Muslim community leaders in Australia expressed grave concerns over a sharp increase in Islamophobic incidents, urging the government to take immediate action. This call comes on the heels of a damning report from the Islamophobia Register Australia. It showed a shocking 530 percent increase in similar incidents since October 7, 2023. The bipartisan report urgently calls for action to address the double standards in definitions of terrorism. It highlights the community relations damage these inequities are causing in profound ways.
Nora Amath is co-executive director of the Islamophobia Register Australia. She noted that instances connected to Neo-Nazi or sovereign citizen organizations almost never are defined as acts of terrorism. She insisted that this distinction impacts our response to violence in society and that it creates an inequity in who receives help. She noted that for the Muslim community, there is an acute awareness of the double standard in the use of the word ‘terrorist.’ To prove her point, she compared the coverage of violent acts when the perpetrators are Muslims versus non-Muslims.
“If it’s a young Muslim person who engages in violent acts, they are immediately deemed a terrorist; however, when a non-Muslim engages in a violent act, there are other confounding issues, whether it’s mental health or other reasons.” – Nora Amath
Rise in Islamophobia Incidents
The increase in Islamophobic incidents is troubling, as community leaders of all backgrounds and faiths know all too well. The IIROCA documents disturbing acts of violence, including physical assault, verbal abuse and general intimidation amongst a growing register of Islamophobic attacks. Most astoundingly, these threats have disproportionately affected visibly Muslim women most often. Bilal Rauf, senior advisor to the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC), believes it is crucial to educate non-Muslims. He feels that this will go a long way towards demystifying negative perceptions about the Muslim community.
Rauf emphasized how the rallies against immigrants have produced an atmosphere where this kind of hostility is encouraged. He pointed out that the anti-immigration rally has formed a domestic flashpoint. This atmosphere has resulted in an alarming increase in acts of Islamophobia.
Ward leaders described largely positive experiences in Denver, but highlighted important and troubling incidents that have caused concern. For example, an imitation bomb was found in a Gold Coast mosque. These acts of intimidation have sparked a call to adopt a stronger legal framework to combat Islamophobia.
Calls for Government Action
Muslim groups have been pushing for the incorporation of religion into anti-discriminatory laws for a very long time. They make the case that our current legal protections are inadequate in the face of this increasing wave of hate. Gamel Kheir fervently underscored an issue that I found fundamental. It is the bedrock of many people’s lives,” he said, adding that the law provides “almost no protection” to those individuals.
He called for the short, actionable recommendations that could make a difference today. These must be informed by Aftab Malik, the recently appointed Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia. Kheir is already preparing to submit a follow-up report chock full of suggested new measures. He hopes these tantalizing suggestions will lead to more social cohesion. From what we’ve seen, these recommendations are desperately needed, he told a conference on sustainable transportation. They will play a crucial role in promoting social cohesion.
Rauf had a similar take but warned that the government response needs to be thoughtful. He cautioned against tracking Muslims with counter-terrorism efforts that could inadvertently go on to isolate them even more from civil society.
“When there’s a myopic view of it, or one which has a disproportionate impact on some communities, it has the reverse effect; it actually drives further division.” – Bilal Rauf
The Path Forward
Community leaders are focusing on education as one of the most powerful weapons available to fight Islamophobia. In addition to interfaith dialogue, Rauf called for educational efforts to help non-Muslims understand Islamic beliefs and practices. He added that the broader Australian Muslim community stood to gain from greater education about Islamic beliefs. He argued that, contrary to popular perception, Islamic practices actually complement Australian values.
Muslim leaders underline the importance of his statement, particularly the need for media companies to be more responsible in their reporting. Rauf cautioned that over-dramatizing narratives that feature Muslims will only serve to harden damaging stereotypes. The media has a duty to be more responsible in that and how they sensationalize Muslims and further portray them as extremists, he explained.
Imam Hadi concluded by stressing the importance of continued engagement with lawmakers about the daily difficulties and fears that Muslim communities are currently experiencing. He recalled that in an early report, someone had left a pig head behind in here. We raised this problem directly with the envoy and prime minister.
