Tensions among Syrian Australians have become more pronounced as the conflict in Syria escalates.
One Insight guest 'Nadia' says several of her family members have been killed by rebel forces and believes what's happening in Syria is not a revolution – it's a terror movement.
'Nadia' says she's has been targeted by those who oppose her political views. She tells Insight that a group of four knocked on her front door, looking for her family.
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“I'd heard some stories of them door knocking. I was terrified when I saw them through my security door.
“He said he's looking for Muslim family with, and he said my surname,” she says. “I told him he had the wrong house. I've got four little boys in the house that were absolutely terrified looking at him through the door.”
But as a supporter of the FSA, Sydney-based orthopaedic surgeon Tamer Kahil says he's been targeted too.
“I have two occasions in my surgery in my office; people come and put posters in there for Assad because they know that I'm anti-regime.”
Kahil has just returned from the Syrian city of Aleppo to help provide medical aid for the FSA and civilians. He thinks the rebel forces should be trusted and believes the government is deliberately fuelling sectarian tensions.
As shown on Insight, there were also reports of locals being bashed because of their political views.
But Nick Kaldas, Deputy Commissioner for Specialist Operations with the NSW Police, says these cases are rare.
“There have been a few sporadic incidents but no, overall I'd say most people – while they're passionate about their views – have not gone out and broken the law in large numbers or anything like that.”
As an Arab who was born and brought up in Egypt, Kaldas believes it's important for Australians to respect the freedom of speech and expression they have in Australia.
“Whatever happens over there can never be an excuse to break the law here or hurt someone or damage property or worse.
“It's the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression, the freedom of religion, the freedom of movement – all of those things, we begin to compromise all of that if we adopt values and arguments to such a degree that we begin to jeopardise that,” he says.
“We cannot jeopardise the paradise that we have here because of what's happening somewhere else in the world.”
Watch the full Insight discussion on Syria here.
Here's a preview of the debate:
