For decades, political elites and cultural promoters in the West sold multiculturalism as a kind of feel-good aesthetic: hey, diversity is our strength! Forget deep questions about values or social cohesion — focus on the bright, fun stuff: tacos on Tuesdays, Korean pop concerts, Holi festivals, and Instagram-friendly cultural parades. But reality bites back when the social fabric is tested.
Today, after events like the horrific Bondi Beach shooting — where an ISIS-inspired attack at a Hanukkah celebration left 15 innocent people dead and many more wounded (with the main response being tightening speech regulations, as if terrorists pay attention to that, and taking guns away from lawful citizens) — it's clear that the stakes go far beyond cuisine and costumes. Tragic as it was, that act of terror has triggered a wider public reckoning on how multiculturalism actually functions in a complex, plural society.
What the "Soft" Multicultural Narrative Left Out
In its original popular framing, multiculturalism was benign and uplifting: welcoming different cultures, celebrating their holidays, and encouraging "live and let live." It was sold as something that added flavour — literally and figuratively — to Western life, by replacing mainly the majority Anglo population. But what advocates often glossed over was how multiculturalism would interact with norms, laws, and core civic values.
The Chronicles essay on mature multiculturalism (linked below), observes that once multiculturalism moves beyond novelty — once immigrants are not just a small minority but large, permanent communities — a deeper question arises: do newcomers and hosts share compatible values? Or do different ways of life sit side by side without meaningful integration?
That piece argues that many Western societies believed multiculturalism could mean everyone keeps their own traditions forever, and that was fine as long as people didn't conflict. But reality has shown that basic assumptions about law, political culture, gender relations, civic responsibility, and societal norms matter a lot when groups are bigger and socially visible over time.
Bondi Beach: A Moment of Cultural Collision
The Bondi attack didn't happen because someone didn't enjoy another culture's food. It happened at a Jewish community event — a religious and cultural moment — in a famously diverse and vibrant part of Sydney. The act of terrorism wasn't just shocking violence; it raised questions about how different cultural worlds intersect — or fail to intersect — around shared commitments to safety, respect for others, and basic human dignity.
In its aftermath, Muslim communities reported increased fear and threats against mosques, and leaders called for education programs to counter Islamophobia — highlighting how fragile inter-group trust can become when violence is framed through the lens of cultural identity.
This isn't a case of food stalls at a weekend market. It's a crisis moment where multiple communities are asking: Are we together in a shared civic project, or are we alongside each other with separate and potentially conflicting value systems?
Mature Multiculturalism Isn't About Tolerance Alone
True maturity in multiculturalism means moving beyond:
Celebrate & ignore — adoring diversity while ignoring deep social friction.
Surface respect — acknowledging holidays but not shared principles.
Aesthetic diversity — focusing on symbolism over substance.
Instead, mature multiculturalism should ask:
1.What binds us as citizens?
Are there core norms — rule of law, equality before the law, mutual respect — that all must accept?
2.What values are non-negotiable?
In every society, there are basic standards: no violence, no discrimination, respect for human rights. These cannot be treated as optional cultural quirks.
3.How do we foster real integration?
Shared language, shared civic participation, and cross-cultural dialogue matter much more than showcasing ethnic festivals.
4.How do we address radicalisation?
Freedom of expression and cultural preservation are important — but when violent ideologies infect individuals or groups, societies need tools for prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation.
Mature multiculturalism recognises that peaceful coexistence requires more than a music festival or fusion cuisine. It requires:
Shared civic values
Mutual respect for the humanity of every resident
Commitment to law and order
Education that builds bridges instead of silos
Looking at the heartbreak in Bondi and other flashpoints around the world, we see that multiculturalism isn't just about accommodating diversity — it's about integrating it into the civic foundation that holds diverse societies together.
In other words: if multiculturalism is just about food, costume, and superficially pleasant rituals, it won't survive the hard tests — the moments that really matter — where people's lives, safety, and deepest identities are on the line. As I see it, multiculturalism has already failed badly; "mature" multiculturalism is really decaying multiculturalism. So, whose idea was it?