"Muslim children walk out when national anthem is sung" - Covert Racism!?

[dmitridr]

Hey all!

I hope exam prep is coming along well!

I was going through the Herald Sun website last night and I saw an article with the head:

"Muslim children walk out when national anthem is sung" - a bit covertly racist, don't you think?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/muslim-children-walk-out-when-national-anthem-is-sung/story-fni0fit3-1227582881588

Now, whatever your stance is on this issue is beyond the point; as linguists we need to analyse this article from a descriptive viewpoint. I personally believe the direct labelling of someone's religion (Muslim) perpetuates a pre-existing Islamic resentment in our society.

Just have a look at the comments at the bottom of the article to see people's viewpoints on the issue.

This is a perfect contemporary example of modern covert racism in media for your essays

Thanks!

Dmitri