World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies

Barcelona, July 19th - 24th 2010

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Middle Eastern Communities in Australia (287) - NOT_DEFINED activity_field_Panel
 

· NOT_DEFINED date: THU 22, 9.00-11.00 am

· NOT_DEFINED institution: University of Western Sydney (Australia)

· NOT_DEFINED organizer: Ryan Jamal Al-Natour

· NOT_DEFINED language: English

· NOT_DEFINED description: The focus of the panel explores the experience of the diverse Middle Eastern Communities that have immigrated to Australia in the past 200 years. In ‘Looking Forward, Back: Assyrians in Australia’, Nicholas Al-Jeloo discusses the Assryian Diaspora in Australia, and the various stages involved in the settlement patterns of Assyrians in a foreign land. Al-Jeloo draws attention to the networking processes between various members of the Assyrian community. In ‘Racism and Islamophobia: The Middle Eastern Experience in Australia’, Ryan Al-Natour examines the Middle Eastern experience in the post-9/11 world, where racism and stereotypes have flavored the various Middle Eastern communities in Australia as a deviant and criminal monolithic block. Several moral panics in Australia have contributed and, arguably, sustained the recent mainstream attitudes and actions towards Middle Eastern Australians. In ‘Deathbound Affects: Iraqi Bodies, Memories and Texts in Sydney’, Farid Farid discusses an ethnographic exploration on Iraqis in Sydney, Australia. Through interviews, artwork and poetry, Farid portrays the geographies of displacement in Australia. And finally, Linda Ishu discusses the process and outcomes of a therapeutic group intervention for Iraqi adolescents in Australia who experienced dislocation, prolonged exposure to war and associated trauma.

Chair: Lina Ishu (University of New South Wales)

Paper presenter: Nicholas Al-Jeloo (University of Sydney), “Looking Forward, Back: Assyrians in Australia”
As a transnational ethnic group, and a stateless nation, Assyrians make for an interesting dynamic in their particular diaspora communities. The various divisions between religious communities and dialects become more accentuated as they come into contact with one another, which would have seldom happened in their original lands. Despite this adversity though, the community is Australia has emerged as one which strives forward to achieve, but at the same time does not forget its origins, as well as those Assyrians remaining in the Middle East. This study will attempt to briefly outline the main stages of Assyrian settlement in Australia, their achievements, links with their past, and hopes for the future.

Paper presenter: Ryan Al-Natour (University of Western Sydney), “Racism and Islamophobia: The Middle Eastern Experience in Australia”
In the West, Middle Eastern communities have encountered several obstacles in their quests of establishing new lives. Anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia are common obstacles that have dangerously increased in the post-9/11 world. Within the Australian context, several instances of moral panic and controversies have highlighted the Middle Eastern experience as one of racism and oppression. This paper looks at these instances and maps out how stereotypes and racist images have constructed Middle Eastern communities as a deviant, monolithic block. Characteristics of misogyny, patriarchy, violence and fundamentalism are building blocks in the creation of this deviant, monolithic block.

Paper presenter: Lina Ishu (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors - STARTTS), “Working with Iraqi adolescent settling in NSW-Australia, based on systemic social approach and Art and expressive therapy”
This paper discusses the process and outcomes of a therapeutic group intervention for Iraqi adolescents who experienced dislocation, prolonged exposure to war and associated trauma.
The two-month program was led by a multidisciplinary team and applied a holistic approach to healing in line with Services for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors - STARTTS model of best practice. Through a series of therapeutic and educational techniques – including self-expression, teaching on anxiety and stress management, and social skills modelling - the program aimed to empower participants who have recently settled in Australia. Specific activities included clay work; drawing; painting and collage; creation and exploration of family trees; drumming and singing; and information sharing. Emphasis was placed on recognising and maintaining respect for individual spiritual beliefs and cultural values.