David Brophy is a senior lecturer in history at the University of Sydney and a member of Sydney University Staff for Palestine.
State governments in Australia are trying to outlaw the phrase “globalize the intifada.” It’s an act of censorship that is willfully ignorant of the slogan’s meaning and connection with the Palestinian liberation movement.
As the US continues its slide toward cold war with China, pressure on Australia to maintain its dominance in the South Pacific has only grown. Ever the dutiful ally of the US, Australia is now earning accusations of imperialism from its Pacific neighbors.
In the name of combating Islamic extremism, the Chinese Communist Party has embarked on a massive campaign of harassment and detention of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang province.