Media Releases

VLCC Media Release

23 June 2009

The Sunday Herald Sun continues to make a series of inaccurate associations between the surge in crimes in Australia with the Lebanese community. Sunday's article (Drive-By Gun Slaying, 21 June 2009) has suggested the presence of divisions within the Lebanese community, which are claims that are unfounded and entirely untrue.

It is important to clarify that this event has not evolved from so called community division but rather stands as an independent and unfortunate event, which the Australian Lebanese community strongly condemns and is deeply saddened by.

Amidst such claims, the Victorian Lebanese Community Council (VLCC) met with Victoria Police to discuss the issue and those of a similar nature only to establish that such horrible crimes are not more prominent in the Lebanese community as would be presumed by such inaccurate and skewed media coverage would lead one to believe, but rather that these event are spread among a multitude of community groups.

The Lebanese community has contributed greatly to Australian society and will continue to do so well into the future. We hope such reporting does not take away from the solid reputation and quality of character of the decent hard working Australian Lebanese majority.

We thus urge the media to be more sensitive in its reporting of criminal activity focusing more on relaying information rather than divulging unnecessary information regarding criminals nationality-perhaps such emotive reporting could form the foundations behind the divisions of which you speak. Nonetheless, if our plead is not attended to, well we collectively ask you to report the nationality of all criminals, fair go!

In such times, communities should work together to create a safer society which is committed to reducing crime and disorder. Hence a shift is needed towards concentrating more on the needs of the community to ensure the prevention of such events rather than focusing on those who have committed them.

Media Contact:
Ms. Cathy Soufan
0421 676 177
csoufan@vlcc.com.au