00:00The special envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, he made 54 recommendations across
00:09various levels of government to address what he says are rising levels of Islamophobia
00:16in Australia.
00:17He described a number of incidents of anti-Muslim hatred, where mosques have been vandalised
00:24and where Muslim women have been targeted for wearing headscarves.
00:29He also referenced the Cronulla riots, as well as the 2019 Christchurch massacre.
00:35He also said that instances of Islamophobia have skyrocketed since the October 7 attacks
00:42in 2023, and that that has had a real impact on Muslims in Australia.
00:48Here's the special envoy earlier.
00:51The reality is that Islamophobia in Australia has been persistent, at times ignored and other
00:57times denied, but never fully addressed.
01:01We have seen opposition to mosques and Islamic schools turn to violent vandalism and assaults
01:07on Muslim properties.
01:08We have seen public abuse, graffiti and assaults of Muslims.
01:13We have seen Muslim women and children targeted, not for what they have done, but for who they
01:19are and what they were.
01:22Now as part of his comprehensive report, Mr Malik called for the federal government to
01:29strengthen anti-discrimination laws to protect people of all faiths, not just those who follow
01:35Islam.
01:36He also called for an independent review of counter-terrorism laws and how they're being
01:41applied, just to make sure that they're not being applied in a way that unfairly targets
01:47Muslim Australians.
01:47Now, some Muslim groups feel that these laws are sometimes applied in a way that's discriminatory
01:53towards Muslims, whereas events involving neo-Nazis or sovereign citizens aren't necessarily
01:59seen through the lens of terrorism.
02:02He also called for commissions of inquiry, one into Islamophobia and another into anti-Palestinian
02:08and anti-Arab hatred.
02:11He's also called for education, an education overhaul across the board for government and
02:18also across schools, the education system, which involves a review of the national curriculum.
02:24The Prime Minister says his government is taking Islamophobia seriously and that it's one of
02:30his top priorities to improve social cohesion in Australia.
02:34Here's the Prime Minister.
02:35The targeting of Australians based on their religious beliefs is not only an attack on
02:40them, but it's an attack on our core values.
02:45We must stamp out the hate, fear and prejudice that drives Islamophobia and division in our
02:51society.
02:52Now, the report has only just been published this afternoon and so now the federal government
02:59is going to go away, review it and determine which recommendations it's going to support.
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