Aftab Malik appointed as Islamophobia special envoy

The newly appointed special envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, has vowed to advocate against both hate directed at the Muslim community and anti-Semitism.

Muslim scholar Aftab Malik has been appointed Islamophobia special envoy. Picture: Sam Mooy

The newly appointed special envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, has vowed to advocate against hate directed at Muslim community and anti-Semitism, amid concerns the conflict in the Middle East is undermining social cohesion in Australia.

Mr Malik, an internationally recognised Muslim scholar and public servant, said Islamophobia and anti-Semitism could often be found “lurking” together, stressing that “no form of hatred is more important than another”.

His appointment comes two months after Anthony Albanese unveiled former lawyer and business leader Jillian Segal as the nation’s special envoy on anti-Semitism in July, when he said a counterpart to address Islamophobia would be announced “shortly”.

As the escalation of attacks over the Israel-Lebanon border threatens to engulf the region in a wider conflict, Mr Malik said the fight against hate was “more important today than it’s ever been”.

“Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are not mutually exclusive. Where there is one, you most likely will find the other, lurking,” Mr Malik said.

“I don’t intend to use this role to advocate that one form of hatred is more important than another: both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are unacceptable.”

Mr Malik, who spent almost a decade in the NSW Premier’s Department promoting social cohesion and countering hate and extremism, said he would work closely with Ms Segal on how to bring their communities together.

“As such, I look forward to engaging with my counterpart, Jillian Segal, to share insights and exchange ideas on how we can fortify social cohesion, and bring our communities together on a common ground, rooted in dignity for all,” he said.

The appointment of Mr Malik comes as tensions within the community over the Middle East conflict deepen after anti-Israel protests erupted on Sunday, where demonstrators were seen brandishing portraits of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Mr Malik has also been recognised by the UN Alliance of Civilisations as a global expert on Muslim affairs, and has been an outspoken critic of Islamic extremism.

“Each of us can play a part in making sure that violence and hatred have no place in our communities,” he said.

“We can do this by valuing and strengthening the bonds between us, and by calling out discrimination and being allies to those who experience it.”

Immigration and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Mr Malik’s appointment will bolster the government’s $90m investment in initiatives to address the impacts of the Israel-Hamas war on Australian communities.

“Bigotry is always wrong,” Mr Burke said.

“You should be able to live safely and freely in Australia, regardless of who you are or what you believe.”

When Mr Malik steps into the role on October 14, his focus will be to engage with the Muslim community, religious discrimination experts and all levels of government to ascertain pathways to combat Islamophobia.