The terrifying new reality faced by Muslim Australians

A new report shows a dramatic rise in recorded instances of Islamophobia between 2023 and 2024, casting a spotlight on the prevalence of anti-Muslim hate in Australia.

New research has highlighted the rising hatred directed towards Australia’s Muslim community, bubbling under the surface for over a decade.

Founded in 2014 during a period characterised by global fear and suspicion of Muslim communities, the Islamophobia Register Australia catalogues, maps, reports and analyses instances of Islamophobia in Australia.

The register focuses on both ‘online’ and ‘off-line’ instances of hate directed towards Muslims, and this year the numbers have risen.

Online instances of abuse were found by the Register to skyrocket in the aftermath of highly publicised incidents such as the Lindt Cafe Siege, which took place in December 2014. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Between January 2023 and November 2024, the register catalogued 309 confirmed in-person, or off-line reports of Islamophobia - more than double previous highest number.

The Register also recorded 366 verified online instances of Islamophobia.

Head of CSU’s Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation, Professor Mehmet Ozalp, believes the report is “not just statistics,” but that it represents “real lives impacted by fear, violence and systemic discrimination”.

Assoc Prof Mehmet Ozalp speaks at the Australasian Conference on Islam and Radicalisation at Novotel Parramatta. Picture: Supplied

“There is a growing sentiment within the Australian Muslim community that Islamophobia is not treated with the same urgency or seriousness as other forms of prejudice and discrimination,” he said.

“That disparity exacerbates the harm caused by Islamophobia, fostering a sense among Muslims that their experiences and rights are undervalued.”

Professor Ozalp believes there is an even more alarming disparity within recorded instances of Islamophobia that highlight Muslim women as significantly more vulnerable to abuse.

“Muslim women and girls constitute nearly 75 per cent of victims. From verbal abuse and physical assaults to the desecration of religious spaces, Muslim women bear the brunt of Islamophobia,” he said.

Muslim women often endure these forms of abuse while going about their business in “public spaces, workplaces and educational institutions”, he added.

Featured within the margins of the report are disturbing testimonies from Muslim Australians about their individual experiences.

People in Haldon Street in Lakemba on the opening of Lakemba nights. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

“I was walking to my local pool. A man intentionally crossed the road towards me so he could approach me and said, ‘you are going to die, you are going to die, all Muslims are going to die. I can’t wait for you to die. You are going to get killed and it will be great,” one woman told the Register.

“I am a single mum with two young children. My neighbour has been verbally abusing me and my children. She stated that she will ‘take my kids away and kill them,’ said ‘go back to your country’ and called out ‘Allahu Akbar,” said another.

Some testimony included recollections of serious physical assault.

“I was sitting in the food court in a shopping centre with my five kids when an unknown lady yelled out ‘F**k Muslims’ and punched me in the head, knocking me out in front of my kids,” one woman said.

“A CAT scan showed my nose was broken. I have had one surgery to fix the break, however I now need another. Myself and my kids are seeing a psychologist for the trauma as my kids are very much traumatised,” she added.

A group of young Muslim Australians celebrate Australia Day at the Baitul Huda Mosque. Picture: NewsWire / Brendan Read

In one of the most blatant and alarming incidents, a Botany household with a Palestinian flag flying out the front allegedly had an improvised petrol bomb left on a car in the driveway, with a note reading “ENOUGH! TAKE DOWN FLAG! ONE CHANCE!!!”

Executive Director of the Islamophobia Register Dr Nora Amath believes it is important to ensure Islamophobia is “not ignored, but documented, acknowledged and addressed”.

“We remain steadfast in our mission – to advocate for those affected by Islamophobia, to push for systemic change and to ensure that no act of hate goes unnoticed,” she said.

“As we mark a decade of this work, we do so with a renewed commitment to amplifying voices, strengthening our advocacy and building a more inclusive Australia.”

Australia's special envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik. Picture: John Feder/The Australian

Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, will soon be releasing a number of recommendations for the Australian Government to consider in order to address Islamophobia more effectively.

“While Islamophobia may not always be considered newsworthy, the hate exists. In Australia right now, Islamophobia is a real, pervasive and often terrifying reality which has devastating impacts on victims and undermines social cohesion,” he wrote in the Australian last week.

“Together, we must cultivate a future where every Australian, regardless of faith or ethnicity, contributes to our shared vision of a peaceful and inclusive society.”

Originally published as The terrifying new reality faced by Muslim Australians