Cultural Diversity in Action

The highly-publicised Sydney gang rapes in 2000 were the inspiration behind this years' ABC Fiction Award winning novel, Luck in The Greater West, reports The Herald Sun.

Writes 37 year-old author Damian McDonald,

"When I was at uni I was knocking about with these guys who had come from the Middle East, it was before the gang rapes hit the papers, and one night we were out and they pretty much suggested we do that. It never transpired, and of course, I found the whole suggestion totally abhorrent, but I thought it was definitely something I could write about. When that whole thing was all over the papers, I thought, these guys have a unique voice that represents a real diversity in values and cultures around us."

Let's just recap that.

People who suggest a spot of gang rape have a unique voice that represents diversity in values and cultures.

Well, cannibalism is also pretty unique and is certainly diverse. So is paedophilia, as is stoning, torture and necrophilia. So what's your point Damian? Are you advocating gang rape? Are you saying that Middle Eastern men are more prone to gang rape? Really, we're fascinated in your insights.

Comments from some of the panel's judges, who awarded first prize and $10,000 to McDonald;

"McDonald's work was refreshingly compelling"
author John Dale

"A compelling insight into a world that Australian literature doesn't visit".
Tom Gilling, author of The Sooterkin and Miles McGinty

Other judges included ABC broadcaster Richard Fidler, and Jo Mackay, ABC Books commissioning editor.

A reminder of the 2000 Sydney gang rapes,

The Middle Eastern rapists had stated to an Anglo Australian girl during a five hour attack in which the girl was raped 25 times by 14 Middle Eastern men, "You deserve it because you're an Australian" and "I'm going to fuck you Leb style"

I'll reserve judgement until i have read it.

Here's some more cultural diversity for you Damian. Over in Saudi Arabia, a 19 year-old girl who was gang-raped fourteen times has been sentenced to 90 lashes. Yes - you read that correctly. Not her attackers, but the victim.

Her crime?

The heinous crime of being seen in public with a man who was not a relative.

90 lashes. Think about it. Cultural diversity in action.

Maybe Damian will base his next book on this case.

via Tim Blair.