I am constantly surprised by the inherent goodness of ordinary people in Australia. Some who have come from other lands attribute this to a basic simplicity in our relations both between ourselves and also with others and the transparency of our attitudes towards them. Another way of saying this would be to describe Australians as honest, trusting and uncomplicated. Either way, Australians in general are decent, reliable and God-fearing. Certainly polls and studies indicate that mainstream religious adherence and observance have declined in recent years, but other forms of religion have arisen to fill the void.

Prominent at the moment is the remembrance of the 2002 Bali bombings. This predictably evokes a variety of issues, yet a cursory analysis of the media reveals that most of them are not dark or morose by any means. Ironically, this tragedy seems to have brought out the best in the vast majority of the surviving victims themselves, their families and their communities.

A pessimistic realist might assume that hatred and a twisted spirit of revenge would hold sway. Yet this is not the case. The overwhelming majority of Australians caught up directly (and all of us indirectly) in these tragic events have shown forbearance and even forgiveness towards those responsible for the untimely and unjustified deaths of 88 innocent young fellow-Australians. They have shown compassion and sympathy for the hundreds of others who have lost their loved ones. They have demonstrated these in the most concrete and human of ways. They are raising funds to aid the Balinese victims and their families and establishing schools for orphan children. They are returning to Bali not simply to purge themselves of nightmarish fears (and this is a necessary journey to make) but with the twin purpose of letting the Balinese know that they bear no grudges against them and helping them get their tourist-based economy back on track.

These things make me proud to be an Australian. Australian Muslims are sometimes made to feel like strangers in a strange land, with elements of racism and stereotyping being raised from time to time, reinforced knowingly and unknowingly by politicians and media-jockeys: domestic issues like the ‘Children Overboard’ affair, the ‘Lebanese Gang Rape’ trials, the inhumane treatment of refugees, and the consequences of Australian involvement in the invasion of Iraq, to name the most prominent. Yet on the other hand, there has also emerged an increased understanding of the hardships Muslims face and a willingness to accommodate and help. A good example of this occurred just after the September 11 disaster: non-Muslim Australian women offered to accompany Muslim women who were fearful of doing ordinary things such as shopping in public. Little things like this count. They should make the Australian Muslim community feel thankful towards their fellow citizens and grateful to Allah for bringing them to such a wonderful and peaceful country.

We need to be aware of our manifold indebtedness and take the opportunity to repay kindness with kindness. There are a few misguided folk who regard Islam as the root of the problem of terrorism. We need to present ourselves as pleasant, model Muslims and show that our religion is part of the solution. Australians are already good. Muslim Australians would be even better. Let’s try harder.