Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will give Muslims $66 million to combat “Islamophobia”, and has created a new taskforce which will look at teaching pre-school children about anti-Muslim racism and discrimination.
Mr Albanese said on Saturday the Islamophobia Education Taskforce would be established as a result of his government’s decision to adopt 35 out of 54 recommendations made by his Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik.
The response also includes $41.9 million in funding for Muslim groups to improve security at “faith-based places”, a new Australian Federal Police Social Cohesion Team, expanded AFP Community Liaison Teams, new multicultural grants for Muslim women and young people, and Islamophobia training for MPs, public servants, police, and justice and legal professionals.
Universities will be legally required to “prevent and respond to Islamophobia”, the implementation of a national hate crimes database will be accelerated, and more funding will be allocated for “mental health and wellbeing support” for Muslim students.
The government has pledged another $15 million to deliver a sports centre for Muslim athletes, $2.6 million for the Office of Multicultural Affairs for measures to combat “Islamophobia”, and $6 million for the mental health and wellbeing supports.
The Islamophobia Education Taskforce will include teacher training, operate alongside a Social Cohesion Education Advisory Council, and consider action across all levels of the national education system, “from early childhood education and care, to schools, and across universities and the higher education sector”.
“The Taskforce will oversee rapid implementation of education-related measures identified in the Australian Government’s response to the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia’s report, and identify further measures to combat Islamophobia in education settings,” the Department of Education said.
This will include “a focused review of the Australian Curriculum to identify opportunities to strengthen racial and religious tolerance”, “development and delivery of a Social Cohesion Framework for Schools” and the “development of a national, consistent framework for anti-racism in universities”.
Among the recommendations not adopted was a push by Mr Malik to change the definitions of terror laws that he claims discriminate against Muslims, which Mr Albanese said on Saturday was the result of advice from security agencies.
Mr Malik also demanded new “hate speech” and “hate crimes” laws outlawing religious discrimination in a report containing the recommendations released last year.
“There is simply no place in Australia, or anywhere in the world, for Islamophobia and racial hatred,” Mr Albanese said on Saturday.
“The fact we’ve seen a rise in Islamophobic incidents says all of us in civil society need to do more, and that’s what Mr Malik’s considered report will help guide.
“I thank Mr Malik for his recommendations and his important work which will continue to be referenced in the ongoing battle to eliminate hatred and violence targeted at Muslim communities all over Australia.”
Peak body the Alliance of Australian Muslims (AAM) and the influential Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) said in a joint statement the response was an “unprecedented and important step in the right direction”, but that “much more remains to be done”.
The response comes after Mr Albanese and immigration minister Tony Burke were heckled and abused by aggressive Muslims while visiting Sydney’s Lakemba Mosque, Australia’s largest, in March.
Header image: Left, Mr Albanese announcing the response (ABC News). Right, with Muslims at Lakemba Mosque (PMO).
