When Queanbeyan born and raised poet and hip hop artist Omar Musa refused Queanbeyan City Council’s offer to make him Australia Day ambassador last week, he didn’t realise that his stance would cause such an internet sensation.
Musa- who now lives in Melbourne- thanked council for its offer, but refused on the grounds that the date of January 26 commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 when the British claimed sovereignty in Australia.
Musa said he was in favour of a national day, but thought January 26 was a difficult date for Aboriginal people to celebrate.
But when the Canberra Times reported Musa’s position last week, the website was soon awash with reader comments and Musa’s Twitter account lit up with messages, some supportive, some critical, and some downright aggressive.
No one was more surprised than Musa.
“I think I mentioned it (council’s offer) to a friend, and they mentioned it to someone and it got passed down the line a bit. And then, out of the blue, I got this call from the Canberra Times,” he said.
“It’s been pretty full on since then.”
For the full story pick up a copy of tomorrow’s Queanbeyan Age
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