Almost 80 per cent of Australian Muslims experience unfavourable treatment, with Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan warning the undercurrents of hate displayed in the Christchurch mosque attacks are not an aberration.
The Australian Human Rights Commission conducted a national survey of more than 1000 Muslims and consulted with community members across the country following the March 2019 terrorist attacks in New Zealand by an Australian white nationalist.
Its report, released on Tuesday, says almost 80 per cent of Australian Muslims experience prejudice or discrimination, most commonly when dealing with law enforcement, in the workplace or when seeking employment, at shops or restaurants, and online.
National survey of Australian Muslims
- 80 per cent experienced prejudice or discrimination
- 79 per cent said the Christchurch mosque shootings made them afraid for their community
- 63 per cent agreed Australia was a welcoming society
- 23 per cent felt unable to speak up when they or someone they knew experienced unfavourable treatment
- 74 per cent feel Australian
- 68 per cent did not see any conflict between being Muslim and Australian
Source: Australian Human Rights Commission
More than 60 per cent of Australian Muslims agreed Australia was a welcoming society but almost one-quarter felt unable to speak up when they or someone they knew experienced unfavourable treatment.
Almost 80 per cent said the Christchurch terror attacks made them feel afraid for their community.
Nearly everyone interviewed could provide an example of someone in their immediate family or friendship group who had been a victim of harassment, or a hate or vilification incident.
Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan warns societies that become polarised are “likely to see radicalised ideologies develop and flourish”.Credit: Eddie Jim
“The stories shared by Australian Muslim community members for this project have brought home to me that the undercurrents of religious discrimination, vilification and hate that manifested so horribly in the Christchurch attack are not an aberration,” Mr Tan says in the report.
“They are consistent with the experiences of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate that is routinely experienced in Australia.”
When Hana Assafiri, the owner of Melbourne institution Moroccan Soup Bar, which employs disadvantaged women, appeared on ABC’s Q&A last month, a man called the restaurant and said: “You Muslim scum, go back to your country.”
Ms Assafiri has also been asked by a diner at the Moroccan Soup Bar why a staff member wore the hijab. “I said, ‘Well, it’s an expression of her faith.’ He said, ‘The only thing it is a symbol of is beheadings and honour killings. Tell her to take it off.’ ”
When Hana Assafiri appeared on TV a man called the restaurant she owns and called her “Muslim scum”. She wants to see an anti-Islamopobia strategy that recognises women are disproportionately affected.Credit: Penny Stephens
Ms Assafiri was not surprised by the level of prejudice and hate exposed by the Human Rights Commission’s report.
“That has been a sad lived reality shaping the normal lives of Muslims living in Australia since September 11,” she said. “This is often acutely felt by women, more so, because they are the softer targets and they tend to bear the brunt of some of these attitudes, particularly when the media heightens the idea that somehow Muslims are a threat or they are at odds with Western civilisation and our way of life.”
Ms Assafiri, who holds monthly Speed Date a Muslim and Conversation Salons to foster greater intercultural understanding, believes there should be an anti-Islamophobia strategy that recognises women are disproportionately affected.
“Yes, this needs to be in the form of policies, procedures and regulations, but also a massive cultural shift is needed in everything from how we are represented in the media, to how services are delivered, to education in schools that redresses the narrative that Islam is at odds with Western democracy.”
Sydney lawyer Mona El Baba says she frequently experiences “random racism or bigotry”.Credit: Wolter Peeters
Sydney lawyer Mona El Baba, who wears a hijab, has lost count of how many times she has been called a “raghead”.
“On so many occasions, when I am just walking along doing my own thing, I’ve experienced random racism or bigotry. I’ve been called a terrorist, I’ve been threatened they are going to ‘rip the rag off my head,’ ” she said.
Ms El Baba was once discouraged by a high school teacher from undertaking legal studies because she was just a “dumb” Muslim who would end up being a housewife.
“He said to me, ‘If my mum saw you now she would spit on you because you wear the hijab.’ I remember that until this day because it had such an effect on me.”
Years later, when interviewed by a top-tier law firm, she was told she would be successful but they had concerns about whether she would fit into the culture of the clients because she wore a hijab.
Ms El Baba said there was a lot of misinformation about Muslims in Australia, which was fuelled by the media.
“There’s a lot of these misconceived perceptions about Muslims – that we scam Centrelink in the sense that we don’t want to work, about terrorism and Islam, that we don’t fit into Australian culture or we don’t want to be Australian because our priorities are only with Islam and we can’t be both Australian and Muslim,” she said.
“I think people need to be informed of the reality of Muslims in this country.
“Like most other Australians we are hard-working, we have families, we just want to get on with our day-to-day lives.”
People interviewed for the report said there was little attention paid to contributions made by Muslim communities – such as the charity for bushfire survivors and meals for front-line healthcare workers during the pandemic – with perceptions often framed around misconceptions of religion.
“As highlighted in the New Zealand royal commission into the Christchurch attacks, societies that become polarised around difference are likely to see radicalised ideologies develop and flourish,” Mr Tan said. He said the report underlined the need for a national anti-racism strategy, in the same way Australia has national strategies to prevent child sexual abuse and family violence.
Australia has not had a national anti-racism strategy since 2018 and no federal funding for one since 2015.
“It’s not enough to simply condemn racism,” Mr Tan said. “We need a co-ordinated strategy that works on many fronts to actively counter racism at the various levels that it occurs.”
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