Australia's Got Talent - but where are the Muslims?

[old man emu]

On Saturday night he wife and I watched a broadcast of the 2018 NSW Schools Spectacular. For those who don't know, the Schools Spectacular is a musical variety pageant presented by kids from State Schools from all over the State of NSW. The Spectacular has been done every year for 38 years. It has developed from being similar to a school concert where the parents made tacked together the kids' costumes, and music was provided from a cassette player with dirty heads to this year's event with costumes and lighting to rival any touring foreign entertainer; the music played by a massive orchestra of school kids, who didn't get a note wrong; singers, dancers, solo musicians and circus performers, and a massed choir of over 2500 voices.

 

The featured performers came from all over the State - Northern Rivers; Illawarra; Central West and the regions of Sydney. Any one of these featured performers, mostly singers, could win a TV talent competition standing on their ear. I have never heard such skillful performances from any amateur, especially 14 and 15 year-olds, and there's many a celebrated entertainer who would need to look to their laurels if compared to these kids. The degree of co-ordination and precision of the massed choreography would put a Trooping of the Colours ceremony to shame. The work these kids put in to learn their routines must have been Herculean.

 

But there is always something to take the edge off wonderful things. Go to any school in Sydney and you will most likely find some kids of the Islamic faith. At school they play and learn with other kids - black, white, and brindle; Christian Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish. But I did not see one hijab amongst those thousands of happy, talented kids. I'm sure that the invitation to take part was open to every child in every participating school, so why no kids from an Islamic background?

 

Is it such an anathema to Allah to sing and dance? The question of permissibility of music in Islamic worship is historically disputed. Some Muslims believe that only vocal music is permissible (halal) and that instruments are forbidden (haram). Yet some Muslims believe that any instrument is lawful as long as it is used for the permissible kinds of music. Hence there is a long tradition of instrumental accompaniment to devotional songs. A wide variety of instruments may be used, depending on local musical traditions. But there is a large body of people's music Arabic music - Wikipedia . The absence of Islamic children can't have been due to the requirement for girls to be fully clothed. A little bit of imagination could have resulted in suitably modest costuming that would have allowed the girls to perform a dance based on cultural roots. There was a short Bollywood sequence, after all.

 

These Millennials accept integration as the norm. It's time to tell all parents their kids are going make the Australians of the 21st Century. As long as what the kids do with music and dance is safe and permissible under our secular laws, then rigid religious concepts will need to soften to reduce conflict with the secular life these kids will lead.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Could be, they Integrated for that Very spectacular show.

 

You wouldn't pick my neighbors kids out from the Aussies at school.

 

Which is Bloooodi good I think.

 

Any Muslim that took part, I say Thank you !, you were great.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[old man emu]

Could be, they Integrated for that Very spectacular show. spacesailor

I think that if the girls 'integrated' by discarding their hijabs, then it would send a negative message about integration. I don't see anything anti-integration in females from puberty wearing a hijab. I don't think that it is suitable for pre-teens to be made wear them. Do we think ill of a Christian who wears a cross on a necklace? Do we think ill of an Aboriginal kid wearing ceremonial paint? Is a caste mark on an Indian simply a sign that the electricity is on or off?

 

Once again, is it my place as a Baby Boomer, looking forward to the time when the grave closes me off from Society, to tell my progeny and theirs that expressing the moral requirements of their beliefs is "not Australian"?

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Some Muslim women like wearing the hijab and some don't - as long as it's their choice.. I don't care - and same for any other religion..

 

I know I will come under fire for this - why not allow for a segment that allows them to express themselves in what they are comfortable doing culturally. Last time I saw what was called an Estetdford, the dancing was't provocative, but it was definitely western and those of other cultures may not be so entusiastic with the style. Though, OME, it sounded like the quality of the performance was more on artistic talent... But allowingt any culture to express theselves artisitcally in a way that they are comfortable with It may help them come out of their shell (if they are in one) and also break down some of the misinformation.

 

A quick search of yootoob identified this:

 

 

No probs showing their non-Christian faith during what looks like a combined Christmas scene with candelabra. My point is, they are playing a song that allows them to express their culture (doesn't sound lit too much of a religious song to me) and there doesn't seem too much wong with it to me.

 

 

[old man emu]

"My Faith. My Voice" - I'd like to read the lyrics, but I won't listen to Rap, especially when it is performed by persons who are not urban Afro-Americans.

 

By the way, halal means "permitted" and "haram" means forbidden, or not permitted.

 

I wasn't saying that there should have been an piece reflecting Islamic culture exclusively. I'm saying that it must have been the parents who banned their daughters from joining in the performances. It would have been no trouble to have the girls dressed to meet the expected standards of Islam. The actions of the parents adversely affected the school years' experience for these children.

 

 

[spacesailor]

OR the parents allowed (halal) their kids to dress in School standard uniform.

 

To get into a great show,

 

Should I object if any of my grandkids wish to be in a none Christian play

 

spacesailor

 

 

[old man emu]

Religion had nothing to do with the content of the Schools Spectacular. It was totally secular.

 

 

[spacesailor]

But isn't

 

"I wasn't saying that there should have been an piece reflecting Islamic culture exclusively."

 

referring to Muslims not being visible.

 

Without that particular garment, kids will be kids, and enjoy their youth, I enjoyed this years as much as I have enjoyed it with my grandkids participating.

 

I still can't believe they'r not professional.

 

It was SPECTACULAR.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[willedoo]

But isn't"I wasn't saying that there should have been an piece reflecting Islamic culture exclusively."

 

referring to Muslims not being visible.

 

Without that particular garment, kids will be kids, and enjoy their youth, I enjoyed this years as much as I have enjoyed it with my grandkids participating.

 

I still can't believe they'r not professional.

 

It was SPECTACULAR.spacesailor

spacesailor, it amazes me the talent that kids have today. On shows like Britain has talent etc., it's a regular thing to see six year olds singing like adult opera singers. I think kids always had talent, but in our day, all we had was fuzzy old B&W televisions and libraries. Today, kids have the whole internet to start learning to sing and dance. Plus things like dance teaching and choreography are probably streets ahead from where they were years ago. I'd say kids are naturally talented, but nowdays the means are there to enable them to reach the high standards that we often see. I think it's great.

 

 

[kgwilson]

Plenty of Muslim women don't wear hijabs & only a few wear burqas. Given that Muslims make up only 2.2 percent of the population, only half of these are female and only some of these wear hijabs you would have had to look really hard to find one amongst all those 2500+ kids in the Schools spectacular.

 

 

[old man emu]

But 2% of the population who are Muslims live in the Capital cities. The other 0.2% might be scattered around the major rural cities. I invite you to come to Sydney and take a trip, east - west across the metropolitan area and play Spot the Whitey.

 

 

[spacesailor]

It's worst in the burb's.

 

Different suburb's are predominantly, Eastern European, some are African,

 

mine is Indian, Sri Lankan with a touch of Chinese from before my arrival. I hope I didn't upset their Suburb. LoL

 

And at least a couple of Aussie's to boot.

 

Almost all my Grandkids are Australian born, IT's the warm weather, I mean, have you looked at the Moscovites, (all rugged up) & then looked at Bondi beach.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[kgwilson]

89% of Australias population live in the Capital cities. Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the word which is hardly surprising given it is the hottest and driest place matching Antarctica which is the coldest and driest place.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Not all schools can afford the cost of getting to the top talent shows, but still put on great shows.

 

just a small clip from out west.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[spacesailor]

I also like the "Bollywood" dance shows/ films.

 

even tho I don't understand a word, Just visually Spectacular.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Bruce]

If you see an Arab woman wearing a burqua, there are 2 possibilities:

 

One, that she is practicing her heartfelt religion, and two, that she will get bashed and worse back home if she doesn't.

 

How do you tell the difference?

 

 

[Yenn]

Be politically correct and don't tell. Just keep quiet and all will be well.

 

This started about what you see on Telly. What I see now is political correctness. Having lived in the UK as a child. I should have said England, but nobody owns up to being English, I am surprised to see so many black or coloured people in programs set in the pre WW2 period. Apart from US negro servicemen in the war, I didn't see a coloured civilian until about 1955 and he was a West Indian who had been to university and was picked up and conscripted into the army.

 

 

[Marty_d]

If you see an Arab woman wearing a burqua, there are 2 possibilities:One, that she is practicing her heartfelt religion, and two, that she will get bashed and worse back home if she doesn't.

 

How do you tell the difference?

There could be any number of women (and men) you see that are secretly suffering domestic violence at home. Burqua or mini-skirt, it makes no difference.