Race attack’s positive side

After a packed public forum at Macquarie University had discredited controversial law lecturer Andrew Fraser’s racial comments, he recommended that they read the books he had read. Not surprisingly his choice of reading was not well received. TWT on-the-spot PHOTO.

Macquarie University appears to have taken the wind out of law academic Andrew Fraser’s racial attack on African and Asian migration and even hopes that something positive may emerge from the recent media hype.

Instead of threatening emails from American Neo-Nazi groups supporting Mr Fraser that have inundated Vice Chancellor Di Yerbury’s inbox, she’s now getting emails and phone calls from community groups and students thanking the university for holding an academic forum last Friday.

More than 300 students and members of the public packed a Macquarie University lecture hall to hear academics respond to Mr Fraser’s comments.

During the two-hour forum they discredited the scientific basis on which Mr Fraser based his claims of IQ differences between races.

TOOK NOTES

Mr Fraser sat through the forum, taking notes. He listened to people from the Sudanese community blame him for young children being physically harassed at Blacktown train station and a family having to leave their home after having been pelted with eggs in the wake of his comments.

He also listened to people who called for him to apologise and who wanted him to be run out of the university.

Mr Fraser was given two minutes to speak as was everyone else who spoke from the floor. He used that time to recommend a series of books that supported his views.

The President of the African Communities Council L’amahz M Bah, who spoke immediately after Mr Fraser, said, “If you are biased or racist you look for books that support your views and ignore the other evidence around you.”

Mr Bah said, “I’m worried about the attacks happening in our community but at the end of the day good will come out of this because it will send a strong message that racism is not tolerated.”

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