Islamophobia has soared to unprecedented levels in Australia with women taking the brunt of physical and verbal abuse, a new report by the Islamophobia Register Australia shows.
Bomb attacks, hospitalisations, violent assaults on Muslim women, attacks on mosques, and online abuse have surged while some politicians downplay Islamophobia, and latest polling shows only nine percent of Australians believe there has been an increase in the problem.
The report found a 250% increase of reported online incidents and a 150% increase in in-person incidents, averaging nearly one Islamophobic in-person or online incident every day of the 700 days for the report period.
The report, based on data from the Islamophobia Register and compiled by researchers from Monash and Deakin universities, documents 309 verified in-person incidents of Islamophobia between January 2023 and November 2024 – more than 2.5 times the number identified in any previous equivalent period.
Online incidents also tripled, with 366 verified cases during the study period. In one month alone, reported incidents increased by 1300 per cent compared to the same month the previous year.
“This surge in reported incidents happened while some Australian politicians argued Islamophobia was ‘fictitious’ or ‘not an issue,'” said Dr Nora Amath, Executive Director of the Islamophobia Register Australia. “The evidence is irrefutable – Islamophobia is not only real but has reached crisis levels in Australia.”
Key findings
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- Muslim women are disproportionately targeted, accounting for 75 per cent of all victims, including 79 percent of verbal abuse cases, 60 per cent of physical assaults, and were victims in 100 per cent of spitting incidents. Most of the perpetrators were men
- 95 per cent of public transport incidents targeted Muslim women and girls
- Incidents surged by 1,300 per cent in the three weeks after October 7, 2023, compared to the same period the previous year
- By 2024, incidents involving victims displaying pro-Palestinian symbols accounted for 25 per cent of all reported incidents
- Schools are hotspots for Islamophobia against Muslim boys, who reported 63% of all school incidents
- 92 per cent of victims reported ongoing psychological impacts, including anxiety, depression and social isolation
- Most incidents are never reported to police.
The attacks on women were of particular concern. “This is the tenth consecutive year of reporting on Islamophobia in Australia that has demonstrated that Muslim women and girls are specifically, overwhelmingly the victims of these incidents, and the perpetrators are generally men. We recommend this practice be considered within a gender-based abuse framework,” said lead researcher Dr Susan Carland.
Victim testimonies
The report documents numerous disturbing comments from victims, including:
“I was walking with my children in Westfield when a man and his friend walked right up to me and spat on me, then continued walking. I asked him why he spat on me, and he said, ‘Because you are Muslim.’ I was extremely terrified as I was with my young children.”
“I was getting ready to take my children out for a walk. We were about to leave when a man came towards me and attempted to lunge at me. He said, ‘You fucking Muslims. You fucking black Muslim refugee. You are all fucking bad. You fucking Muslims.’ I got scared and ran into the house and locked the door. He came to the door and banged on it. He had a wine bottle and some gas containers. I was scared he was going to burn us.”
“We have a Palestinian flag flying on our property. An unknown individual left an improvised petrol bomb on my partner’s vehicle, which was parked in our driveway. Attached to the device was a hand-written note reading: ‘ENOUGH! TAKE DOWN FLAG! ONE CHANCE!!!’.’’
“We are all afraid to leave our house. My eldest daughter quit her job as she’s scared to leave us alone”.
“When walking to get into train station, a man said to me ‘I’ll rip that scarf off your head and smash your head and rape you’.’’
“I was sitting in the food court with my five kids when an unknown lady yelled ‘F*** Muslims’ and punched me in the head, knocking me out in front of my kids. I was admitted to hospital with a broken nose. My kids are traumatised. We don’t leave the house unless it’s necessary as we have a fear that it will happen again.”
Recommendations
The report calls for comprehensive action from government, law enforcement, educational institutions and media organisations:
- Recognition of Islamophobia as a form of gender-based abuse requiring targeted intervention
- Mandatory Islamophobia awareness training in educational settings
- Specialised police training for responding to Islamophobia incidents
- Media guidelines for responsible reporting on issues affecting Muslim communities
- Public transport and retail sector bystander intervention programs
- Dedicated funding for culturally appropriate mental health support.
“The unity of Australia depends on addressing Islamophobia as the serious, documented phenomenon it is,” Dr Amath said. “Political leaders must move beyond denial to meaningful action. The costs of inaction are not just the continued suffering of Muslim Australians, but the erosion of Australia’s social fabric and its promise of a fair, inclusive society.”
