Muslim students were critical of their own ("they live on the government", "don't give Aussies a chance", "violent", "narrow-minded" and "feel superior") and more willing than non-Muslims to offer compliments across the divide.

Almost 1500 year 10-12 students from Catholic, Protestant, Islamic, non-denominational and state schools took part in surveys by Melbourne academic Abe Ata, who was commissioned by the federal Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

Dr Ata's contract required him to get DIAC's approval to talk to the media about the surveys, and permission was refused.

The survey results, however, are found in his new book Us & Them: Muslim-Christian Relations and Cultural Harmony in Australia.

Asked their reaction to the word Australian, almost a third of the Muslim students offered negative or neutral comments (Cronulla, gay, freckles, thongs), 21 per cent gave positive responses (peaceful, easygoing, freedom) and 12 per cent were patriotic ("Australia my country").

James Jupp, an authority on multiculturalism, said Muslims, like post-war European migrants, tended to have a "haughty view" of Australian culture because of where they found themselves.

"They live in working-class areas where the culture is, shall we say, less refined than in Toorak or Point Piper," he said.

Thalia Mahmoud, 19, who, with her 13-year-old sister Nikita, converted to Islam four years ago when their mother Sarah married an Egyptian man, said she believed Muslims were still "very much" stereotyped in Australia.

"I wish it wasn't like that but it is -- people look at us and think of us differently and we should all just get along . . . we're all Australians," she said in Sydney yesterday.

Non-Muslims felt that the media did not treat Muslims fairly and the minority of those with Muslim friends tended to have a more positive view.

Published: 27^th March 2010 | Source: The Australian