An Iraqi refugee in the Australian suburb in Ben Eltham’s the pacific solution
Author
Source
lark Journal for Philosophy, linguistics and Social Sciences
Issue
Vol. 1, Issue 32 (s) (30 Nov. 2018), pp.11-20, 10 p.
Publisher
Wasit University College of Arts
Publication Date
2018-11-30
Country of Publication
Iraq
No. of Pages
10
Abstract EN
Ben Eltham‟s The Pacific Solution (3102) deals with several issues such as nationalism, political intimidation, racism and stereotyping of Muslims.
It critiques the Howard government‟s hard-line policy with Asylum seekers and its amendment of the migration act, known as the „Pacific Solution‟, which excludes offshore islands from Australia‟s migration zone and undermines thereby refugees‟ attempts to seek better chances of life.
This is portrayed on stage through the reaction of three white Australian housemates to the arrival at their front door of an Iraqi refugee to apply for asylum.
In this paper, I investigate the representation of cultural diversity in the play and argue that it is a critique of dysfunctional models of inclusion where persons from minor cultures are marginalised in the Australian national and social spaces.
In so doing, I consider some of the concepts discussed in Ghassan Hage‟s White Nation: Fantasies of White Supremacy in a Multicultural Society (3111), namely those of managerial capacity, tolerance, and the dialectic of inclusion and exclusion.
In addition to critiquing the dysfunctional models of including Muslim refugees, the play examines their representation in the mainstream media and their treatment by the legal process in Australia.
To explore the impact of this on Muslim refugees‟ alienation and marginalisation, I investigate studies of the representation of Muslims in the Australian mass media and their relevance to the stereotyping of Muslims as terrorists in the play.
Drawing on the above, I argue that, through this play, Eltham criticised the Howard government‟s inhumane treatment of Asylum seekers and its dissemination of Australian norms as aligning with its premises.-
American Psychological Association (APA)
al-Zubaydi, Thamir R. S.. 2018. An Iraqi refugee in the Australian suburb in Ben Eltham’s the pacific solution. lark Journal for Philosophy, linguistics and Social Sciences،Vol. 1, no. 32 (s), pp.11-20.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1186108
Modern Language Association (MLA)
al-Zubaydi, Thamir R. S.. An Iraqi refugee in the Australian suburb in Ben Eltham’s the pacific solution. lark Journal for Philosophy, linguistics and Social Sciences Vol. 1, no. 32 (Special issue) (2018), pp.11-20.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1186108
American Medical Association (AMA)
al-Zubaydi, Thamir R. S.. An Iraqi refugee in the Australian suburb in Ben Eltham’s the pacific solution. lark Journal for Philosophy, linguistics and Social Sciences. 2018. Vol. 1, no. 32 (s), pp.11-20.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1186108
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references.
Record ID
BIM-1186108