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https://theconversation.com/the-governments-response-to-islamophobia-report-is-big-on-lofty-ideals-short-on-details-287863>
"The Albanese government has handed down its response to its special envoy’s
report on Islamophobia in Australia, ten months after it was tabled. Despite
some positive steps forward, the response doesn’t go nearly far enough to
address the scope of the problem.
Special envoy Aftab Malik’s report had 54 recommendations for how to tackle
Islamophobia. The government has agreed to adopt slightly more than half (35)
of them.
Islamophobia takes many forms in Australia. Recent scholarship defines it as
anti-Muslim prejudice and racism that affects people’s rights and freedoms
across several key domains. These include physical violence, interpersonal
prejudice, structural discrimination and social exclusion.
This definition emphasises the link between institutional forms of Islamophobia
and the anti-Muslim attitudes held by individuals. It also interprets
Islamophobia as a distinct form of racism, which has become more prevalent in
recent years as Islamic religion, traditions and culture have become seen as a
“threat” to Western values.
Statistics illustrate the growing problem. The
Islamophobia Register noted a
dramatic increase in reported incidents of Islamophobia from January 2023
through November 2024. There were more than 300 confirmed “in-person” incidents
reported to the register, more than double the average of any previous
reporting period. There were also 366 online incidents, more than three times
the average for previous reporting periods.
And in the Scanlon Foundation’s recent
Mapping Social Cohesion Report, 35% of
Australians said they had negative views of Muslims in 2025, compared to 27% in
2023. This was by far the highest percentage for any faith group.
Statistics like these show the extent of the challenge facing Muslim
Australians in achieving meaningful belonging and equality in Australian
society. So, the government response to Malik’s report could not be more timely
or important."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
