject hatred, extremism
The terrorist attack in Christchurch on Friday plunged the world into shock. Dozens are dead, others are fighting for their lives. Multiple nations are in mourning, a peaceful city has been torn apart. There are more questions than answers. How was mass murder able to occur with so little warning? Why New Zealand? Where did the killer get his evil inspiration? And how can we possibly begin to heal from this local, national and international trauma?
To begin, we suggest the whole political class needs to rethink how it talks about social cohesion, religion and immigration. None of what is said by our leaders and representatives exists in a vacuum.
In recent years we have heard several politicians make claims that sounded ugly at the time and in the context of the horrifying terrorist attack on Friday, should be pause for thought. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has spoken of Islam as a ‘‘disease’’ that needed to be vaccinated against. Instead of these flagrant and irresponsible attempts to foster fear in a bid to win votes, politicians of all persuasions should repudiate attempts to divide our communities and should instead find ways to unite them. We must reset the national discourse, and urge all Australians, in particular our political leaders, to be constructive, firm and inclusive – and reject hatred and extremism at every turn.