Terrorism first reached our shores, to my knowledge, in 1978 with the Sydney Hilton bombing. That sadly proved a mild precursor, however, to the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings, which killed over 100 Australians combined and sparked our fears of Muslims and Islamic terrorism. Then in 2014 came the Lindt Cafe siege and now three attacks in as many years on pedestrians in Melbourne's CBD.
My heart of course goes out to all the casualties and their inner circles, but honestly I wasn't shocked to learn of this latest attack. That, however, is a hazard sign in and of itself because it shows how desensitized I and undoubtedly many other Aussies have become to these tragedies. How complacent, maybe even. If we're not careful, in some years we may find ourselves lamentably judging how much that desensitization and complacency have increased.
But while the battle to counter the terrorist stereotype of Muslims should start with us everyday citizens, the media could aid this by considering the actions of more peaceful Muslims as more newsworthy. Surely they can do that in a sincere and balanced manner.
To Melburnians: having been there I love you and your city. You just cannot let these incidents, whatever their regularity, stop you from going out and living your lives. To all Australians: let's condemn and peacefully combat terrorism, but let's not tar all Muslims with the same brush. It's hateful, untrusting and simply inaccurate, above all.
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