WARNING: OFFENSIVE CONTENT
NSW Police have confirmed they are investigating Islamophobic graffiti spray-painted in a western Sydney suburb, in an incident Premier Chris Minns labelled “completely abhorrent”.
Police received reports on Sunday morning of offensive graffiti spray-painted on a bridge underpass in the western Sydney suburb of Chester Hill.
Islamophobic graffiti spray-painted in the western Sydney suburb of Chester Hill.
The words “f--- Islam” were spray-painted on both sides of the underpass, while the words “cancel Islam” were also scrawled on a nearby advertising billboard.
The spray-painted slogans follow a wave of high-profile incidents of alleged racially motivated graffiti in Sydney, spurred by 14 months of deadly conflict in the Middle East involving Israel, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Last week police promised to increase patrols after a second incident of antisemitic graffiti in the upmarket suburb of Woollahra in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in only a matter of weeks.
Vandals sprayed anti-Israel messages on two homes and a footpath. “Death 2 Israiel” and “Kill Israiel” were painted in a quiet street in the suburb, while a car at the scene was also set alight.
It came just weeks after cars were damaged, and anti-Israel slogans were sprayed on the doors of Matt Moran’s nearby Chiswick restaurant last month. Two men are in custody facing charges over that incident.
The latest incident was roundly condemned, with David Ossip, the President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, calling the graffiti “hateful” and “deeply offensive”.
Ossip said he had been in contact with the Australian National Imams Council on Sunday to directly “express our condemnation” of the incident.
The premier has been quick to hit out at incidents of alleged religious vilification, and on Sunday said the Chester Hill action was designed to sow discord in the community at a time of heightened tensions.
“Vandalism like this that is aimed at particular religions is designed to incite hated and is completely abhorrent,” he said.
“This racism and Islamophobia is disgusting and corrosive to the very fabric of the successful multicultural state that we have here in NSW. Division and conflict from around the world cannot be allowed to be imported onto the streets of Sydney.”
Federal Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke similarly condemned the graffiti as “hatred” and “bigotry”.
“Like other forms of dehumanising abuse, Islamophobia has no place in Australia,” he said.
Gamel Kheir, the Secretary of the Lebanese Muslim Association, called for politicians to support the Muslim community.
“Sadly many in our community have seen and felt the ugly racist elements in Australia. This has been a recurring theme our community has experienced for well over 20 years,” Kheir said.
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