Australia witnesses more race violence
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=15229

Attacks on Sydney churches fuel fears of more race riots between whites and ethnic Arabs in Australia.


By Lawrence Bartlett - SYDNEY

A suspicious fire and smashed windows at Sydney churches, and shots fired during a Christmas carol service, fuelled fears Wednesday of escalating violence between whites and ethnic Arabs in Australia.


Christian and Muslim religious leaders urged calm and unity in the face of the attacks, while New South Wales state Premier Morris Iemma said police would now closely monitor places of worship.


"Special attention will be paid to places of worship, our churches and our schools," he told reporters.


"Obviously we have to be on guard for this, and these hooligans and criminals will not destroy the fabric of our society."


Dozens of people have been arrested and injured since Sunday in the worst racially-motivated unrest in Australia for decades, prompting authorities to deploy hundreds of extra police to troubled suburbs.


Four men were seen near the Uniting Church hall, which is next to an Islamic centre in the multicultural suburb of Auburn, before the fire broke out in the early hours of Wednesday.


"I've been in contact with the police this morning and the police are treating it as suspicious," Iemma said.


The nearby St Thomas' Anglican Church had a dozen windows smashed about the same time, while the St Albans Anglican church in Macquarie Fields suburb was vandalised Tuesday, local media reported.


Also in Auburn, a Christmas carol service at a Catholic primary school was disrupted on Monday evening when men of Middle Eastern descent fired shots into parked cars and verbally abused parents and children.


No one was hurt in the incident, which was condemned by Sydney's Catholic Archbishop Cardinal George Pell as "apparently motivated by religious intolerance".


Pell appealed for calm and tolerance between Sydney's Christian and Muslim communities.


"This violence is unacceptable, as unacceptable as the violence perpetrated by Anglo elements on Sunday at Cronulla," Pell said, referring to attacks by white mobs on people of Middle Eastern appearance in the beachside suburb.


"All Australians - those of no religion, other religions, Christian or Muslim -- have a right to be left alone to go about their business in peace, to enjoy the holiday season peacefully, to worship peacefully."


Sydney Anglican Archbishop Peter Jenson also condemned the violence.


"All citizens must pledge themselves to supporting appropriate measures from government and community leaders," Jenson said.


"Faith leaders will have much to do in their communities to assist."


Australian Federation of Islamic Councils chief executive Amjad Ali Mehboob said worshippers at Omar Mosque in Auburn would this week hold a solidarity meeting at the Uniting Church after Friday prayers.


Meanwhile, members of the Muslim community and surfers from the troubled suburbs met Wednesday in "a mission of peace" organised by police.


Riots first erupted Sunday when more than 5,000 people gathered at Cronulla beach after e-mail and mobile phone messages called on local residents to "reclaim the beach" from "Lebs and wogs" - racial slurs for people of Lebanese and Middle Eastern origin.


Iemma has recalled the state parliament from its Christmas break for an emergency meeting Thursday at which it is expected to pass new laws that would grant police greater powers and allow for stiffer jail terms.


New South Wales Police Minister Carl Scully said more unrest was expected and hundreds of extra police would be on duty at the weekend as text messages encouraging violence continued to circulate.


Police have reported that similar text messages have now turned up in several other states.
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WTF? Anyone from Oz that could give us some insight?


Ponrauil