On Friday (Sept 12), Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his centre-left government would review the recommendations of an independent report on Islamophobia, which indicates that anti-Muslim sentiment in Australia has reached "unprecedented levels." The report, released the same day by the government’s special envoy to combat Islamophobia, highlighted that Islamophobia has become so normalized that many incidents go unreported.

"Islamophobia in Australia has been persistent—sometimes ignored, sometimes denied—but never fully addressed," said Aftab Malik during a Sydney media briefing alongside Albanese. He added, "We have witnessed public abuse, graffiti, and attacks on Muslim women and children—not because of their actions, but because of who they are and what they wear."

The 60-page report includes 54 recommendations for the government, such as establishing an inquiry into religious discrimination and assessing the effects of Islamophobia on social cohesion and democracy. Malik, appointed last year to advise on measures to prevent anti-Muslim hatred, noted that Australia had experienced a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents following Israel’s retaliatory actions against a Hamas attack nearly two years ago. "The October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel marked a turning point, with Islamophobia since reaching unprecedented levels," the report states. The Islamophobia Register recorded a 150% increase in hate incidents by November 2024.

Albanese emphasized that targeting Australians based on religion undermines the nation’s core values and said he would "carefully consider" the report’s recommendations. "Australians should feel safe in any community… we must eliminate the hate, fear, and prejudice that fuel Islamophobia and division in our society," he said. Albanese had also appointed an antisemitism envoy, whose report released in July recommended cutting funding for universities that fail to protect Jewish students and screening visa applicants and non-citizens for extremist views.