Australia is facing a reckoning with Islamophobia after the release of a landmark government report that calls for sweeping reforms to protect Muslim communities and address a surge in anti-Muslim hate. On September 12, 2025, Aftab Malik, the nation’s first Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, unveiled the results of a year-long inquiry, offering an unflinching assessment of what he termed a “deeply ingrained societal challenge.”
At a press conference in Sydney, Malik did not mince words. “The reality is that Islamophobia in Australia has been persistent, at times ignored and other times denied, but never fully addressed,” he said, according to AFP. The numbers back him up: the Islamophobia Register recorded a staggering 530 percent increase in reports since October 7, 2023, and by November 2024, there had been a 150 percent rise in incidents compared to previous years, as reported by the Australian Associated Press (AAP) and The Conversation.
Malik’s report, shaped by consultations with Muslim communities across Australia in late 2024 and early 2025, documents a disturbing landscape. Muslim women, especially those who wear headscarves, often bear the brunt of abuse—facing physical assaults, being spat at or shoved, and receiving threats simply for their appearance. “This prejudice undermines the core value of mutual respect, fairness and compassion,” Malik said, standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “It also disproportionately disenfranchises Australian Muslims, who are not asking for special treatment, but equal recognition of harm.”
One in three Australians now express negative views about Muslims, making the community the most negatively viewed group in the country, according to research cited in the report. The findings come against a backdrop of rising hate incidents nationwide, including anti-Semitic attacks and anti-immigration marches that have drawn condemnation from leaders across the political spectrum.
The 54 recommendations in Malik’s report span government, law, education, media, and community life. Among the most significant are calls for federal religious freedom laws, updated racial discrimination protections, and a review of counter-terrorism policies to ensure they do not unfairly target Muslims. The report singles out counter-terrorism legislation for “narratives depicting Islam as intrinsically associated with violence, extremism and terrorism” and urges an independent review to root out potential discrimination.
Malik’s recommendations go further, urging the government to confront Islamophobia with the same urgency as other forms of discrimination and to provide equivalent rights, protections, and legal recourse. He calls for the formal recognition of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia on March 15, as established by the United Nations General Assembly, and for the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry into Islamophobia, as well as one into anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism.
At the political level, Malik suggests that parliament develop behavioral codes of conduct for all parliamentarians and staff, implement a zero-tolerance approach to racism with appropriate sanctions, and make training on Islamophobia mandatory for all MPs and staff. Police would also receive mandated religious sensitivity training, and law enforcement would be required to improve hate crime data collection. The Racial Discrimination Act should be clarified to specifically include protections for Muslims, similar to existing provisions for Jews and Sikhs.
Education is another key focus. Malik proposes the creation of an overarching anti-racism framework for the sector and recommends that the national curriculum include “Muslim contributions to Australia, Western civilisation and the development of universal values.” He also calls for programs to foster understanding between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and for funding to enhance the safety of Muslim not-for-profit institutions, particularly mosques.
In the digital realm, the report urges the government to strengthen online safety laws to better challenge hate speech and to address foreign actors who spread Islamophobia as part of broader influence operations. Malik also recommends increased funding for evidence-based programs to combat Islamophobia and clarity in migration law to allow the refusal of visas to individuals who promote hate speech, including those with a history of Islamophobic hatred.
The report is clear on one point: the recommendations are not about silencing criticism of Islam. Instead, as Malik put it, “they are intended to address the serious issue of prejudice, racism and hate that incite discrimination, hostility or violence.” Still, some proposals—such as strengthening online safety laws and holding media outlets accountable—are likely to spark debate about free speech. An independent review of counter-terrorism laws may meet resistance from security agencies, and visa bans for hate preachers raise thorny questions about how hate speech is defined.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, responding to the report, condemned attacks on Australians based on their faith as “an attack on our core values.” He said, “Australia must stamp out the hate, fear and prejudice that drives Islamophobia and division in our society.” Albanese voiced support for religious discrimination legislation but was non-committal about reintroducing previously shelved religious freedom laws. “I certainly support religious discrimination legislation, but I don’t support starting a debate that leads to rancour,” he said, as reported by AAP. The Prime Minister expressed hope for bipartisan cooperation with opposition leader Sussan Ley on the issue.
The report’s release follows years of advocacy from Australian Muslim communities for official recognition of Islamophobia as a serious social problem. For the first time, their experiences have been systematically documented and addressed in a national framework. The report emphasizes that Islamophobia is not just a Muslim issue but a challenge for all Australians—a threat to social cohesion and national values. “It’s a moment where we decide who we are as a country, and whether we are prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure that every person in Australia, regardless of faith, ethnicity or background, is safe, valued and treated with dignity,” Malik said.
While the recommendations represent a historic opportunity, their implementation may hinge on government resolve. The Conversation notes that without an independent authority to enforce the proposals, change could stall. Some critics may see the measures as excessive political correctness or worry about unintended consequences for free speech. Yet, as Malik and supporters argue, protecting minorities is a core function of democracy, and acting on the report would strengthen the social fabric for everyone.
With Islamophobic incidents at record highs and public debate intensifying, Australia stands at a crossroads. Whether the government acts decisively on Malik’s recommendations—or lets the report gather dust—will shape the nation’s reputation for tolerance and fairness for years to come.