Everyday Reality
The Australian Ex-prime minister, Scott Morrison, once said, “I don’t know if Australians understand Islam very well.” The Australian Government’s (new) Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, spending five weeks travelling across Australia points out, “I have heard heartbreaking stories that illustrate how Islamophobia manifests in everyday life, and negatively affects the lives of everyday Australians... a very public display of hate… abhorrent hate messages and sometimes death threats that Muslims and their institutions receive on so many instances.” He adds, “Islamophobia is one of those hidden cancers that eats away at social cohesion.”
A Phenomenon on the Rise
Since 7th Oct 2023, there has been a 600% increase in anti-Muslim acts and crimes. However, some leading organizations such as, Islamophobia Register Australia (The Register), assert that the rise in Islamophobic incidents is even more alarming - 1300% with an escalating rate. This indicates that anti-Muslim hate and crime have been unprecedented due to stereotypes about Islam and Muslims. The average number of reports per week has risen to 16, compared to just two or three reports prior to October 7. In addition, there has been a 39-fold increase on university campuses across the country.
Although Islamophobic acts such as, harassment and abuse against Muslims were documented over the past decade, they as well as other ones have become socially accepted; they become ‘not surprising’ or ‘normalized’ according to The New South Wales Islamic Council . This mainly indicates to a troubling new social behavior. Reportedly, a good many reports tell that abuse or violence take place in public places; bystanders rarely intervene, despite victims are mainly women.
Shapes of anti-Islam Islam hatred (Islamophobia) in Australia, like many other European countries to get Muslims feel unwelcomed, varies from everyday discrimination or harassment, intimidation, offensive graffiti or slogans, or outright abuse or hatred. Sometimes it is even violent acts or vandalism against places of worship in particular. These forms of abuse typically affect all groups of Muslims, with intense mistreatment directed against women, particularly involving the grabbing of their clothes or having their hijabs ripped off their heads, under the pretext that they are hiding bombs beneath them.
Significant Past Terrorist Events are Referenced
In general, significant terrorist events targeting Muslims are referenced when new attacks occur, notably the mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15, 2019, which resulted in 51 fatalities and
89 injuries.
High-Ranked Threatened
While anti-Muslim hate effects all social classes of Muslims, it is astonishing that a current female senator from the Labor Party, Fatima Payman, was also targeted, receiving letters with sexual violence and
death threats. Payman is now independent, she establishing a new political party after leaving the Labor Party.
Denied despite Proven
Although Islamophobia takes place on a daily basis, some officials or members of parliament assert that islamophobia or Islam hate is just “fictitious” as recently and simultaneously stated by Senator Dave Sharma, despite others are aware of the phenomenon asserting that it tests Australia as a society as compared with anti-Semitism.
All Forms of Abuse are Rejected
Regarding that point, Malik emphasized that he has met his counterpart on anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, several times. Malik pointed out that he strongly condemns the recent anti-Semitic attacks in Melbourne and Sydney, just as he condemns the incidents of arson, graffiti, and vandalism that have plagued mosques across Australia, which have largely gone officially unnoticed. Malik adds that he strongly urges Australian politicians and community representatives not only to be passionate but also empathetic. We cannot condemn one form of hate (anti-Semitism) while overlooking or even denying the existence of another (Islamophobia).
Freedom of Expression together with Increasing Awareness
Some believe that Islamophobia is a concept deliberately designed to shut down freedom of speech stopping criticism of Muslims or Islam. But the thing is that people are free to dislike Islam, or any other faith, not only Islam. At that point, when criticism is directed solely at Islam, dislike turns into discrimination, which can later develop into abuse and eventually violence against Islam and Muslims.
‘The Register’ asserts that despite increasing Islamophobic acts and crimes, there is a lack of societal awareness about it across the country. Similarly, Malik emphasized that he will provide recommendations to the federal government to raise awareness at universities, student associates, and policymakers in order to tackle Islamophobia; there must be government measures to improve safety for Muslims such as, combating stereotypes, and ensuring perpetrators are held accountable.
Regardless of their faith, people must enjoy their rights and perform their duties equally. In other words, politicizing such religious and social issues do make them feel excluded rather than included and valued.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/18/islamophobia-is-an-everyday-reality-for-too-many-australians-ntwnfb
https://www.northweststar.com.au/story/8849712/anti-islam-hate-spikes-with-shocking-details-revealed/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-17/islamophobia-special-envoy-offensive-graffiti-western-sydney/104737262
https://islamophobia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Islamophobia-Register-Australia_24-MAY-Press-Release.pdf
https://islamophobia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/BYSTANDER-ACTIVATION-Being-present-and-aware-means-bystanders-can-play-a-vital-role-by-taking-action-and-intervening-if-they-feel-it-is-safe-to-do-so.-2.pdf
https://www.amust.com.au/2024/02/islamophobia-register-australia-releases-activation-of-bystanders-campaign-and-media-report/