A SYDNEY couple has withdrawn their two children from a public primary school, claiming their 11-year-old son was bullied by Muslim students because he ate a salami sandwich during Ramadan. Andrew Grigoriou complained to the school and to police after his son Antonios was chased and later assaulted by Muslim students after a confrontation over the contents of his lunchbox.
Helen Grigoriou comforts her son Antonios who was allegedly beaten by Muslim students at his school. Picture: Jeff Herbert
According to this report, Antonios, a Year 5 student of Greek-Australian background at Punchbowl Public School in Sydney’s southwest, said he and a friend had to be locked inside the library for an hour after being chased by a group of Muslim boys offended by his choice of food while they were fasting.
The Grigoriou family said the following exchange took place:
Muslim student to Antonios:
Why are you eating ham, it’s Ramadan?
Antonios:
My mum packed this for lunch today.
Muslim student:
Don’t eat that. How can you eat pig, it’s disgusting.
During the confrontation a Muslim boy allegedly accused Antonios of saying: “Fuck the Muslims” but Antonios denied swearing.
Mr Grigoriou said he removed his son and a younger child from the school after the boy was punched in the eye and kicked in the legs by a Muslim student.
It has broken my heart to see this happening to my boy.
He said that Antonios, who wrote about his experiences in words and drawings, still has nightmares.
The Department of Education and Training said it had a zero tolerance policy towards racism.
“Claims of bullying or racial intolerance are taken very seriously and looked into,” a spokeswoman said. “The School Education Director is looking into the matter and called the father concerned.
As a result … the school will work with all families and students involved to ensure that the values promoted by Punchbowl Public School and the department are understood and supported.
After the salami sandwich incident a student described as “the ringleader of the group” was suspended from the school. The department said that the school had
Ongoing cultural and interfaith awareness programs to improve understanding among students of events like Ramadan and Christmas.
Other parents also complained about bullying at the school and claimed victims received too little protection.
One said her 12-year-old son was scared to open his lunch box at school because he was harassed about what is in it.
He has been bullied from day one … about being a Christian and about the hot salami in his lunch box. My boy has a Greek background … the bullying is extreme. He has been called a fat pig and hit on the back with a stick.
Another mother said her young son refused to go on school excursions for fear he would be bashed.
Helen Grigoriou comforts her son Antonios who was allegedly beaten by Muslim students at his school. Picture: Jeff Herbert
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
November 19th, 2009 at 8:23 am
“Everyone’s got to live their life according to our rules” again – even the kids have picked up on it!
November 19th, 2009 at 8:25 am
oh dear…the religion of peace and submission has lost it’s way again….
that was irony by the way …
I meant of course the religion of “oppression” “mutilation” “subjugation” and “do as we say or we’ll blow you up and I don’t care because there’s 70 palm trees waiting for me when I die huh ? wot? wtf?…they told me virgins”
November 19th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Once again, islam is proving to be more vile and disgusting than christianity has or will ever be.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Horrible story.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Shame the confrontation wasn’t between a jew and muslim as they both share the same irrational fear of pork – that would be a good headline. Pigs are clean intelligent creatures so I’m pleased the muzzies and jews don’t eat pork because they are spared the barbarism of ritual slaughter.
The muzzies just can’t keep their stupid beliefs to themselves; they have to drag everyone else down to their stone-age level.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Like Christian boys never bully Muslim boys? Get real! Look, children form gangs and bully each other, if parents and teachers allow it. They’ll use religion to define gangs, if that’s available. But if they’re all from the same religion/ethnic group, then they’ll use something else.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:18 am
“cultural and interfaith awareness programs ”
By the time most Aussies are aware of what’s happening it’ll be too late just like Europe.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:39 am
That’s no excuse, @Tom Rees. The British Humanist Association are launching a poster campaign now regarding the brainwashing of children. Look it up!
November 19th, 2009 at 10:34 am
“Bacon tastes good. Pork chops taste good”
November 19th, 2009 at 11:05 am
the word peace can you define it for me,children must be thought how to respect each other,i don’t care if you have hatred of me being who i am, my religion is nobody’s business, regards to what i eat how eat it, its nobody’s business, children should learn from their home,never to be a busy body, why should they start that trouble any way in the first place,parents need to discipline their kids stay out of trouble whats your business if anyone eats what they eat,he is European,why cant you leave him alone,after all he eats what he eat into his own stomach,live in Rome do as the Romans do, that is what i call love respect, then comes peace then comes practical joy, show me a true christian and ill show you a GOD fearing respectfully humble child willing to die for their neighbors not willing to kill, every one is your neighbor peace,
November 19th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
There is only one way to stop the bulling.
When I (a geek) was bullied they thought they had an easy victim. Until I beat the crap out the bullies. Once the word spread that this geek was not putting up with it all bulling stop for me anyway others were not so lucky. And yes because I won, the nuns wanted to punish me, until my dad heard about it then the nuns got an ear full and they left me alone.
When I had kids they were trained as soon as they got big enough to handle martial arts. We gave public demos on how kids can defend themselves. When they were at school they were polite and friendly and everyone there knew my daughter could beat the crap out of any boy, They NEVER bullied her no matter what she said.
This may seem violent to some but it really isn’t. They perceived her willingness to fight back so she never had to fight at all. None of us have ever used violence against others because they could tell from our stance/behavior that we would carry the fight if they started anything. Kids are not taught politeness, consideration, tolerance, AND the willingness to go the distance. With out the last part bullies will always see the weakness and take advantage. And enforcing rules by the teachers/principles/etc???? HahAhAhAhAhahahahaaaaaaa, never has and never will work. In fact every instance of that being tried, that I have ever seen, has resulted in the victims of the bully being blamed.
November 19th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
re the twat who thinks that being terrified of her “God” is virtuous: I’ll be charitable and assume that English is not her first language.
As for the troll who persists in proving his insanity to people who already know he is not sparking on all neurons: you’re braindead; get yourself buried.
November 19th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
The twat? Classy. Real cogent argument there, William.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I used the word “twat” in the common British/Australian sense of “a person of either sex whose behaviour or thinking is less than adequate.” I do not use language that denigrates women for being women, and should have realized that my comment could be interpreted as doing so. I was culpably clumsy.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
@barriejohn Yeah I know. I’m a member of the BHA. In fact I’m a member of the Brighton & Hove Humanist Association – like Barry Duke! Doesn’t change the fact that young boys have a tendency to bully, and religion is a tool that they use, not the cause of it.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
It was really refreshing to read a news report that reported what happened, instead of falling back on stupid euphemisms like “the F-word” or “he said F*** the muslims”. Good on you, Barry.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:16 am
You are the best thinker Mr Tom Rees.
I GREET you.
I sensed the rationality of your thinking
Thanks for your comment.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Boot the fkn muslims, they can do own thing but do not pick on other people who don’t believe their bull crap
November 20th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Well, in my opinion @Tom Rees’s remarks are trivialising this situation. I used to be a teacher, and prior to that I was also a child (a little boy, in fact). I never in my life came across anything like this. These kids are obviously taking their cue from their parents, yet THEY are the ones who should be ensuring that their little darlings do NOT grow up to be carbon copies of the boys in “Lord of the Flies”! Did you read about the Swindon schoolboy who was almost killed in a hammer attack by Asian youths at his school? There may have been more of a racist agenda there, but, surprise, surprise, there was strong involvement by older youths from the “community” outside the school!!
November 21st, 2009 at 2:45 pm
@tom rees et al., while i agree that kids are just kids, that is, that they do gang up on other kids for the silliest of reasons, i also am deeply concerned with the incitement to intolerance and hatred that seems to touch some segments of the muslim population. i’m not saying that they all say or agree with things like what we can all see on palestinian television (go check out http://www.memritv.org for a fun ride), i’m saying that extreme and medieval hatred of all things related to israel and its perceived allies, together with a very much adolescent persecution complex, make for communities where violence is trivialised and even lauded as retribution.
i’m not implying that extremists are not a tiny minority, but, as a son of québec’s secular “révolution tranquille”, i’m deeply concerned that the silent majority of muslims living in my borough of montréal are not doing enough to marginalise and reject extremists in their mosques and community centres. i’m concerned that they are spending more time denouncing a supposed backlash against them than the violence that would have triggered it.
November 21st, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Just another example of how a meme we call a “religion” is really a “hate cult”.
August 17th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
kids in general are mean! ok so here is a story about muslim boys bullying a non muslim for eating something, non muslim kids bully muslims for wearing a head covering, sikhs for wearing turbans etc. shit happens, just because of a case of bullying it doesnt give one right to slate ones religion (goes both ways). yeh so you hear about muslims blowing up stuff, but if you actually know anything about the religion youl know that Islam forbids it and those who do it have gone astray. and im sure you’ve all heard about the egyption lady who was stabbed 18 times infront of her kid, so why isnt the person who did it labelled as a christian or a jewish/ terrorist? thers a lot of things wrong in this world. please open your eyes and dont believe all the garbage in the media.
August 19th, 2010 at 9:43 am
Well said Tahera;
Cherry picking is extremely dangerous whether you are a believer or non believer – As humanists you guys should already understand the nature of Humans; peer pressure; getting kicks; pushing boundaries etc
collective thinking – I oppose the actions of the kids and wholeheartedly agree that they should be raised with better understanding. on the flip side if I were the single kid being bullied about my faith because it is stupid and didnt make sense (or whatever you guys believe) and then decided to stand my ground im sure the animalistic nature we all have would have seen my ass getting kicked and you guys sounding like apologists right (or right winged extremists).