Optus pulls Arabic advertising poster from shopping mall in the wake of threats to staff
Optus has been forced to pull an outdoor poster at a shopping mall written in Arabic after threats were made to staff.
The poster at Casula Mall, which tells customers there are Arabic speaking staff members in store, has prompted an outpouring of anger from some saying it was offensive in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.
However, Optus has since been flooded with messages of support on its Facebook page praising the telco for its support for multiculturalism.
A spokesperson for Optus confirmed that the ad had been removed for the safety of staff.
“Yesterday following a threat to our store staff, we made the decision to remove some materials that were published in Arabic. The safety and security of our staff is paramount,” said the spokesperson.
“Optus’ customers and staff come from a range of backgrounds and speak many different languages. In some communities we actively promote the bi-lingual skills of our front line staff. We recognise that sometimes customers find it easier to understand the detail of a phone plan when it’s explained in their first language. Optus remains committed to minimising and eliminating discrimination through our corporate culture, marketing activities, employment practices and interactions with the community.”
Supporters of the brand too to Facebook to say they were ashamed of the racists posts.
I was so disappointed to read the criticism of your multi language adverts but also so happy to read your response. We all need to stand together in these trying times and keep doing what we do so well, being good, welcoming, open minded Aussies, and practicing the golden rule,” one supporter on Facebook said.
Simon Canning
As if English as a language in decline. It is everywhere including in every airport in the world. It is the global language. I would guess that the people who complained were angry white people on the disability pension who shop at (German owned) Aldi stores.
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Yay, ISIL wins again
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Thank you Simon for *not* throwing in random uses of the word “alleged” as per the SMH in its coverage of this event. A standard part of all journalism education should be teaching the actual purpose of using that word — i.e. to avoid prejudicing a trial. Somehow it’s become a cliche that many journalists resort whenever they are reporting on something that somehow involves potentially criminal behaviour.
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What a bigoted little backwater this country is.
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Man Bankstown and Manly need some kind of cultural exchange program.
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Sad, sad, sad.
Is it racism? Is it bigotry? Is it prejudice? Is it lack of education?
Is it all of the above?
Three in four homes (76.8%) speak only English at home. A wise person once said that being multilingual is a sign of cultural intelligence.
Interestingly, of recent migrants who arrived since 2006, one in three (33.5%) speak ONLY English at home. Just over a half (54.1%) speak another language and English either very well or well. One in ten (11.5%) do not speak English well or at all.
Not a bad effort in a decade.
Now ask yourself – what languages have you learned in the past decade?
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It’s not about either/or. It’s just gross insensitivity by Optus, irrespective of the Paris attacks.
It’s the same as whispering in front of someone; or speaking in a foreign tongue to exclude someone.
You don’t do it, period. It’s incredibly rude. Unless you’re a classless peasant, a dolt, a churl and a clod. Evidently there are plenty of those about.
How easy it would have been for Optus to do this bilingual, keeping everyone happy, and assisting those who ought to make an effort to learn their host nation’s language, to learn it.
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At least we can reassure our xenophobic mates that Optus is fighting terrorism by charging about $1.50 a minute for calls to mobiles in Iraq and Syria.
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The majority of so called ‘bogans’ who are anti Islam, do appear to absorb their information from the Murdoch press, from shock jocks, the opinionated Mr Bolt, to name a few broadcasters / publishers who do seem to peddle an anti Islam agenda in Australia.
How much of this bigotry and outrage that we are seeing in Australia and around the world, is fueled by the conservative media? What do conservatives have to gain out of a society that doesn’t live in harmony? Could this stance by these broadcasters be encouraging people to be radicalised, because they feel marginalised? These same news and media outlets seemed to be pro the Iraq invasion, which many predicted would create a possible surge in terrorism. With over 100k civilians dead in Iraq, I can certainly understand why many Iraqi’s might be angry and a little anti ‘The West’. Young disillusioned, impoverished people have a higher chance of being radicalised than happy, loved people.
Does the press have a lot to answer to for this marginalisation of Muslims in Australia and around the world? Will social networks help to overcome this and stop this apparent conservative agenda to isolate Muslims?
It would be good to understand this a little further, or am I just a leftard?
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The people objecting to an ad in Arabic must be absolutely horrified every time they pick up their mobile phones to dial a number.
You see, the digits 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 are Arabic numerals.
How about you complain as loudly to Apple, Samsung etc.
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I have never learnt why one is branded as racist for not wanting to live surrounded by a foreign culture in one’s home country.
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Ross, three things:
1. You might want to learn your history.
2. Xenophobic would be a more apt term than racist; and
3. As for ‘surrounded’, you must be having a laugh.
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@ross. Could people in all non English speaking countries feel the same as you about English appearing in their nations? If so, what should they do about it?
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@Ross, I think you’re right. You have not learned.
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Ross, unless you are an Australian Aborigine, then this is not your original home country and your culture is also foreign to those who were here first. They have to live ‘surrounded by a foreign culture’ but we just like to ignore that, don’t we?
Are the people complaining about others not learning their host country’s language learning an Aboriginal language? No? Then they should pipe down.
This communication was not for believers of the Muslim religion to read, it was for Arabic speakers. The two are not the same. And this is hardly new, Optus have run ads in other languages in many areas of the country for quite a while now.
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What is your home culture? Aboriginal?
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So Mike, have you also objected to multi-lingual signs being placed in other communities that have certain demographics? In Box Hill in Melbourne every shop front has Chinese signage. Go to Victoria Street in Richmond and every sign is Vietnamese. Lonsdale Street in the city it’s Greek. These are not always accompanied with English translations.
Or are you only objecting because it’s in Arabic… in an area that has a strong Arabic-speaking population?
I guess then you’ll need to protest every council or government department that also produces various paperwork and brochures in multiple languages.
And picket SBS for broadcasting the news from China, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, etc, without English subtitles. And SBS radio, 24 hours a day and barely a word of English. How dare they.
And while you’re at it go to China and complain about the amount of English language signage appearing there. Or is that ok?
Like it or not we are a global community. I’m not an Optus customer or connected to them in any way but I don’t give a toss if Optus chooses to put Arabic (or any) language signs on their windows. Good luck to them. Surprised large corporates like them haven’t done it sooner.
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“[U]nless you are an Australian Aborigine, then this is not your original home country.”
There speaks the voice of the truly brainwashed.
The fact is, Australia is the original home country of all Australians who were not born overseas. It is also beyond dispute that a great many of those who were born overseas now consider Australia their home, give it their complete loyalty, and would never think of leaving it. The argument that you are not truly Australian unless you are an Aborigine is contemptible.
A contributor above advises Ross to learn his history. I offer you, LM, the same advice. You might start with a study of the Australian Natives’ Association, founded in 1871 and a leading advocate of Federation in the late nineteenth century. You will learn that native-born Australians have regarded this as their native land for more than two centuries, and rightfully so.
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Paridell, I did not say that anyone who is not an Aborigine is not truly Australian. I said their culture was also foreign to the people here before them. Considering a country your home, or even being born in one, does not remove the history of how you came to be there.
Ross’ original comment of feeling ‘surrounded by a foreign culture in one’s home country’ is laughable and I stand by my post 100%.
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LM, yours is what is known as a Jesuitical argument. You deny saying that anyone who is not an Aborigine is not truly Australian, and in the same breath you maintain that the culture of anyone who is not an Aborigine is foreign to Australia.
This is an absurd distinction, not least because there are today very few Aborigines who can claim an exclusive connection to the culture of an ancestral tribe. Part-Aborigines certainly cannot. By your criterion, even part-Aborigines are therefore foreign to Australia.
I don’t doubt that you stand by your post 100%. As I began by saying, there speaks the voice of the truly brainwashed.
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So a foreign language service is advertised in a foreign language. This is really what people get worked up about these days?
No point advertising it in English – if you can read English, you don’t need the service Optus are advertising.
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Paridell, you’re just being silly now, and grasping at semantic straws. Your phrase (not mine) was ‘truly Australian’, which is an abstract non-concept that means different things to different people. My point was always that most of what people consider ‘dinky di true blue Australian’ culture is the end product of importation.
I’m just disagreeing with your interpretation of my words and not attacking you, so your discourteous replies are unwarranted.
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LM, having denied saying that anyone who is not an Aborigine is not truly Australian, you now deny that you are attacking me. But your repeated assertions give the lie to that. “Truly Australian” is an “abstract non-concept”, is it? What most people consider Australian culture is “the end product of importation”, is it? I conclude from this that you consider that there is no truly Australian culture other than the tribal Aboriginal one.
You may now deny saying that as well. Do it before the cock crows and you will be in company with St Peter.
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I don’t think its a history book you require first, Paridell, I think it’s one that covers reading comprehension. And then maybe one about manners.
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LM, your arguments have followed the well-worn trajectory from indefensible statements, to claiming that the opponent is clutching at straws, to recommendations on reading comprehension, history, and manners. Not that you recommended any particular tomes. For my part, I assume you can already read with comprehension, so I commend to you Ernest Scott’s “A Short History of Australia”, which will have its centenary next year. Upon perusing that work, the scales may fall from your eyes.
Remembering my manners, and despite our differences, I will add: Welcome to Australia!
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I think the media has not covered this correctly in order to create a controversy. These are not just the usual posters etc for marketing purposes of otherwise, that are in Arabic. What the poster actually says is along the lines of ‘hey guys, if you are Arabic speaking, we have someone in store who can chat to you.’
Nothing at all wrong with this. People need to stop being so sensitive and believing only their language and their race has the right to be represented in our country. Multiculturalism is one of the absolute best things about Australia!
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