As Islamophobia rises, Australia's Muslims celebrate Eid

## Summary
As Islamophobia rises, Australia's Muslims celebrate Eid 39 minutes ago Share Save Katy Watson Australia correspondent, Sydney Share Save Reuters An average of 18 Islamophobic incidents take place in Australia every week As sunset approached in the south-western Sydney suburb of Lakemba last week, the street outside the Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb Mosque filled with thousands of people - most of whom found a seat at one of many trestle tables covered with white table cloths. Why hasn't the Bondi shooting? "We should be alarmed and very concerned – it's really the tip of the iceberg," said Nora Amath, the executive director of the Islamophobia Register Australia. "These numbers are an under-representation of the real issue - there are many, many people who do not report for a number of different reasons." Feelings of frustration and abandonment among Australia's Muslim community were made clear on Friday, when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke came to Lakemba mosque to mark the end of Ramadan. People feel empowered and emboldened because [politicians] like Pauline Hanson have enabled this sort of racism to be rampant and normal." Experts say the issue isn't treated seriously enough. "Imagine [if Hanson] said the same thing for Jews in Australia – that there are no good Jews in Australia," said Dr Zouhir Gabsi, senior lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Deakin University and author of Muslim Perspectives on Islamophobia: From Misconceptions to Reason. "There would be a huge backlash." Kheir agrees not enough is done to rein in racism. "The fear that I have is Pauline Hanson and her dog whistling has such an effect on the Labor and Liberal Party that they are too scared to take the defence of the Muslim community, because it's political suicide for them," he said. "So we're left to fend for ourselves." A cumulative effect Earlier this month in the Australian city of Ballarat, a man who declared himself "far-right" allegedly threatened children outside a community hall where Muslims were enjoying Iftar. It's a concept that is lost on many in the Muslim community. "Multiculturalism is a politician's word," says Dr Zouhir Gabsi. "Multiculturalism in Australia is good when you share a meal, but when you apply for a job, you always remain a migrant." 'I've grown up in fear': Jewish Australians say rising antisemitism made attack predictable Islamophobia Asia Sydney Australia

## Article Content
As Islamophobia rises, Australia's Muslims celebrate Eid
39 minutes ago
Share
Save
Katy Watson
Australia correspondent, Sydney
Share
Save
Reuters
An average of 18 Islamophobic incidents take place in Australia every week
As sunset approached in the south-western Sydney suburb of Lakemba last week, the street outside the Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb Mosque filled with thousands of people - most of whom found a seat at one of many trestle tables covered with white table cloths.
The mosque was hosting a community Iftar: the evening meal that marks the end of daily fasting in Ramadan.
The tables were divided into sections, marked by buffet stations labelled 'women' and 'men', and as the sun went down families brought out boxes of dates to break their fast, offering them around to neighbours and other guests.
Yet despite the family-friendly vibe of this event, a police surveillance trailer parked in the road - complete with 360 cameras on tall poles - spoke to fears among the community. After being on the receiving end of several threats, community leaders requested extra police presence throughout Ramadan. They also employed private security.
"We are going through very challenging times at the moment for the Muslim community and Australia in general," said Gamel Kheir, secretary of the Lebanese Muslim Association, who organised the community Iftar.
"If ever there was a need for communities to come together and break bread, I would say this year is more [important] than ever."
Islamophobia is on the rise in Australia. Threats towards Muslims used to average around 2.5 cases a week, according to the Islamophobia Register Australia. But since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, 2023, reported incidents have increased by 636%.
At the same time, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry notes that antisemitic incidents are nearly five times higher than they were before the 7 October attacks.
Last year's Bondi Beach massacre has further exacerbated both fear and hate. The attack, which saw two gunmen carry out Australia's worst shooting in decades at a public Hannukkah celebration in December, was deeply traumatic for Australia and its Jewish community. Some Jewish people claimed such an incident had been a long time coming amid a rising tide of antisemitism.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the massacre - which police said was "driven by Islamic state ideology" - reported incidents of Islamophobia increased by 201%.
Now, the Islamophobia Register Australia says there's an average of 18 cases a week.
'I knew something was seriously wrong - again': Bondi area reels from two deadly attacks in two years
A national tragedy 30 years ago united Australia. Why hasn't the Bondi shooting?
"We should be alarmed and very concerned – it's really the tip of the iceberg," said Nora Amath, the executive director of the Islamophobia Register Australia.
"These numbers are an under-representation of the real issue - there are many, many people who do not report for a number of different reasons."
Feelings of frustration and abandonment among Australia's Muslim community were made clear on Friday, when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke came to Lakemba mosque to mark the end of Ramadan.
The politicians were heckled, booed and accused of supporting a genocide by some worshippers, as Kheir read out a statement about Australia's involvement in the Middle East war and its impact on the Muslim community.
Sydney's Islamic heartland
Everyone the BBC spoke to in Lakemba had their own story of an anti-Islamic threat or attack they've faced. This is Sydney's most well-known Muslim neighbourhood. About 61% of the population is Muslim, according to the 2021 census, and its mosque is one of the largest in Australia.
It was the Lebanese migration in the 1960s that helped cement Lakemba's reputation as the centre of Muslim culture in Sydney - but the community has since expanded to include Muslims from many other parts of the world, including South Asia.
Lakemba, Sydney's most well-known Muslim neighbourhood, is famous for its Ramadan night markets
Dr Moshiuzzaman Shakil is one of them. The Bangladeshi doctor lives in the area with his wife, and is currently studying for a Masters in public health while being employed as a support worker for disabled clients.
But after the Bondi massacre, he said, one of his clients let him go.
"They [asked] me: 'are you a Muslim?' Yes, I'm a Muslim," he recalled. "After the Bondi attack, some people thought Muslims were terrorists."
In Lakemba, though, Shakil feels safe. With supermarkets selling food from the Middle East and South Asia and restaurants offering dishes like Mandi chicken, a beloved Yemeni dish, many Australian immigrants feel at home here.
It's also a safe space for Australian Muslims, who worry about what happens when they leave what they call their 'comfort zones' - the neighbourhoods around Lakemba.
Multicultural tensions
Officially, Australia likes to characterise itself

---

## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- They also employed private security. "We are going through very challenging times at the moment for the Muslim community and Australia in general," said Gamel Kheir, secretary of the Lebanese Muslim Association, who organised the community Iftar. "If ever there was a need for communities to come together and break bread, I would say this year is more [important] than ever." Islamophobia is on the rise in Australia.
- According to Malik, the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, these attacks all have a cumulative effect. "Each impact reinforces a sense that Muslim identity is not welcome, nor part of Australia's social fabric," he said last week, in a speech to mark UN International Day to Combat Islamophobia. "This has the immense danger of reducing institutional legitimacy and fraying social cohesion." Kheir says it is "more important than ever" that communities come together this year Back on the streets of Lakemba last week, Kheir was calmly coordinating the mass Iftar, liaising with caterers as they ran back and forth replenishing food such as falafel, fattoush, chicken and rice.

### Areas for Consideration
- Why hasn't the Bondi shooting? "We should be alarmed and very concerned – it's really the tip of the iceberg," said Nora Amath, the executive director of the Islamophobia Register Australia. "These numbers are an under-representation of the real issue - there are many, many people who do not report for a number of different reasons." Feelings of frustration and abandonment among Australia's Muslim community were made clear on Friday, when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke came to Lakemba mosque to mark the end of Ramadan.
- Sydney's Islamic heartland Everyone the BBC spoke to in Lakemba had their own story of an anti-Islamic threat or attack they've faced.
- But the country has often had a difficult history with immigrants.

### Implications
- Why hasn't the Bondi shooting? "We should be alarmed and very concerned – it's really the tip of the iceberg," said Nora Amath, the executive director of the Islamophobia Register Australia. "These numbers are an under-representation of the real issue - there are many, many people who do not report for a number of different reasons." Feelings of frustration and abandonment among Australia's Muslim community were made clear on Friday, when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke came to Lakemba mosque to mark the end of Ramadan.
- The politicians were heckled, booed and accused of supporting a genocide by some worshippers, as Kheir read out a statement about Australia's involvement in the Middle East war and its impact on the Muslim community.
- Until 1973, immigration was influenced by the infamous White Australia policy, which had actively limited the number of non-white immigrants entering Australia in favour of those from European countries.
- Even since that policy ended, however, issues of immigration, especially involving asylum seekers, have remained divisive.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers australia, community, muslim topics. Notable strengths include discussion of australia. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1885.