Being-Muslim in Australia, ca. 2013

Abstract

What does being Australian mean in the year 2013? A stroll down the main thoroughfares in the central business districts of Melbourne or Sydney would reveal cityscapes as ethnically and culturally diverse as those of Singapore, Dubai, London or Toronto. Even the appearance of smaller capitals such as Adelaide and Perth, or regional towns like Shepparton, Toowoomba or Wollongong has changed much since the 1970s. A gay couple walking their child to school or childcare, Chinese-Malaysian university students sharing a laugh on the lawn outside the State Library, office workers with Italian-Maltese heritage eating sushi rolls on the go during their lunch break, Scandinavian backpackers on the adventure of a lifetime – these are some of the ordinary everyday figures that together form the mosaic of present-day Australia, reflections of what appear to be our increasingly relaxed attitudes towards diversity. The coming together and harmonious interaction of these figures in the shared space of Australia’s towns and cities stand witness to the overall success that has been this country’s 40-year-long multicultural experiment.