It is absolutely unacceptable that individuals going about their daily lives should be subjected to vile hate directed at their faith and the causes they support.

It is most likely you saw the footage from December 20, where a Muslim mother and daughter experienced abhorrent intimidation and hate while simply shopping in Bankstown.

This incident, alongside a previous attack where the same alleged perpetrator attempted to run down Shaykh Wesam Charkawi, a respected imam and advocate for Palestine, is just horrifying.

What we are seeing here is the intersection of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism in our country, and it has to stop.

I wish these acts of hatred didn’t happen, but they did. I wish they were isolated, but they’re not.

These acts of hatred are not isolated; they exemplify ordinary Islamophobia that occurs for too many Muslims across Australia, and which undermines social cohesion. We must unequivocally condemn both Islamophobia and anti Palestinian racism for what they are: corrosive forces that breed mistrust, fear, hatred and division.

I have engaged with the relevant authorities to ensure these incidents are treated with the seriousness they deserve. After listening to the many cries for help from community, I am actively taking in to account how to improve the way relevant state and federal authorities respond to incidents like this, and more broadly what urgent action is needed to reduce the prevalence of Islamophobia in Australia.

Hate has no place in our society.

To ensure a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all, it is imperative that we unite in challenging behaviours and acts of hate, that perpetrators are held to account and that Islamophobia is taken seriously.

Aftab Malik
Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia
27 December 2024