The Sydney Islamic riot

Yesterday, Islamic protesters rioted in Sydney's Central Business District, injuring six police officers. The riot was in conjunction with ongoing protests in the Arab world, supposedly over a dubbed video that defames the prophet Muhammad, blessings be upon him. One of the more memorable photos shows a young boy, certainly less than 4 years old, holding up a nicely pre-printed sign that said, "Behead those who insult the Prophet." I'm certain that that accurately reflected the boy's inner feelings.

Today, the politicians' reactions were as expected: pathetic. The rioters "damaged Australia's multicultural reputation." Their actions were "unacceptable." I am sure that will give the ringleaders pause before they try it again!

One opinion piece hit on an important point: the riot will certainly provide grist for the racism acknowledged to be a strong force in Australian society. And indeed, when I drove around the CBD today, I saw only one headscarf. They are usually ubiquitous. The actions of a few have spread fear to many--Muslims and non-Muslims as well. It appears that a riot is as effective as an act of terror in achieving that.

A couple of years ago in France, there were riots in some of the Muslim communities outside of Paris, supposedly because Muslims are marginalized in French society. One can be sympathetic. But yesterday's riot was in AUSTRALIA, people. The lives of Australian Muslims can only be described as idyllic. Muslims have no problem getting jobs here; there is certainly less prejudice against them than against aborigines (the Cronulla riot of a few years ago notwithstanding). They do have a TV show here called, "Are We Dumb, Drunk and Racist?" But the show makes it clear that, while it's not that hard to find the racists, they really are a minority.

Now, there is something more important beneath the surface. As noted, the riot coincided with worldwide protests against a film, and with the murder of a US Ambassador in Libya (for which those same protests were a diversion.) But was this Sydney riot really spontaneous? A video of the riot shot from overhead  shows something very interesting: the bottle-throwers are several rows of people behind the front lines. They are actually pushing people in front of them to force contact with the police line, then are throwing their weapons. They not only incited the riot, they used a human shield, a familiar tactic in the Middle East. The video is clear enough to show the bottles flying from behind the human shield. And where did those glass bottles come from? The instigators brought the bottles with them, of course. They did not go to the local convenience stores, buy bottles of Bundaberg ginger beer, drink it, and then start a riot. THEY CAME INTENDING TO DO VIOLENCE.

The media reported that the protest was organized "using social media." But why does that imply that the riot was spontaneous? It doesn't. As the video clearly showed, the rioters were PREPARED, both with hardware and with tactics.

And now I have begun to reflect on the Arab Spring, which likewise was supposedly organized using social media. Who was behind it? Did it all really start with the self-immolation of a vendor in Cairo? Who benefited from it? And how far does their influence reach?

Perhaps the real instigators of yesterday's riot in Sydney were not even present at the riot. Perhaps not even present in Australia.