Australian Islamophobia report says Muslim hate has hit 'unprecedented levels'

12/9/2025 16:00

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday his centre-left government would consider the recommendations of an independent report on Islamophobia, which suggests anti-Muslim sentiment in the country had hit "unprecedented levels".



An independent report released on Friday by the government's special envoy to combat Islamophobia said the normalisation of Islamophobia has become widespread in Australia to the extent that many incidents were not even getting reported.



"The reality is that Islamophobia in Australia has been persistent, at times ignored and other times denied, but never fully addressed," Aftab Malik said during a media briefing in Sydney, joined by Albanese.



"We have seen public abuse, graffiti...we have seen Muslim women and children targeted, not for what they have done, but for who they are and what they wear."



The 60-page report has proposed 54 recommendations to the government, including setting up an inquiry to check discrimination based on religion, and the impact of Islamophobia on social cohesion and democracy.