Forget race and bring all criminals to justice, writes Stepan Kerkyasharian.

YESTERDAY we witnessed a sight that I thought we would never see in Australia.
A few years ago Australians of all backgrounds - indigenous, Muslim, Asian, European - united to display national pride, Australian pride, to put on the best ever Olympics.
A few weeks ago tens of thousands of people, young and old, combined to help our Socceroos ride the wave to the World Cup. Those Australians were, again, of all backgrounds. Young girls wearing the Islamic hijab were proudly displaying green and gold.
And then at North Cronulla beach we had a bunch of thugs bashing that great symbol of Australian devotion to their countrymen, surf lifesavers.
It is sad that these thugs appear to be more or less of the same ethnic background, or are perceived to be, because that causes pain to the hundreds of thousands of people of that background who live and work peacefully. That community's leaders condemn the actions of these young thugs just as the rest of us do. Yesterday, as if on cue, people took this opportunity to reclaim territory - whatever that means.
What we now have is the worst possible development in any society - people taking the law into their own hands, contributing directly to the breakdown of law and order.
People formed vigilante groups, using telephone text messages to whip up hatred of people of a particular race or religion. This is no different to what the thugs are accused of doing.
Those who participated in the war of Cronulla should revisit the scenes they created, so vividly captured on our TV screens, and ask themselves if they are really different to the thugs they set out to discipline.
What happened in Cronulla was an attempt at organised and premeditated mob violence. There's no other way to describe it.
The Australian way of life they claim to uphold includes the tradition of civil obedience and support for the lawful institutions of this land. Thugs terrorising beachgoers are not the product of multiculturalism, just as vigilantes are not the product of Australian heritage.
Let us all get behind our police force and bring the perpetrators to justice, regardless of their background.
Stepan Kerkyasharian is the chairman of the Community Relations Commission and the president of the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW.


Patty