Citizenship demands a common language

Since Hamas’s invasion of Israel on October 7, Australian multiculturalism has been unprecedented strain as the politics of the Middle East erupted on to the streets of our cities. Keffiyeh-sporting protesters denouncing Israel and calling for the land between ‘the river’ and ‘the sea’ to be ‘free’ have stoked great fear in the hearts of their Australian Jewish neighbours.

Many Australians, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have wondered how it could come to this — that the multiculturalism of which we have been proud could have descended into open hostility and hatred.

Australia’s multicultural policy has depended on a simple compact: in return for the citizen being free to maintain private cultural traditions, the state expects observance of our norms and laws.

This compact entails a shared responsibility between the citizen and the state. In return for freedoms granted by the state, the citizen assumes an obligation to contribute to our society.

When private custom conflicts with public laws, the latter must prevail. That is why polygamy, child marriage and female circumcision are — and always will be — illegal under Australian law.

But this compact is never static. Sometimes the state will be content to promote increased cultural diversity; at other times, the state will require more from us to strengthen social cohesion.

And social cohesion is under strain today. The tolerance and diversity of which we have been rightly proud appears to have given way to cultural separatism and open conflict between different groups.

Diversity always has to be managed carefully. New arrivals need to be integrated — one legal and political system must prevail — and conflicts generated overseas must never be tolerated here.

Even prime minister Anthony Albanese recognises that levels of intolerance and so-called ‘self-righteousness’ are on the rise. This is a coded warning that social disintegration is upon us.

Recent violent riots in the United Kingdom show how easily conflagration can be sparked when concerns about immigration, integration and failure to enforce civic norms are ignored by the state.

Yet for all that, the Albanese government appears not to be concerned about Australia’s social cohesion. Its new review of multiculturalism, Towards Fairness, promotes even greater diversity.

The review makes little mention of shared responsibilities. It calls for a Multicultural Affairs Commission, a new government department and dedicated minister.

Since it also calls for citizenship tests to be conducted in multiple languages, Australian citizenship no longer appears to entail even a basic facility with English.

Clearly, the compact between state and citizen has changed. The onus of obligation as set out by the review shifts the emphasis to what government needs to do. Little is required of the citizen.

Wholesale adoption of all 29 of the review’s recommendations would amount to a failure on the part of the Albanese government to comprehend community concerns about weak social cohesion.

Threats to the safety of one section of our society posed by other sections since October 7  have revived discussions about whether there need to be new limits to freedoms of speech and religion.

But presented with a chance to affirm the importance of a set of binding liberal principles, Towards Fairness leans heavily in favour of a variegated society with divergent and conflicting norms.

Government has a critical role to play in enforcing duties of shared responsibility and mutual tolerance if it is to check the slide into a tyranny of diversity.

Without immediate and effective political leadership, Australian multiculturalism risks sinking from damage of its own creating.

Peter Kurti is Director the Culture, Prosperity & Civil Society program at the Centre for Independent Studies, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame Australia