Not everyone is mourning the death of the Queen. Here's why

Despite her popularity, the death of Queen Elizabeth II is not being mourned by everybody, with some pointing out her role in colonialism.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip watch an Aboriginal culture exhibition.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh watching a culture show at Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park, in Cairns, Australia on 1 March 2002. Credit: Fiona Hanson

As people around the world continue to pay their respects to the Queen, not everyone is mourning her death.

Nyadol Nyoun, lawyer and chair of the Melbourne-based women's migrant and refugee group Harmony Alliance, wrote on Twitter that there was a wide spectrum in the way people perceive the Queen.

While she's not bothered by people mourning her death, she said it's important to remember not everyone celebrates the legacy of the United Kingdom's monarchy, with many critical of her role as the head of state while many countries under the Commonwealth around the world were colonised.

"Many parts of the world don't share the same version of history the Western World told itself," she said.
Queen Elizabeth sits on a gold throne at the House of Lords
Britain's Queen Elizabeth delivers a speech in the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London on 11 May, 2021. Source: AAP / AP
Wiradjuri professor of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University Sandy O'Sullivan reminded people that for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II was not one to commemorate.

"For those saying we should be magnanimous about the passing of the Queen, a reminder that the Queen inserted herself into the lives of Indigenous people here multiple times," Professor O'Sullivan wrote on Twitter.
"She wasn't a bystander to the effects of colonisation and colonialism, she was an architect of it.

"For everyone saying she was a kindly grandmother, they fail to see that she had a job for decades that oversaw actions that made Indigenous peoples' [sic] lives worse."

Professor O'Sullivan said the Queen's death is a timely reminder to "hold the mirror up to the crown and to the Queen."

"She was the one who maintained a colonial rule, her boot on us."

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Published 9 September 2022 2:35pm
Updated 9 September 2022 4:35pm
By Rayane Tamer
Source: SBS News



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