ONDON: There has been a massive increase in cases of Islamophobia and threats to the Muslim community living in Australia since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to an organization that tracks anti-Islam sentiment in the country.
The Islamophobia Register Australia said reports of anti-Muslim hate had increased tenfold since Hamas’ offensive and subsequent Israeli military retaliation, The New York Times reported on Monday.
Sharara Attai, the executive director of the group, told Australian media that the trend was “deeply troubling” and that it was “even more concerning” that many incidents had probably gone unreported.
Pro-Palestinian marches, which have drawn tens of thousands of Australians, have been held across the country in cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.
Protesters have demanded a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and have denounced Israeli strikes on civilians in the enclave as “genocide.”
Jessica Morrison, executive officer at the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, last month said there had been “lots of stories from lots of young people” being targeted, particularly at schools, and that the Palestinian community had been “distressed” by the discourse surrounding the violence in Gaza.
She added: “Younger Palestinian people at the moment are feeling very uncomfortable because of what’s going on.”
Mike Burgess, a senior figure in the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, said in a statement last month that all parties had to consider the “implications for social cohesion when making public statements.”
He added: “As I have said previously, words matter. ASIO has seen direct connections between inflamed language and inflamed community tensions.”
