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A new report has found that online incidents of Islamophobia increased by 18 times in the two weeks after the Christchurch attack in 2019.

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The release of the latest Islamophobia in Australia report coincides with the three-year anniversary of the terrorist attack at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019. The terrorist, an Australian man, was sentenced to life without parole for 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one charge of terrorism.

The new report detailed 247 incidents of Islamophobia in Australia in 2018 and 2019, including 138 physical and 109 online incidents.

The authors say the number of reported cases is “only the tip of the iceberg” as Islamophobic incidents are consistently underreported.

Some other key numbers

78% of perpetrators were men
91% of perpetrators were perceived as ‘Anglo’
82% of victims were women
14% of discrimination came from authorities, including at workplaces and schools
8% of incidents involved physical assault
55% of death threats threatened mass killing of Muslims

“Like all forms of hate, Islamophobia contributes to entrenching a hate culture in society, which upsets liberal democracies, civic rights and the Australian way of life that is symbolised with mateship and ‘fair go’ understanding…

Islamophobia is not a ‘Muslim’ problem but a social cohesion risk. It requires national engagement if Australia is to live up to its multicultural legacy.” — Excerpt from the report

The report’s release coincides with the three-year anniversary of the terrorist attack at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019. The terrorist, an Australian man, was sentenced to life without parole for 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one charge of terrorism.

The period considered in this report includes the months after the incident. Reported physical incidents of Islamophobia increased four times in the two weeks after the Christchurch attack and reported online incidents increased 18 times.

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