Daily Archives: August 13, 2012

Nazeem Hussain impersonates a drunk "white person" talking about the connection between being Australian and loving footy at the Darwin Festival.

Fear of a Brown Planet explores racism through comedy in a way that both ridicules and rings true. It targets both "white people" and "brown people" with its provocative humour, leaving only the real racists unable to laugh.

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Nazeem Hussain comes at issues in racism by taking notorious racial stereotypes and exposing their absurdity by extending them to a new level.

"Just because I’m a Muslim doesn’t mean I like the Taliban," he says. "I mean, some of us like Al Queada."

His stomach-achingly hilarious impersonations of drunken "white people" making attempts to connect with him over footy are a highlight.

"It doesn’t matter where you come from mate, you’re Australian if you can talk about footy," he slurs in impersonation, stumbling over the mic stand. "Come on mate, come on mate, come on mate…" The audience cheers.

Nazeem moves quickly through themes of burning Korans, banning the burqa, women’s oppression and abuse of Indian taxi drivers and students.

His frequent referrals to "white people" turn racism on its head and provide a cheeky means of connecting with the audience.

"There are so many of you white people out there tonight…it’s so bright," he says.

Aamer Rahmen takes a different approach during his half of the show.

He approaches serious themes with more opinion. Instead of capitalising on the absurdity of racism by reinforcing it comedically, as Nazeem does, he ridicules real-life racist moments.

He reveals how the reasons for racism, laughable as they are, succeed in having a strong effect on the victims.

Being screened at airports, for example, is an obvious source of frustration for Aamed, who repeats that the exercise "ruins your day".

His jokes rely more on hyperbole – comparing the Liberal Party to the Ku Klux Klan, for example – and he acknowledges several times he is dealing with "heavy stuff".

While still drawing laughs from the audience, the confronting truth behind the jokes portrays a sense of bitterness that perhaps doesn’t belong so well in stand-up comedy.

All in all, Fear of a Brown Planet is a great show – a welcome relief of laughter directed at a dark issue.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/08/14/3567306.htm

Sunshine Heights Western Tigers soccer club hope penalties imposed on players after a violent brawl in June will mark a turning point for racism in sport.

The brawl took place between the Tigers and Tullamarine City FC, with three ambulances and nine police cars attending, and began after a racist taunt against a Tigers player.

The club last week appealed against a Football Federation Victoria (FFV) decision to suspend one of its players, Deng Thuc, until the end of the year, as well as charges of producing weapons that lost the club 10 championship points.

The appeal heard a spectator racially abused Mr Thuc and when he told her to “shut up”, he was chased and assaulted by six people.

Mr Thuc was heard to have removed a corner post and used it in self-defence against the attackers, and was taken to hospital, unconscious, with serious injuries.

While this was occurring, a second, more violent brawl broke out between players from both sides and spectators.

It was alleged a baseball bat was produced and that chairs were smashed and used as weapons in the melee.

The FFV reduced Mr Thuc’s penalty to a five-week suspension in line with players suspended from Tullamarine.

The appeals board restored seven points to the club to bring match the point penalties imposed on Tullamarine.

But the Tigers did not appeal an 18-month suspension against player Maliac Thon, who was heard to have kicked a referee in the stomach.

Slater and Gordon lawyer Ike Nwokolo, who represented the club, welcomed the findings.

“There is no doubt that what happened had gotten out of control and that both teams have to wear some responsibility,” Mr Nwokolo said.

“However, we believe that if the original racist remarks had been dealt with by the referee when it was reported to him, the incident would never have happened.

“Only a zero tolerance towards racism is acceptable. It is no longer okay for referees or other officials to allow racist comments to go unchallenged anymore, whether those comments come from team members or spectators.”

In a statement, the club said it would prepare for a return to competition and work with the FFV for a safer and more welcoming environment.

The police investigation of the incident continues.

http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/star/keilor-taylors-lakes-sydenham/361/story/153532.html

This 2011 photo provided by Michael Gunn shows a "white only" sign posted on the gate to a swimming pool at a duplex where Gunn lived. Gunn’s daughter, who is black, was denied access to the pool by Jamie Hein, the duplex’s landlord.

It began a year ago with five words on an iron sign: “Public Swimming Pool, White Only.”

Jamie Hein posted the sign on the pool gate of her Westwood duplex last May after she said the hair products of a bi-racial 10-year-old girl made the pool “cloudy” during a visit with her father, Michael Gunn.

Then, in September, Gunn filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission which found that Hein violated the Ohio Civil Rights Act by posting the sign.

On Friday, a judge heard testimony about Hein’s discrimination and will decide the punishment. Hein could be ordered to pay damages to the family or undergo anti- discrimination training.

Hein did not attend the hearing. She could not be reached for comment; her voicemail was full.

The day after the sign appeared, Gunn and his girlfriend Elizabeth Gerrard began looking for a new apartment. They were upset by the Hein’s actions and didn’t want the girl to experience more discrimination.

Then came the harassment, they said.

Gerrard provided evidence of verbal harassment from Hein both electronically and in person. In one instance, Gerrard said Hein called her a “dumb, fat (expletive)” via text message. Similar messages kept coming, even after Gerrard stopped responding, she said.

When Gerrard and Gunn would see their ex-landlord in public, she would spit on cars, make obscene gestures and yell expletives at them, Gerrard said.

“It really upset me,” Gerrard said.

After months of alleged harassment, Gunn decided to file a discrimination complaint, said Teresita Lewis, of Housing Opportunities Made Equal. Lewis said she had never seen a case like this one during her eight years at the organization.

“It’s one of the most hurtful cases I’ve ever encountered,” Lewis said. “We never had a case so obvious as this.”

In this photo from Jan. 12, 2012, Michael Gunn speaks during a hearing by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission in Columbus.

Typically racial discrimination cases deal with subtle acts, such as landlords lying about vacancies, that can be difficult to prove, said Elizabeth Brown, executive director of HOME. This case was quite different.

“I’ve never seen a more blatant, obvious, in-your-face example,” Brown testified.

Brown said that Hein’s racist actions also have consequences for Cincinnati because they increased Cincinnati’s perception as “a racist city.”

During Friday’s hearing, Gunn and Gerrard described the time and expenses associated with moving homes as well as the emotional and physical damages from Hein’s alleged actions.

Hein, who was not present, had no legal representation for the hearing and provided no defense for her case. Lori Anthony, of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, said this is unusual, but not unheard of.

“She missed her opportunity, her right, to offer a response,” Anthony said.

Anthony said she was unable to estimate how much Hein may be ordered to pay because the large number of factors in the judge’s decision.

A decision about the case is expected in four to five months.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120803/NEWS/308030090/-White-only-sign-could-lead-damages?odyssey=obinsite