Anti-Muslim incidents have “skyrocketed” across Australia since Israel initiated a genocidal war in Gaza after the Oct.7 attack, the country’s Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia said.
The envoy, Aftab Malik, handed his first report to the government on Friday. The report’s 54 recommendations include a review of counterterrorism laws and procedures to investigate potential discrimination.
Malik also recommended a wide-ranging inquiry into anti-Muslim incidents to investigate their main drivers and potential discrimination in government policies.
“The reality is that Islamophobia in Australia has been persistent, at times ignored and other times denied, but never fully addressed,” Malik told reporters.
Anti-Muslim incidents had intensified since Al Qaeda attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, and had become entrenched, he said.
Anti-Muslim incidents in person had increased by 150 percent — and by 250 percent online — since October 2023, Malik said.
“Since October 7, 2023, Islamophobic incidents have skyrocketed,” Malik said.
‘Stamp out the hate’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would “carefully consider” Malik’s recommendations.
“The targeting of Australians based on their religious beliefs is not only an attack on them, but it’s an attack on our core values,” Albanese said.
“We must stamp out the hate, fear and prejudice that drives Islamophobia and division in our society,” he added.
The government has acknowledged steep rises in both anti-Muslim and antisemitic incidents in Australia since the Gaza war began.
Jillian Segal was appointed envoy to combat antisemitism in July 2024 and Malik began his three-year role in October.
Segal recommended, in her first report two months ago, that Australian universities lose government funding unless they address attacks on Jewish students, and that potential immigrants be screened for political affiliations.
According to the 2021 Australian Census, 3.2 percent of the Australian population is Muslim.
Anti-Muslim attacks on the rise globally
Anti-Muslim attacks have surged globally in 2024, with nations from Europe to North America reporting sharp rises, driven by polarising politics and social media rhetoric.
Germany saw 3,080 documented incidents, a 60 percent jump from 2023, with attacks ranging from harassment to murders, averaging more than eight cases daily, according to a report by the right group German Alliance against Islamophobia and Discrimination against Muslims, also known as CLAIM.
The CLAIM report revealed a grim spectrum of violence: two murders, 198 assaults, three attempted murders, four arsons, 122 property attacks, and 259 other offences, including robbery.
European Commission coordinator Marion Lalisse warned that anti-Muslim hatred is spreading into media, politics, and society, normalising discrimination and threatening fundamental European values.
Across Europe, racist attacks climbed sharply: France recorded 16,000 crimes, the UK over 1,000 anti-Muslim assaults, while rhetoric in the Netherlands and Bosnia inflamed tensions further.
In March, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) said anti-Muslim discrimination had risen in the US by 7.4 percent in 2024 following the start of Israel's carnage in besieged Gaza.
Experts call for urgent action, demanding diverse media representation, stronger government intervention, and societal vigilance to protect Muslim communities and uphold shared democratic principles.
