Speaking out against racism is praised unless youre a person of colour, writesLeon David.

ON TUESDAY MORNING, Raf Epstein on ABC Melbournes morningshowinterviewed David Thiel. Thiel is a white, bald man with a moustache (similar toThomas Sewell) and heelectedto interrupt a media event tocriticiseSewell due to his character and clearly racist ideology. Apart fromthesimilar physical appearance, Thiel is clearly not Sewell. As he himself said, most Australians have heritage based in other countries, andtheresno room for hate.

Despite Prime MinisterAnthony Albaneses tepid response to Thiels actions on Rafs show, Thiel did the right thing. He showed courage. He showed dignity. He showed bravery.Hesbeencriticisedand intimidated. Butheschosen to stay true to himself and his actions. This is the type of inspiration Australia needs.

For a person ofcolour, the rapid rise of the far-right, including the alarming rise in the potential One Nationvote, means that a new age is upon us where people will freelycriticiseus and will contest our right to even exist in this country. There have always been elements of this, but nowitsfront and centre with early opinion polling showing how dire things have become.

For people like me, when I see a white man with a shaved head and moustache, Icanthelp thinking that he must be a supporter of Sewells views. In this instance, I was wrong, and Thiels actions have given me hope. His actions have also sparked a measure of contrition after all, I was stereotyping just like the racists. A lesson that I need toheed.

Calls grow for neo-Nazi Thomas Sewells deportation, but strict citizenship laws make removal unlikely.

Despite my joy at Thiels actions,theresalso an element of disappointment. Because I, and many others who look likeme, know that were we to respond ina similar manner, the response and the media scrutiny afterwards would have beenvery different.

Our anger would have been a convenient excuse for the media to buy into the trope of the angry Indian or the brown person who simplydoesntknow his place.Unlikely that those very words would be used, but the theme would be pretty clear.Bequiet, brown person, and just be happy to be here.Itsnot the first time that us visible immigrants have had to have an unthreatening white face speak for us.

Not so long ago, the ABCs chief political correspondent at the time,Laura Tingledeclared Australia to be a racist country.She spoke at the 2024 Sydney Writers Festival and madethe commentsin response to Peter Duttons budget response, where he firmly placed the blame for property issues with migrants. In a later incident, as a response to Bob Katters outburst after being questioned about his Lebanese heritage,numerouscommentators, including Craig Foster rightfully condemned hisbehaviour.

Both LauraTingle,andCraig Fosterwere absolutely correct. Some may have disagreed with their view, and felt they were inflammatory and potentially divisive. But both, and manyothers, were stating clearly what many of us actually think. The difference is that many of usdontfeel safe enough to speak, whilst Tingle and Foster feel no such reluctance.

And the reasontheyreable to speak (and so many of uscant) isvery simple.Itsbecausetheyrewhite.

Australians are not great with dealing with criticism of their country, although to be fair, Icantthink of any group of people who are. Even though criticism is rarely welcomed, it seems accepted if the personcriticisingis seen as a typical Australian. Laura Tingle, Paul Daley, Craig Foster, and now David Thiel all typical looking Australians.

But woe betide a person ofcolourexpressing any criticism of this country when such peoplecriticiseAustralia,theyreseen as being ungrateful to a country that has accepted them.Theyreseen as traitorous. And in many cases, such people expressing their frank views support the feeling from racists that such peopleshouldntbe allowed to live here anyway.

Take the caseofPaul Daley.

Daley is a socially progressive columnist who has expressed challenging views, whether critiquing themythologisationof Australian military history, supporting The Voice or providing thoughtful commentary about immigration and the treatment of the indigenous community. Not only does he continue to write, but he continues tochallenge. His voice is needed.

Now take thecaseof Yassmin Abdel-Magied. In 2017 around Anzac Day, she posted the words LEST.WE.FORGET. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine).Note that shedidntcriticisethe Anzacs. All she did was toattemptto raise the profile of other atrocities happening across the world. Her post triggered outrage, with threats of violence, racism and led to her leaving Australia entirely. Her voice is needed too, butitslost.

Racism and bullying led to one of our most important voices fleeing the country. Yet Paul Daley, who in my view writes much more critical pieces about Anzac history continues to thriveand in my opinion,continues to provide much-needed social commentary and criticism.The difference between the two is pretty self-evident.One is ofcolourand one is white.

A common thread ties the rise of American authoritarianism with the Nazis marching on Melbourne streets.

Notwithstanding the concerted anti-immigration push from the media andright-wingparties such as One Nation, Australia loves to consider itself as a beacon of egalitarianism and equality. Until it provides people from all backgrounds with an equal voice, this claimdoesntstand upto scrutiny. Too often, free speech is granted to white people.

Whilstitsnot denied to people ofcolour, the vitriol thataccompaniespeople ofcolourexpressing their honest opinion discourages others from doing the same. What ends up being the case is that unless white people speak out to protect migrants and othermarginalisedgroups, the messagedoesntgain traction.

People ofcolour, people like me, need to rely on the typical white Australian to progress their viewpoints. If we rely upon ourselves,weretold to go back to where we came from,even though in many cases, where we came from is the local hospital down the road. People ofcolourarentreallypermittedto speak, not with true honesty. Whilst we live here, many of us for multiple generations, we need to remember thatwerelucky to behereand the subtext is that we should always know our place.Be part of the country, butdontdarecriticiseit.

The opinions of people like Tingle, Daley,Fosterand Thiel are necessary.Theyreraising issues that many of us are too afraid to express. All of them speak,writeand act with passion, with evidence and raise the profile of issues that would otherwise be forgotten. For those of us who are ofcolourthough,itsa shame we need to rely on them to speak for us.

Until we can all speak with the same level of impunity, and in a manner that befits a country that is proud of free speech, claims of equalitydontstand up to scrutiny.

Leon Davidis anIA contributor.

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