Action Against Islamophobia is proactively bridging gaps in the Muslim community to effectively combat Islamophobia!

Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate has been an ongoing issue here in Australia. Despite recent government efforts to tackle a rise in hate incidents, Muslims in Australia still struggle to feel completely safe in a land where most of them were born and raised.  They have witnessed a substantial surge in Islamophobic attacks almost 12 months into Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. This rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate has left many Muslims anxious about engaging in their daily religious activities, such as praying in mosques or leaving the house wearing the hijab.

Australian Muslims are still left without an envoy to tackle the expeditious rise in Islamophobia, despite the Albanese government appointing Jillian Segal as the antisemitism envoy more than a month ago. The delay has led Muslim community members to believe their safety is of second-class importance.

These last few months have subsequently revealed a gap when it comes to supporting

victims of Islamaphobic attacks, which has, as a result, raised questions such as

 ’What next? And ‘Who can help?’

Action Against Islamophobia (AAI), an Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) initiative is aimed at providing confidential crisis support for anyone who has experienced Islamophobia, anti-Muslim hate, racism, discrimination, bias, or bigotry.

Additionally, AAI delivers information on what resources are available to support those affected, as well as referrals to legal and mental health services.

On Saturday, the 17th of August, at the United Muslims of Australia (UMA) centre, AAI hosted a one-of-a-kind event that provided Muslim women with a safe space to discuss the impact Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate has had on them and the wider community.  By engaging the community to identify barriers to reporting incidents and how anti-Muslim hate appears in various settings, AAI seeks to better enhance its services to reflect the immediate needs of the community. Feedback from the event will be strategically used to shape the future of what AAI offers.

The event had prominent community leaders such as Mariam Ardati, who has years of experience working on mental health projects that specifically cater to the needs of the Muslim community, introducing the vision of AAI, how it will benefit the community, and its overarching purpose. She raised the diverse ways Islamophobia manifests itself in the community and shed light on the prominence of ’micro’ aggressions that are often brushed off as ‘ignorance’ or ’rude’ behaviour. Ramia Abdo Sultan, the founding partner at Law Bridge, dove into the legal aspect of facing Islamophobia, equipping people with the necessary knowledge to know their rights and seek justice for victims. She highlighted the difficulty many victims face with reporting to law enforcement and authorities and how AAI can provide further support for victims of hate crimes.

The event was wrapped up with Psychologist Houda El Hassan, who provided an expert mental health perspective on the effects of anti-Muslim hate on a person’s cognitive, physical, and spiritual well-being, how it impacts our daily lives, and what strategies we can use to help us regulate our emotions.

Given its success and commitment to assist Muslim Australians nationwide, AAI will take the forum to the Muslim community in Queensland in September and Victoria and South Australia in the coming months.

Understanding how Muslims living in other states experience Islamophobia and what support is available to victims will help guide AAI’s approach and strategy to combating the issue and provide a well-rounded scope of the community, with services that tackle all the problems of anti-Muslim hate on a holistic level.

AAI aims to support the community via:
Community engagement activities
A dedicated support line
Report Islamophobia platform
New website and CRM
Mental health and legal Resources
Media monitoring
Media training

For all additional information regarding AAI and its services, please call (02) 8377 4199. Official website launch September 2024.