- The Guardian
- Issue #2163
The Albanese government last year appointed Aftab Malik as an envoy to counter Islamophobia. In his report tabled this month, Malik says Muslim women who wear hijabs are subject to particularly horrific abuse given their visible religious identification. “[They] have had their hijabs pulled and ripped off. They have been subjected to foul, disgusting and degrading behaviour.”
The report said the incidences of Islamophobia “necessitate urgent government intervention.” It found that Muslim women comprised the majority of targets of reported incidents of everyday Islamophobia. Malik outlined assaults including being spat at, and being choked and punched.
Islamophobia Register Australia’s (IRA) Islamophobia in Australia report 2023-24 found that Muslim women and girls were the most common victim of all types of attacks (including physical attacks) in nearly all settings, and that males are the most common perpetrators of these attacks. Three quarters of in-person Islamophobia is directed at females.
The IRA was founded on 17 September 2014 in response to growing anecdotal evidence suggesting a rise in incidents of Islamophobia.
Muslim women reported more than three times the number of Islamophobic incidents at workplaces than men. This is even more significant considering Muslim women are under-employed compared to Muslim men, and thus the number of Islamophobic incidents reported about Muslim women is disproportionate to their numbers in the workplace.
The following are several quotes from the incidences reported to the IRA:
1. “I was walking into 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.’ I was shaking. He walked ahead of me and continued to repeat it and turning around and laughing.”
2. “I was sitting in the food court in a shopping centre with my 5 kids when an unknown lady came from the back of my head and yelled out ‘F*** Muslims’ and punched me in the head, knocking me out in front of my kids. I did make a police report and was admitted to hospital, where a CT scan showed my nose was broken … Myself and my kids are seeing a psychologist for the trauma as my kids are very much traumatised. We don’t leave the house unless it’s necessary as we have a fear that it will happen again.”
3. “A girl came up to my friend and said, ‘Can I pat your dog?’ referring to her toddler in the pram. Then she said to her, ‘Go back to your country,’ and tried to pull off my friend’s hijab repeatedly. She also punched her in the face numerous times, while other teenagers filmed the incident on their mobile phones.” Her friend was later hospitalised.
4. “My mind is on high alert (fight/flight response is constantly switched on) – fear of wearing a hijab and getting verbally and/ or physically harassed or assaulted.”
The report makes a number of recommendations to address the gendered Islamophobia including:
Train police, social workers, and legal professionals to recognise Islamophobic attacks as potentially gendered violence.
State and federal public awareness campaigns that challenge stereotypes about Muslim women and highlight the gendered nature of Islamophobic violence.
Anti-gender-based violence organisations to work with the IRA to incorporate Islamophobia into their advocacy and support frameworks.
Ensure that Muslim women’s voices are included in mainstream gender-based violence discussions. Governments commit to start regularly consulting Muslim women’s organisations and leaders about their needs and suggestions.
Targeted funding and support for Muslim women’s organisation, particularly those that focus on Islamophobia.
