Anti-Muslim Attacks in Australia Triple amid Global Tensions

IQNA – Reported hate crimes targeting Muslim communities across Australia have surged by 300 percent, according to new data, with incidents ranging from violent threats and public abuse to the desecration of a Muslim cemetery.

Muslim communities are facing an alarming surge in hate-driven incidents across the country, including hateful graffiti, dismembered pigs thrown onto graves at a Muslim cemetery, and Muslim women being spat at, abused, and threatened.

The peak Islamic body representing Australian-based Muslim imams, scholars, and clerics says Muslim communities are being unfairly scrutinized and “implicitly linked” to acts of violence they categorically reject in the wake of the Bondi attack.

Nine mosques and Islamic centers have now reported vandalism or serious security incidents requiring police involvement, forcing places of worship, schools, and community spaces to operate under fear and heightened vigilance.

“It is unacceptable that worshippers continue to carry ongoing fears of a Christchurch-style attack amid rising Islamophobia, hate speech and explicit threats of violence,” the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) said.

In the past week, Muslim Australians have experienced a marked escalation in hostility and blame being directed toward them as a community, despite “having no connection whatsoever to the actions of the lone attackers.”

This has manifested in “a sharp rise in vandalism of Islamic institutions, verbal harassment, physical intimidation and online hate.”

The council’s Action Against Islamophobia initiative has recorded an almost 300 per cent increase in reported anti-Muslim hate incidents.

The support line has received distressing calls from victims, parents and employers of Muslim staff.

Callers have reported escalating abuse, threatening online commentary, increased fear for personal safety and growing anxiety that conditions will worsen in the coming days and weeks.

The council members are also alarmed by the way “divisive political rhetoric and irresponsible media commentary” stigmatize Muslim communities, reinforce harmful stereotypes and create an environment in which racism and abuse are emboldened.

“The sweeping and unjustified backlash directed at an entire community for the actions of two individuals is unacceptable and dangerous,” the council said.

“Selective outrage, where some forms of racism are rightly condemned while others are minimized, excused or ignored, further entrenches division and erodes trust.”

The council said Australia’s safety and strength depend on rejecting all forms of racism consistently and ensuring justice, dignity and security for every Australian.

Source:  news.com.au