Recent research reveals a disturbing rise in Islamophobic incidents in Australia over the past two years, with women and girls particularly bearing the brunt of this disturbing trend.
The study highlights a significant increase in both in-person and online Islamophobic events, with 309 reported face-to-face incidents and 366 online occurrences, marking a sharp rise compared to previous years.
According to the report, women have been more likely to report these incidents, especially in the workplace. The findings show that a majority of these incidents have occurred in public spaces such as transportation, shops, and streets, underscoring the widespread nature of the issue.
One Muslim woman recounted a particularly harrowing experience: “While walking on the beach, a man told me, ‘I want to take you into the bushes and throw you off the edge of a cliff.’ He also asked about my hijab, saying, ‘What’s that thing on your head?'” Such reports illustrate the disturbing nature of these Islamophobic attacks, with women often subjected to both verbal and physical violence due to their religion and gender.
The researchers suggest that these incidents should be viewed through the lens of gender-based violence. They emphasize the importance of recognizing Islamophobia as a gendered issue, urging government bodies and law enforcement agencies to treat it as such. The study also provides recommendations to tackle the rise in Islamophobia, calling for better identification of these events as gender-specific violence and the implementation of policies to prevent them.
This alarming trend calls for urgent action to protect Muslim women and girls from discrimination and violence, ensuring that their safety and dignity are upheld in all public spaces.
Women’sagenda