Muslim Australians and people expressing support for Palestine are facing a surge in abuse, attacks and potential professional exclusion, fresh data shows.
Islamophobic incidents have increased more than sixfold over the past 21 months compared with a similar period before Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Earlier this year, a study found women and girls made up the majority of reported Islamophobic incidents in Australia.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
More than 1500 incidents have been reported to the Islamophobic Register Australia in the period since the attack.
“We’ve seen deeply inadequate responses from governments, institutions, civil society,” register co-executive director Sharara Attai said.
About 1200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage when Hamas, a designated terrorist group in Australia, attacked Israel. Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 60,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The conflict has led to increases in both Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents across Australia, including arson and graffiti attacks on places of worship.
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But the federal government’s response to the two issues had been unbalanced, Ms Attai said.
“The government is taking the issue of antisemitism seriously, and rightly so,” she said.
“The issue is that Islamophobia has not been treated with the same level of concern by government and by the media.”
The register’s latest report warned against the use of definitions of racism like the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, due to concerns it could be used to stymie criticism of the Israeli government and its actions.
Australia’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, has recommended the definition be adopted across all levels of government and by public institutions.
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The Islamophobia report found increasing levels of systemic issues targeting both Muslim and non-Muslim Australians who face reputational damage and professional exclusion for supporting Palestinian rights.
These include being uninvited from speaking engagements or being reprimanded or investigated for social media posts, such as wrongfully dismissed radio host Antoinette Lattouf.
Meanwhile, tough anti-protest laws in NSW and similar legislation under consideration in Victoria were a worry for all Australians, independent researcher Dr Naser Alziyadat said.
“What is truly alarming is the systemic erosion of the democratic values that Australia has long cherished,” Alziyadat said.
AAP