Condemnation of Serious Islamophobic and Anti-Palestinian Incidents

We, the undersigned organisations, condemn the ongoing mishandling of Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian crimes across Australia. Such incidents are an affront to all Australians and undermine our wellbeing as a society.

In a disturbing sequence of events, following the highly publicised vile crime against a young mother and her child in Bankstown, it has now emerged that the same perpetrator attacked Shaykh Wesam Charkawi trying to ram him with her car as he was walking near school students. The attacker, driving at high speed, narrowly missed hitting him.

Shaykh Charkawi is one of the lead organisers of the Muslim Vote Campaign, a respected imam and prominent Australian Muslim community leader. The attack ruthlessly targeted a Muslim community leader who has worked tirelessly to grant the Muslim community a voice within our democratic society in the midst of the trauma and distress of a genocide in Gaza. Given the attackers well documented Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian hate, the political and ideological motivation behind the crime is clear. It was an act of terror and ought to be labelled as such by politicians and dealt with accordingly by law enforcement agencies.

The attacker has currently been charged with a basic assault and intimidation charge only. This stands in stark contrast to the treatment of numerous similar cases earlier in 2024.

We demand clear, actionable responses from authorities.  It is imperative that our law enforcement agencies apply the law equitably and acknowledge the gravity of threats faced by Australian Muslims, ensuring justice and safety for all community members and Australians.

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