Australia's special envoy to combat Islamophobia has released his National Response to Islamophobia report, making 54 recommendations to the Australian government to combat the "real and pervasive" impact of Islamophobia in Australia.
The report said Islamophobia was an "urgent priority" that has risen to "unprecedented levels" following the start of the Hamas-Israel war on October 7.
Special envoy Aftab Malik said the report was a "critical and long-awaited moment" for the Muslim communities of Australia.
"The reality is that Islamophobia in Australia has been persistent, at times ignored and other times denied, but never fully addressed," Malik said at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
"Not too long from now, I hope that we are able to look back at this historic moment and see it as a turning point for addressing Islamophobia and turning words into meaningful action."
He said the report demonstrated that Islamophobia remained a "deeply ingrained societal challenge" and called for it to be confronted with "equal urgency" to other discriminatory practices.
Speaking alongside Malik, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would consider the report's recommendations.
He also left the door open to reviving religious discrimination legislation, which was shelved last year.
What did the report find?
The report was a culmination of discussions between Malik and over 100 Muslim individuals, peak body representatives, and community and religious leaders.
"In Australia today, Islamophobia is a pervasive, and at times terrifying, reality that has devastating consequences for victims, eroding social cohesion. The normalisation of Islamophobia is so widespread that many incidents go unreported," the report wrote.
It said the incidences of Islamophobia "necessitates urgent government intervention".
It found that Muslim women — who can carry visual markers of the Islamic faith in the form of the hijab — comprised the majority of targets of reported incidents of everyday Islamophobia.
Malik outlined physical and verbal assault that Muslim women were subject to, including having their hijabs ripped off, being spat at, and being choked and punched.
Men were found to be disproportionately targeted by structural Islamophobia, particularly in relation to law enforcement.
Malik added that Islamophobia had "intensified" over the past two decades since the September 11 attacks and that incidents had "skyrocketed" since the 7 October 2023 when Hamas — the political and military group that rules Gaza — launched an attack on Israel, sparking the nearly two-year-long Hamas-Israel war.
"The attack[s] which followed have arguably been driven by anti-Palestinian hate and racism ... [which] makes people view all Muslims and terrorists," he said.
The Islamophobia Register Australia said it "consistently documented a continued rise in anti-Muslim hate incidents, which saw an 'alarming escalation' during 2023-2024", both online and in person.
Since October 7 2023, reported incidents of Islamophobia have increased by 537 per cent, according to the Islamophobia Register Australia.
"The combination of local and global terrorist attacks, the promotion of a constant fear of, and threat from, local Muslim extremists, confusion, distortion, and misrepresentation of Islam, has generated significant anxiety and fear toward Muslim Australians," the report read.
"This has resulted in them being perceived more negatively than members of any other religious group for an extended period."
Fifty-four recommendations
The report put forward 54 recommendations for the Australian government to combat Islamophobia, with Malik saying: "the issue is not a lack of evidence, but a lack of action".
The recommendations are tailored for every major agency in the Australian government and encapsulate three key areas: accountability and responsibility; protection and support; and education and awareness.
Malik explained: "Accountability and responsibility: holding individuals and institutions accountable for hate speech and discriminatory actions and policies.
"Protection and support: ensuring that victims of Islamophobia have accessible support services and that communities feel safe and valued.
"Education and awareness: challenge Islamophobia, promote understanding and respectful dialogue through training, media, the arts and education."
What specific recommendations did the report put forward?
The special envoy called for the implementation of religious discrimination protections at the federal level, which would affect all religions.
He called for Islamophobia to be treated with "equivalent urgency to other discriminatory practices" and for it to be given the same rights and legal protections as other characteristics, including race and gender.
Malik also called for the review of counter-terrorism laws and their application, including the creation of a Muslim advisory panel to provide insights into the impact of the laws on the community.
His report also recommended a commission of inquiry into both Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism, recommending the examination of the extent of Islamophobia in Australia, the role of media in contributing to rising hostilities, and the gendered nature of Islamophobia, amongst others.
The report also recommended that the Department of Education lead the development of an overarching anti-racism and inclusivity framework, as well as greater education into Muslim history, Islam, and education on similarities between the major Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The report recommended extra funding to enhance the safety and security of Muslim institutions, including schools, community centres and mosques.
Social cohesion is also a big focus, with calls for federal, state and local government coordination to strengthen social cohesion through community education, cultural festivals, interfaith initiatives, and media that highlight Muslim lived experience.
"This report demonstrates that Islamophobia remains a deeply ingrained societal challenge and, as such, will require it to be confronted with equal urgency to other discriminatory practices," Mailk said.
"This prejudice undermines the core value of mutual respect, fairness and compassion. It also disproportionately disenfranchises Australian Muslims, who are not asking for special treatment, but equal recognition of harm."
Albanese to 'carefully consider' recommendations
At a joint press conference with Malik, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would be giving the report "proper consideration".
"Australians should be able to feel safe and at home in any community. 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 said he would "carefully consider" the recommendations and continue to "work closely" with Malik.
Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly said the report would "give voice to Muslims across Australia who have long endured discrimination, racism, and at times, some pretty abhorrent acts of outright hatred".
Sharara Attai from the Islamophobic Register Australia said the report was a "commendable start" and urged the federal government to "adopt the recommendations".
She highlighted the importance of recommendation nine, which calls for greater community reporting and documentation of Islamophobic hate crimes and hate incidents.
"This is important because there is widespread mistrust in the Australian government within the Muslim community," Attai told ABC News.
"Community-led efforts in tackling Islamophobia need to be front and centre."
She specifically called for more community initiatives that are women-led to combat the disproportionately gendered nature of Islamophobic attacks.
'Mend federal discrimination laws'
"If we want to see change in this space, a key part of that is mending those federal discrimination laws. But it really needs to go a lot further than that," Attai said.
Labor promised at the 2022 federal election to introduce religious discrimination legislation, which would bar discrimination in public places such as workplaces, schools, clubs and healthcare facilities on religious beliefs.
But it was shelved in 2024, with Albanese blaming a lack of support from the Opposition, when Peter Dutton was leader, and rising community tensions.
Ahead of this year's May federal election, Albanese said he would not reintroduce the legislation unless there was "broad support".
During Friday's press conference, he said he would "certainly support religious discrimination legislation" but said he would "expect parties of government to be supportive of such a reform", adding that he would willing to work with Opposition leader Sussan Ley on the legislation.
"It's a simple principle, one of respect, but we would need to have that consensus amongst the major parties in order to do so."
