ABSTRACT
During a recent presentation about the structures of social exclusion in Australian society I was asked a question by one of the ‘University of the Third Age’ audience members. She asked whether I agreed that the current problem with immigration is that while previous migrants (Italians, Greeks, Vietnamese) came here without trying to impose their religion on everyone, current groups seem intent on changing the very nature and fabric of Australian society. This comment was made after a presentation during which I had noted that only 6 per cent of Australia’s migrant intake is Muslim. This widespread perception that Muslims are trying change ‘our way of life’ has been noted by other authors, and is evident in data from a recent set of focus groups undertaken around Australia. In this chapter excerpts from these focus groups with ‘everyday Australians’ are used to explore how this concern is expressed, and its implications.
