RACISTS HIT CQU

By STEPHANIE ROSE

FELIX CULPA, C.Q.U. Student Newspaper, September 2001.

PROMOTIONAL material produced by racist white supremacist organisation, The World Church of the Creator (WCOTC), was found at CQU, the day after the Multicultural Fair.

A poster was pinned to a noticeboard in building 19, where many students pass through 24 hours a day.

The poster was a recruitment flyer, asking for people to "stand up and fight for the White race".

The only contact details provided was a Rockhampton post office box.

Other material from the WCOTC was placed under car windscreen wipers on the day of the Multicultural Fair.

The WCOTC first hit headlines earlier this year when they began a hate campaign, placing stickers on the door of an indigenous organization in Rockhampton, but now it seems that the campaign has spread.

The CQU community is culturally and ethnically diverse and more than 90 different languages are spoken across CQu's numerous campuses.

International students make up 38% of CQU's total enrolment.

Director of CQU International, Gaye Pullyn, said that in Rockhampton alone, international students make up almost 10% of enrolments, but said that students had not reported sigthings of racist material to the international support centre.

"To date, nothing has been reported by international students to us," Ms Pullyn said.

CQU's Equity Office has refused to condemn the recruitment poster.

CQU Equity Office Acting Director Annette Chappell said the timing was not right for her department to comment on the issue.

"We have a new policy that is currently under construction, and we want to make sure that our policy aligns with and supports new state legislation," she said.

While the new Queensland laws on racial and religious vilification took effect from June 7 this year, placing the poster in a university building actually breaches current university policy and procedures on racial issues.

CQU's current Policy Statement on Racial Issues states "Racial Discrimination is defined as the negative differential treatment of individuals or groups on the basis of their race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin."

The policy statement further defines using University facilities to recruit students or staff to racist organizations or groups as an example of racial discrimination and harassment.

The practice of racism is also illegal under the Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act (1975), the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act (1992), and is contrary to the CQU Act 1989 (S.125), and to the university's equal opportunity policies for students and staff.

The WCOTC campaign has apparently extended to other parts of Central Queensland. Earlier this month, a CQU student reported finding graffiti on a writing pad in the Gladstone Courthouse with the glaring words "World Church fo the Creator... long live White supremacy" accompanied by a Nazi Swastika.

Gladstone was also targeted in the sticker campaign, when phone boxes around the city were pasted with WCOTC stickers.

The WCOTC is a US-based organization with member branches in dozens of countries worldwide.

The WCOTC's battle cry and greeting to fellow members is RAHOWA - an abbreviation for Racial Holy War.

The current self-styled Pontifex maximus (Supreme Leader) of the WCOTC is the Rev. Matt Hale, a 30 year old American who professes an affinity with the Nazis and Adolf Hitler.

According to the WCOTC's website, Hale seeks to "keep the White Race intact".

Felix Culpa contacted the Rockhampton branch of the WCOTC and spoke to branch member Brother Michael.

Brother Michael, who has been a member of the WCOTC for a year, said the group was a legitimate religion.

"We are a religion, not a cult... we don't believe in a 'Jesus figure', just our founder. There's no supreme worship, we believe in the 'Eternal Laws of Nature' and White Pride Worldwide," Brother Michael said.

Brother Michael said he felt the WCOTC is not a racist organisation.

"What's wrong with standing up and fighting for White Pride?", he said.

He passionately believed the white race was being "submerged".

"The white race is not only a dying race, but is being 'mongrelised' by other races," he said.

Brother Michael said the WCOTC was growing rapidly every day and the group would expand throughout Central Queensland and Australia.

"We will win over, we just have to start small," he said.

Brother Michael said he knew of one CQU student who is a member of the WCOTC.

"They could have put the poster there," Brother Michael said.

The poster found at CQU has revealed more about the ideology of the WCOTC.

It shows a large picture of two men fighting. One appears to be caucasian [sic] and is raising a hammer to slay the other, a Muslim. The caucasian is in fact Charles Martel, 'The Hammer'. He gained his last name by crushing the skulls of his enemies.

Charles Martel was the leader of the Franks in Austrasia and led his army to slay the invading Muslims at the Battle of Tours in 732 AD. He was seen as a saviour of the Christian faith, but her fact converted the religions of many kingdoms by force.

The victory proved to be decisive battle for the Christians, and is considered the high water mark of the Muslim invasion of Western Europe.

The WCOTC have apparently adopted Charles Martel as an icon. The image on the poster found at CQU also features prominently on the groups' website.

But Brother Michael said Charles Martel is not an icon, but an "example".

While CQU Vice-Chancellor Glenice Hancock recentlys tated that "racism will not be tolerated in any form at CQU," it appears no investigation is currently planned into the WCOTC's activities on campus.

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