Five years ago, then prime minister Scott Morrison stated on national television: “I don’t know if Australians understand Islam very well.”
It seems this is still the case in 2024.
After spending five weeks travelling across this nation as the new special envoy to combat Islamophobia, defined broadly as anti-Muslim hate or prejudice, I have heard heartbreaking stories that illustrate how Islamophobia manifests in everyday life, and negatively affects the lives of everyday Australians.
Sometimes it manifests as discrimination or harassment. Sometimes as abuse. Sometimes outright hatred. And sometimes violent acts or vandalism.
The offensive graffiti discovered on a busy underpass in Sydney’s west over the weekend is just the latest visible reminder of Islamophobia in Australia.
It puts into context just how wrong Senator Dave Sharma was stating that Islamophobia is “fictitious”.
Every day, Islamophobia affects children, teenagers at their most vulnerable, and adults alike.
The fact is that there has been a 600% increase in reports of Islamophobia since the 7 October atrocities last year and it wasn’t uncommon beforehand.
The evidence documenting anti-Muslim hate is overwhelming. Over the past decade, countless studies have detailed incidents of anti-Muslim crime and discrimination, and analysed the media tropes that perpetuate stereotypes about Islam and Muslims.
This body of work paints a troubling picture of a world in which harassment and abuse of Muslims are equal parts common and perceived as socially acceptable.
Many of the reports of abuse and violence take place in ordinary settings, where bystanders rarely intervene, and in the main, the victims are identifiable Muslim women.
These are common outrages. They’re everyday discrimination. They have all been reported to the Islamophobia Register Australia. They deserve our collective condemnation.
As an aside, the fact there are Muslim community organisations documenting Islamophobia on a register, and a special envoy to combat it, is a clue as to whether Islamophobia exists.
The offhand dismissal of the everyday abuse of our community juxtaposes awfully with the recent commentary by some of our leaders, and it’s dangerous. It tests us as a community and it tests Australia as a society.
I understand emotions are high right now. All Muslims do. But we should treat people the way we want to be treated.
In that spirit I offer this: attacks on any places of worship are horrendous – especially because they are sacred spaces for people to worship in the knowledge that they free and safe to do so.
I condemn the recent antisemitic attacks in Melbourne and Sydney.
I also condemn the incidents of arson, graffiti and vandalism which have haunted mosques across Australia that have largely gone unnoticed without any outrage from our leaders.
I urge our politicians and community representatives not only to be passionate but also empathetic. We cannot condemn one form of hate and then deny the existence of another.
There are some who believe Islamophobia is a concept designed to shut down freedom of speech and stop criticism of Muslims or Islam.
That’s not the case. People are free to dislike Islam, or any other faith.
But it manifests as Islamophobia when dislike turns into harassment, intimidation and abuse of Muslims, and discrimination against them. That’s real and it should be a concern for all members of society.
Senator Sharma has agreed to meet me this week. By no means is understanding alone the cure for Islamophobia, but it is a first step towards change.
It is imperative that we stop politicising suffering and work towards a more inclusive society, where every person, regardless of their faith, can feel safe and valued.
