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NO PURPOSE SERVED

Sydney’s devious men of no appearance miraculously re-appear:

A gang of robbers has held up two men at gunpoint before stealing their car in Sydney’s west ...

Police say the robbers were all aged in their mid 20s.

The armed man was described as thin with broad shoulders and a goatee beard, wearing a blue baseball cap, a white long-sleeve hooded jumper and grey tracksuit trousers with a yellow stripe down each side.

The descriptions issued by police offer more information:

The first is described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, aged about 25 or 26, dark complexion, 178cm to 183cm, thin build with broad shoulders and a goatee. He was wearing a blue baseball cap with white writing on the front, a white long sleeve jumper with a hood and grey tracksuit pants with a yellow stripe down each side. He was last seen in possession of a black firearm.

The second male is described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, aged 24 or 25, short dark brown spikey hair, skinny build and a had a goatee. He was seen wearing dark clothing and a thick gold chain around his neck.

The third man is described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, aged 24 or 25, obese and a few day’s facial hair growth. The fourth and fifth males are described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, aged in their mid 20s and wearing dark clothing.

Via reader Frank A., who emailed the Sydney Morning Herald about its no-appearance policy (the piece was orginally sourced from AAP, whose copy mentioned “Middle Eastern appearance” when published by other outlets). He received this reply: 

Thank you for your comments about the article, “Gunpoint carjacking at traffic lights”.

In a city such as Sydney, the Herald’s view is that ethnic descriptions are only of much use in helping potential witnesses identify suspects if they are part of a full description, which includes clothing, build, hair colour, distinguishing features and so on.

The SMH had all that. Clothing: “Blue baseball cap, a white long-sleeve hooded jumper and grey tracksuit trousers with a yellow stripe down each side.” Build: “Thin with broad shoulders.” Distinguishing features: “Goatee beard.” So why delete ethnic details? The email continues:

With such a large population in Sydney, a description such as, “the suspects are 175cm tall, clean shaven and of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean appearance”, hardly narrows it down and serves no purpose. In some cases the Herald does publish descriptions of alleged suspects’ ethnicity if police feel that their investigation would be aided by such a report. This is an exception, however, rather than the rule.

Here’s an SMH exception:

Police are searching for a man described as being of white/European appearance, aged 25 to 30, with a large build and wearing a dark tracksuit and blue baseball cap.

Really “narrowing it down”, guys.

Posted by Tim B. on 10/07/2006 at 02:28 PM
  1. ``Traditional Middle Eastern several days’ growth of facial hair,’’ would be a good compromise.

    Posted by rhhardin on 2006 10 07 at 02:56 PM • permalink

  2. Spot on

    I also emailed the SMH yesterday about this and told them I was highly offended that as a Caucasian I was being discriminated against as all criminal reports regarding Caucasian offenders are labelled as such in the SMH

    What I got was this in reply to my comment

    The following is in response to your inquiry:
    Thank you for your comments about the article, “Gun pulled on pair outside cinema”.
    In a city such as Sydney, the Herald’s view is that ethnic descriptions are only of much use in helping potential witnesses identify suspects if they are part of a full description, which includes clothing, build, hair colour, distinguishing features and so on. With such a large population in Sydney, a description such as, “the suspects are 175cm tall, clean shaven and of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean appearance”, hardly narrows it down and serves no purpose. In some cases the Herald does publish descriptions of alleged suspects’ ethnicity if police feel that their investigation would be aided by such a report. This is an exception, however, rather than the rule.

    Same as the reply Frank got

    Now as I’m living with a lawyer I’ll be taking this further

    As for the comment about police feeling that this description would aid an investigation only as an exception I beg to differ

    ALL police reports according to the official police sites give a description - ALWAYS

    Why do we have Anti-Discrimination Boards if not for this blatant discrimination?

    This is SMH BS

    Posted by aussiemagpie on 2006 10 07 at 02:59 PM • permalink

  3. In a city such as Sydney, the Herald’s view is that ethnic descriptions are only of much use in helping potential witnesses identify suspects if they are part of a full description, which includes clothing, build, hair colour, distinguishing features and so on.

    Gee, I thought (bad to do) that defense attorneys said that stuff. So are they reporting, or defending?

    Posted by El Cid on 2006 10 07 at 03:05 PM • permalink

  4. Some hack from the SMH is reading this now I bet

    This policy not to describe offenders came about a few weeks ago when there was some lobbying from the usual Islamic suspects

    Here in Sydney, the Daily Telegraph has chosen to ignore this but the SMH being good dhimmis have gone along with it

    This has made me mad because they happily describe everyone else, Asians, Polynesians, Caucasions just NOT those of Middle Eastern appearance

    “It’s a Madness” as my late Mum would have said

    Posted by aussiemagpie on 2006 10 07 at 03:14 PM • permalink

  5. Another tactic you might try if you really want to get them to change the policy is to tie it into rape reports, especially of multiple rapes in a geographically-defined area.

    If the paper refuses to identify every particular about a rapist, including possible ethnic makeup, then one day a woman, assuming that the multiple rapist is white because the paper didn’t give any ethnic details, is going to ignore that coloured guy in that blue sweatsuit behind her in the parking garage because she thinks the recent spate of local rapes have been committed by a white guy and is going to pay the price of p.c. There’s no double standard involved—the same goes for descriptions of white guys: redhead, blond, dirty blond or brown-haired all help potential victims decide whether that guy in the blue sweatsuit is one to keep an eye on.

    Pushing this on them as a women’s safety issue first re. rapes, and then confronting them later about p.c. racial sensitivity double standard they display over other crimes hurting others might just work. Although it looks like they already have a double standard in race reporting, according to aussiemagpie.

    Posted by andycanuck on 2006 10 07 at 03:24 PM • permalink

  6. The more I see of the press, the less interest i have in the freedom of the press.

    Posted by Dave Surls on 2006 10 07 at 03:35 PM • permalink

  7. #6 The press dont seem to have much interest in it either.

    Posted by phillip on 2006 10 07 at 04:24 PM • permalink

  8. Why, these criminals all seem to share a common trait! Clearly we need to begin blue-baseball-cap profiling.

    Posted by bobpence on 2006 10 07 at 04:37 PM • permalink

  9. Put simply the SMH policy on ethnic descriptions is:
    When a crime is reported and no ethnic description is included please assume the suspects are of Middle Eastern appearance.

    Posted by chrisgo on 2006 10 07 at 04:41 PM • permalink

  10. In Los Angeles, we see the same phenomenon on the blood-soaked evening newscast.  It was either ignore the ethnicity—unless white of course—or rename the News, “Oh, Those Crazy Immigrants!”

    Posted by Patricia on 2006 10 07 at 05:01 PM • permalink

  11. Put simply the SMH policy on ethnic descriptions is:
    When a crime is reported and no ethnic description is included please assume the suspects are of Middle Eastern appearance.

    #9, that is exactly what will happen, too.  In fact, if they are identifying every ethnicity but one, why not assume?

    Posted by RebeccaH on 2006 10 07 at 05:08 PM • permalink

  12. dont expect media watch to take up this issue, their more interested in spelling mistakes or plagiarism.

    Posted by vinny on 2006 10 07 at 05:18 PM • permalink

  13. Do people in Australia actually play blue baseball, or do they only wear the caps?

    Posted by triticale on 2006 10 07 at 06:16 PM • permalink

  14. MOMEA=Gangsta Leb homies.

    Posted by CB on 2006 10 07 at 06:17 PM • permalink

  15. the Herald’s view is that ethnic descriptions are only of much use in helping potential witnesses identify suspects if they are part of a full description, which includes clothing, build, hair colour, distinguishing features and so on.

    Bullshit.

    Most of those “useful” descriptors can be changed minutes after a crime. Clothing and hair colour in particular.

    In other words, unless the perpetrators wear tracksuits and baseball caps daily (which I accept does apply to some MOMEA) the description is absolutely useless in helping the police locate them. The best descriptions provide information that a suspect cannot readily change. Sex, ethnic appearance , height, weight, age, injuries, markings (tatoos/scars), speech mannerisms (accent, education) and so forth. Describing their clothing is usually only relevant immediately after the incident to facilitate a police chase, or to jog anyone’s memory. In the case of the above incident, anybody who saw it would remember it.

    Sorry SMH, you need to get some advice on your policy. Might I suggest the Police Media unit?

    Posted by Dan Lewis on 2006 10 07 at 06:35 PM • permalink

  16. This has made me mad because they happily describe everyone else, Asians, Polynesians, Caucasians just NOT those of Middle Eastern appearance

    ...and as people are not stupid, it doesn’t take all of about 10 seconds to realize - “Hmmmm, no description - they must be Muzzies.”

    Posted by trainer on 2006 10 07 at 07:14 PM • permalink

  17. With such a large population in Sydney, a description such as, “the suspects are 175cm tall, clean shaven and of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean appearance”, hardly narrows it down and serves no purpose

    Here in Ottawa, if the race of a criminal perpetrator is not mentioned,, everyone assumes it is muslim or somali (in Toronto, people would assume Jamaican).

    The dishonesty, or denial, of the media is disturbing.  Look at the above statement in italics.  The SMH is saying that stating they are of Middle Eastern appearance hardly narrows the field. Is the SMH admitting that most crime is perpetrated by people of MEA, therefore that detail is not useful?

    Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2006 10 07 at 07:36 PM • permalink

  18. #14 CB I’ve noticed that Autraliabns often refer to Lebs, when really they mean Mozzies. Please correct this as many Christian Lebanese, and even Druze, and other obscure sects, do not like the association.

    Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2006 10 07 at 07:42 PM • permalink

  19. #2 aussiemagpie

    “In a city such as Sydney, the Herald’s view is that ethnic descriptions are only of much use in helping potential witnesses identify suspects if they are part of a full description, which includes clothing, build, hair colour, distinguishing features and so on. With such a large population in Sydney, a description such as, “the suspects are 175cm tall, clean shaven and of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean appearance”, hardly narrows it down and serves no purpose. In some cases the Herald does publish descriptions of alleged suspects’ ethnicity if police feel that their investigation would be aided by such a report. This is an exception, however, rather than the rule.

    Same as the reply Frank got

    Now as I’m living with a lawyer I’ll be taking this further.


    Good for you.  Please keep us informed about how you go.

    I would think the Press Council may be a starting point, particularly item 7 of their Statement of Principles seems relevant.  Viz., Publications should not place any gratuitous emphasis on the race, religion, nationality, colour, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, illness, or age of an individual or group. Nevertheless, where it is relevant and in the public interest, publications may report and express opinions in these areas.

    Now surely accurate reporting of the police description is both in the public interest and necessary to assist the police in locating the offenders.

    What the SMH has done is to deliberately print misinformation and in the process destroy the police description. Terms such as “aiding and abetting a crime”, “acting as an accomplice to a crime”, “obstructing the police in the course of their duties” come to mind.  In fact the SMH through its action has behaved in a criminal manner and the editor and journalist responsible for the story should be prosecuted.

    Meanwhile slightly O/T but perhaps on a similar theme of not reporting ‘unpalatable incidents’, it seems that there’s little difference between Melbourne and Minneapolis and, surprise surprise [not], the unifying component also begins with M… muslims (again).

    So Muslim Melbourne taxi drivers are refusing to transport alcohol and dogs .  At least in Melbourne (if correctly reported, but who can be certain) “Over the past two years the licences of 306 drivers were revoked or suspended, including those who refused to carry the blind and their dogs. “, but how many as a result of refusing to carry dogs or alcohol.  I would hope that all of them lost their taxi drivers licence.

    But what about the Victorian Taxi Association spokesman Neil Sach who features prominently in the article. “Muslims are good people and the community has to realise that the days of the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant are well and truly over,” he said. Well I don’t give a damn about Neil Sach or what he believes or in fact says but wait a minute.  He’s supposedly the spokesman for the Victorian Taxi Association.  Who the hell is he to sprout Islamic dogma [his views or those of his religion perhaps??] but is he suggesting that people should just get used to it?

    Now what next?  The more I see and read about Muslims the more it is manifestly apparent that we’ve let the barbarians in through the gate.  They continue to behave as barbarians and will try to subvert, undermine and destroy our society bit by bit.  And, if given the opportunity of exercising any power in our society they would ruthlessly impose their medieval creeds on everyone.

    We have laws in our society that apply to everyone and they should be enforced and that applies particularly to Muslims. As a society delaying or failing to do so will only end in disaster.

    Mind you in NSW, with the Premier’s electorate centred in Lakemba [Sydney’s Muslim enclave] we can expect little action.  For example, how many Muslim louts who participated in the beach rampage convoys have been prosecuted?  And oh yes, Victoria is the State with laws against religious vilification (policed by State sponsored enforcement apparatchiks) and in a magnificent display of reverse discrimination, segregated swimming at certain public swimming facilities [such as Kingston City Council and others? - to cater for Muslims yet again].  Yeah you guessed it - womens only swimming at a public swimming pool – the discrimination not policed but supported by the same State sponsored enforcement apparatchiks.

    So until we throw out a few State governments, it looks like we may have to get used to it. 

    Well maybe at least until the next riot.

    Posted by Wand on 2006 10 07 at 07:44 PM • permalink

  20. Australians play baseball? Of course we do! And here are the 2006 IBAF ‘AAA’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, Sancti Spiritus, CUBA, September 17 - 27, 2006
    results to prove it.

    (Green and Gold as far as I know, no blue except on the flag)

    Posted by MentalFloss on 2006 10 07 at 07:47 PM • permalink

  21. #20 MentalFloss and #13 tritcale

    Adding to your info, also we have two seasons a year! The main season is during the summer but you can also play during winter.  I think summerball gets too hot so I played winterball in Sydney for several years—but that was while ago now.

    It was a real hoot (in the E grade mens or whatever we were). My team never practiced but turned up each Saturday morning for the game usually to slaughter our opponents, however sometimes play became a little tense. Anyway, we were Grand Champions, three years running and I have trophies for the mantelpiece for the effort.  Ha - those were the days!

    It’s a great game and has many followers, and the same applies to cricket.

    Posted by Wand on 2006 10 07 at 08:18 PM • permalink

  22. There’s a purpose built ball park just outside Melbourne on the Geelong road, IIRC.

    Say, are there any famous Muslim ball players? Anyone?

    Posted by MentalFloss on 2006 10 07 at 08:33 PM • permalink

  23. #18 - the Lebs call themselves Lebs, to set themselves apart as gangsta homeboy wankers. It’s only fair then, that we can call them Lebs as well. Not all of the fuckwits are muslim either. A fair number of Leb crims (the Bayehs, for example), are Christian. The fact that these oxygen thieving arseholes taint the whole Lebanese population in Australia is their problem, not ours.

    Posted by EliotNess on 2006 10 07 at 08:36 PM • permalink

  24. chrisgo, RebeccaH, and trainer:

    So the SMH position is that all crimes are committed by people of Middle-Eastern Appearance.

    Unless they say otherwise.

    Got it.

    Posted by Zoe Brain on 2006 10 07 at 08:58 PM • permalink

  25. Speaking of baseball, I am a rabid Detroit Tigers fan, which means that every, oh, twenty years or so I really get excited. Like tonight, when they knocked off the Yankees. Way to go, boys!

    Posted by paco on 2006 10 07 at 09:07 PM • permalink

  26. The fall of the west is due to the serving of the third worlders who come here, and inturn the west (ozzies) forget their own culture.

    You don’t see the Chinese forgetting? Do you?

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/14/npassport14.xml

    This is well.. we might as well be in the dark ages.. sorry we might as well give them complete power and destroy our ideals and become islamites.

    We might as well disclose to Islam and the Lebs and the Somalians Islamics we lied it’s all an illusion that we have created but it’s you illusion we don’t want in our loved Australia.

    If Australia was Islamic what jobs wouldn’t exist?

    Eg. Vets.. they think animals are dirty.

    Can you think of any Islamic inventions that we intergrate into our society today, and how many do they take and use from ours?

    I guess when they come here they receive Christianity if they know it or they don’t because christian knowledge made our country.

    Wankers make it today, and it’s so third world (mind you the arrivals from South African style white euro—women the ones from pretoria are horrible _eastern suburbs) They are bitches and are just as icky as the islamb-ic redneckers from bankstown.

    But still what we’re saying is it’s all an illusion and we are determing the economy not the islamics living here.

    Posted by 1.618 on 2006 10 07 at 10:14 PM • permalink

  27. On what basis does the SMH believe it is qualified to determine what assists the police and what doesn’t?

    Somebody needs to email the SMH back with the inconsistencies in their own responses and published materials.

    Posted by tdw77 on 2006 10 07 at 10:19 PM • permalink

  28. So paco is a Tiger’s fan! 
    My opinion of paco, already high, just doubled.  I remember exactly where I was when the Tiger’s and Denny McLain won the ‘68 “World Series”.

    Posted by gajim on 2006 10 07 at 10:33 PM • permalink

  29. #28: Brother! Or is it, Sister?

    I was in the 7th grade, and I recall catching snatches of the games on a transistor radio, catching the bus in the afternoons. A great series! Kaline! Lolich! Mclain! Anybody won 30 games since McLain in ‘68? No sirrreee!

    Posted by paco on 2006 10 07 at 10:55 PM • permalink

  30. #22: Say, are there any famous Muslim ball players? Anyone?

    Well, let’s see. There was Dizzy ibn Dean, Yuseff ben Dimaggio, al-Kaline . . .

    Posted by paco on 2006 10 07 at 10:59 PM • permalink

  31. Ahhhh, but the SMH is not always so forgetful of picky details such as a persons’ ethnicity. Take this article  from today’s paper by Taghred Chandab which has the happy, smiling face of young Elie El-Jammal,a ‘17-year-old of Lebanese origin’.

    But of course, this article is about those evil skips and not about poor young Elie, who, the paper is most happy to report is of ‘Lebanese orgin’.

    The SMH has an agenda, its plain and simple. When the caliphate comes to Newtown, thats when Ill be laughing.

    Posted by Nic on 2006 10 07 at 11:15 PM • permalink

  32. Oh Lord, not “Bless You Boys” again?

    Cheers

    Posted by J.M. Heinrichs on 2006 10 07 at 11:21 PM • permalink

  33. paco, you and my eldest brother would get along famously…we left Detroit in ‘62 for the boomtown San Jose, but my brother still alternates seasonally between Lions and Tigers jerseys and caps. He’s rabid.

    (Contributing factors: he was a Gunner’s Mate on the tin can USS Chanticleer and a “river rat” with River Patrol Force TF-116 from ‘66 - ‘70, got stitched by a .50 cal and survived…loves to show the wound and, during humid summers, the spots of jungle rot that he never got rid of—but man, he is one loyal Detroit fan!)

    Posted by MentalFloss on 2006 10 08 at 12:05 AM • permalink

  34. “Can you think of any Islamic inventions that we intergrate into our society today”

    No.

    “and how many do they take and use from ours?”

    Everything.

    Islam has contributed nothing to humanity. Where are the great Islamic scientists, inventors, philosophers, writers, artists, humanitarians and Nobel Prize winners?

    They dont exist.

    Yet western countries are alllowing these ignorant people from Third World countries to import their superstitions and demand that we bow to them.

    A friend sent an email to the SMH questioning why no descriptions of MOMEAs and got the same reply, word for word.

    Regardless of the SMH, anyone living in Sydney knows exactly who is committing these crimes (by the area and the type of crime)- we dont need no stinkin’ descriptions.

    Posted by dee on 2006 10 08 at 12:29 AM • permalink

  35. #26

    If Australia was Islamic what jobs wouldn’t exist?

    Eg. Vets.. they think animals are dirty.

    Sorry, that’s a misconception. There are Muslim veterinarians and even microbiologists (I know one). Although he thinks that the US deserved 9/11 - I don’t think a tertiary education can overpower that ingrained hatred.

    Posted by kae on 2006 10 08 at 05:21 AM • permalink

  36. #33: MentalFloss, my wife and I would like to adopt your brother. A war hero AND a Tiger fan - unbeatable combination!

    Posted by paco on 2006 10 08 at 09:16 AM • permalink

  37. I look forward to the day when Islamic extremist raid and hold hostage the Fairfax building and execute every single one of the cretins before blowing the building up.

    Posted by Wylie Wilde on 2006 10 08 at 09:16 AM • permalink

  38. #4 ..Non Asian,Non Polysnesian,Non Aboriginal,Non Caucasian appearance then?

    Posted by crash on 2006 10 08 at 09:38 AM • permalink

  39. Yes and the Australian Newspaper joins the procession with a story (rightly) describing the “in cab” photo of a young Caucasian male..
    However in the same article two other very recent cab attacks are mentioned and neither of the “teens” or “group” are given a racial type.

    Posted by crash on 2006 10 08 at 10:06 AM • permalink

  40. #35

      Eg. Vets.. they think animals are dirty.

    Sorry, that’s a misconception. There are Muslim veterinarians and even microbiologists (I know one).

    But will he treat dogs?

    Posted by ErnieG on 2006 10 08 at 11:40 AM • permalink

  41. Lileks nails it, reporting on the world-wide problem of vague, indistinct youths:

    Via Tim Blair, a rather interesting statistic: Two thousand five hundred French policemen have been injured in clashes with those vague, indistinct French “youth” who rise up like wraiths of steam from the grates, throw rocks, then evaporate, leaving reporters unable to describe them.

    Posted by ErnieG on 2006 10 08 at 11:48 AM • permalink

  42. #25 and #28—how do ya think I feel?  I’m a Red Sox fan.  Most years I get to watch them choke.

    Posted by ushie on 2006 10 08 at 12:12 PM • permalink

  43. Onya Timbo, you keep fighting for the equality of the white/europeans before the people’s court that is media. This sort of hipocrisy has gotta stop… huh? pretty soon absolutely ALL the crimes will be committed by dubious folk of “middle eastern appearance” and then where will us true blue Aussies be?

    Nope, I’m with yer all the way on this one oh, Imam of Shame. Us white/european Islamofashionistas need to make sure we get our fair share of blame for crime in this country—and are identified as such—before it’s too late.

    Posted by Miranda Divide on 2006 10 08 at 04:30 PM • permalink

  44. This lacks your customary rancid bile. Instead it’s just a bit of stale froth. Is this your final offer?

    Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 10 08 at 05:07 PM • permalink

  45. Well, hell, Andrea, I couldn’t even diagram what Miranda typed.  You are far the superior femme to moi.

    Posted by ushie on 2006 10 08 at 06:07 PM • permalink

  46. Shucks Miranda -I’d be right proud to allow a lil lady her share of the blame..go right ahead and claim it,yes ma’am..

    Posted by crash on 2006 10 09 at 06:14 AM • permalink

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