The Albanese government’s long-awaited response to its special envoy’s report on Islamophobia has rejected calls for an overhaul of counter-terror laws, focusing instead on a new education taskforce and expanded community liaison teams for police.
The government has committed to a package of new measures across education and awareness, protection and support, social cohesion, and accountability.
The response includes a review of the education curriculum to strengthen racial and religious tolerance, new multicultural grant programs and additional mental health support, especially for Muslim women.
The government’s response comes 10 months after special envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, released his report with 54 recommendations.
Islamophobia envoy warns government not to wait for another Christchurch
Releasing the government’s response in Sydney on Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended his decision not to adopt all of the recommendations.
“We’ve said it’s independent advice. What we don’t do is we don’t contract out government,” he said.
“Some of [the recommendations] we have adopted in full and are acting on already. Others we’ll give further consideration to.”
Mr Albanese also sought to explain why he rebuffed a push to water down the importance of religion and ideology in defining terrorism in federal laws over Mr Malik’s concerns they could lead to discrimination.
“We operate our terror laws on the basis of appropriate advice from national security agencies,” Mr Albanese said.
“But primarily, we sit in the National Security Committee of the government and we take advice from our security agencies. I have confidence in them.”
The prime minister’s formal response came after Mr Malik said the government was taking too long to act on his report, released in September last year.
Aftab Malik made 54 recommendations in his report released in September last year.
Mr Malik, said he would continue to advocate for the recommendations that the government had not responded to.
“My report remains my independent advice to the government and the benchmark against which progress should be measured,” he said.
“Where the government has acted, I will support that progress.
The government’s response also rejects the special envoy’s recommendation to establish a commission of inquiry into anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism to examine the main drivers, causes, impacts and experiences.
Instead, it pointed to its delivery of “Australia’s first longitudinal study of Islamophobia” through the Australian Research Council Project.
“The government will consider how findings from this project can be analysed, including consideration of gendered impacts,” the government’s response said.
Anne Aly says the government has recognised Islamophobia in Australia is “dangerously close to becoming normalised”. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)
Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly, who is Australia’s first Muslim federal parliamentarian, said the government’s responses go to “addressing some of the most significant manifestations of Islamophobia”.
“For the very first time, the very first time in the history of this country, we have a government that is willing to recognise that Islamophobia exists,” she said.
The government says the establishment of an Islamophobia Education Taskforce will include state and territory education authorities, agencies and departments to “rapidly help the education system prevent, tackle and properly respond to Islamophobia”.
A review of the Australian curriculum will examine all forms of hatred, including Islamophobia, to “identify opportunities” to strengthen racial and religious tolerance.
An expansion of the Australian Federal Police community liaison teams will include the establishment of a “communications portal” to better support Muslim communities experiencing Islamophobia.
‘Unprecedented step’: Islamic bodies respond
The Alliance of Australian Muslims [AAM] and the Australian National Imams Council [ANIC] have welcomed the government’s response to Mr Malik’s report.
“This is an unprecedented and important step in the right direction towards recognising and addressing the serious impact of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate in Australia,” AAM and ANIC said in a joint statement.
“While this response is welcome, much more remains to be done.”
The bodies said that meaningful and timely action must follow today’s response, supported by “clear commitments, appropriate resources and strong accountability”.
“This should include practical enhancements that lead to lasting systemic and structural improvements across government policy, education, legislation, community safety, public institutions.”
AAM represents more than 250 Muslim organisations across the nation, while ANIC represents hundreds of Imams from all states and territories.