Record Rise in
Islamophobia Incidents in Australia
Aftab Malik, Australia’s Special
Envoy for Combating Islamophobia, announced that anti-Muslim incidents have
seen a “sharp increase” across the country since the outbreak of the Israeli
aggression on the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
Malik submitted his first report
to the government on Friday, including a comprehensive set of recommendations
to review counter-terrorism laws and procedures, with the aim of investigating
the potential existence of discrimination against Muslims.
The report, which spans 60 pages
and contains 54 recommendations, also called for a wide-ranging inquiry to
understand the motivations behind Islamophobia and its impact on social
cohesion and government policies.
Malik told reporters that
“Islamophobia in Australia persists, often ignored or denied, but it has not
been adequately addressed.”
He added that anti-Islam
sentiment has become deeply rooted since the September 11, 2001 attacks, noting
that personal Islamophobic incidents have risen by 150%, while online attacks
have increased by 250% since October 7, 2023.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
emphasized the importance of taking the recommendations seriously, stating that
targeting individuals based on their religious beliefs “is not only an attack
on them but an attack on our core values.”
He affirmed that “Australians
must feel safe in their own country, and hatred and bias that fuel Islamophobia
and societal division must be eradicated.”
The government has recorded a
noticeable rise in Islamophobic and anti-Semitic incidents since the beginning
of the war between Israel and Hamas.
It is worth noting that Gillian
Segal, the Special Envoy for Combating Anti-Semitism, issued her first report
two months ago, emphasizing the need to protect Jewish students and review
university policies related to government funding.
According to the 2021 census,
Muslims constitute approximately 3.2% of Australia’s population.
Source: News Agencies
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