Religious Discrimination

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:39): I do not normally speak on matters of my personal religious faith in this place very often, but I saw something so compelling the other evening that I feel that I must. It is for that reason that I rise today to condemn the deeply offensive comments made by a guest on the television program The Project on Tuesday 28 February.

As some members may be aware, comedian Reuben Kaye made an incredibly crude so-called joke about Jesus Christ which was so tasteless and offensive that I will not repeat it here. Put simply, it was in very bad taste and would have offended a lot of people, and certainly did offend me—and I must say, completely unnecessarily.

The comments made by Kaye were so blatantly offensive that they elicited immediate backlash from Australians who were not only of the Christian faith but also of the Muslim religion, and indeed of no religion at all. I am aware that the Australian Communications and Media Authority promptly received hundreds of complaints after the program aired, with an impromptu protest erupting in Sydney—just on the streets, apparently.

Another protest was planned for shortly afterwards, and a petition calling on Channel 10 to in fact cancel the show now has close to 40,000 signatures (indeed, maybe more, as I got that figure a few days ago). I wish to stress that I am not calling for the show to be cancelled, but such a strong reaction demonstrates how offensive it has been to so many people, including me.

Appropriately, The Project hosts Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris issued an apology for what was said by Kaye, acknowledging how profound the offence was to both their Christian and Muslim viewers. This was, of course, absolutely necessary. It is, unfortunately, commonplace for Christianity to be ridiculed in our society with complete disregard for people of faith, and there are usually no consequences. The use of Jesus' name in vain, for instance, is simply part of the mainstream media's vernacular in modern Australia, and yet I cannot ever imagine the use of Muhammad's name in such a manner.

There is a gentleman by the name of Makarios Griniezakis, the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of Australia. He has released a poignant statement in response to this matter, and I would like to quote from him. He said:

It is with a deep sense of sadness that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia expresses its profound discontent and denounces the extremely distasteful and rather deplorable content aired on The Project…relating to Jesus Christ and the contemptuous derision of His suffering and crucifixion on the cross.

It is well known to all who believe in Christ—and indeed have done so throughout the centuries, with countless Christians suffering martyrdom and death for their faith—that the selfless sacrifice of Christ on the Cross is the most striking and compelling reminder of God's boundless love for the entire world.

At a time when all people seek equal rights and justice—and do so rightly—it is equally important to be reminded of our common responsibilities, our common efforts and goals, as one human race, which are far more congruous than our differences. Indeed, it is quite unfortunate, in our day and age, that many are quite happy only to lay claim to their rights but neglect their requisite responsibilities. Everyone is free to believe in Christ or not, but no one has the right to disparage the Christian God, Christian teachings, and sacred symbols—or in fact those of any other religious faith. Rather, it is incumbent upon all of us to foster a culture of peace and solidarity, creating bridges and opportunities for dialogue; promoting ways in which all people can have the right to exercise their religious beliefs in a spirit of amity and fraternity without fear of violence or ridicule. Anything less can only be a negation of our human dignity, nobility and mutual self-respect.

I could not have articulated my position on the issue any better than he has, and I am sure many Christians would feel exactly the same way. To conclude, the airing of such material in the media is deplorable and offensive to many, many Christians, including myself. It simply is not funny. It must stop. Many millions of Christians would agree with me.