The NSW Government has pledged $1 million to fight Islamophobia.
The funding will go towards a community program that will train police to respond to anti-Muslim hate, and run a hotline to report Islamophobic incidents.
A 2024 Government report showed a rise of Islamophobia and antisemitism in NSW since Israel’s war in Gaza began.
The state Coalition Opposition has welcomed the funding, describing hate as a direct threat to “one of the most vibrant places in the world”.
Islamophobia
Since Hamas’ 7 October attacks on Israel, and Israel’s ensuing war in Gaza, multiple reports have shown growing tensions and intolerance towards Muslim communities in Australia.
Australia classifies Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Mainstream Islamic authorities and traditions reject its use of violence and extremist tactics.
An Islamophobic slogan was sprayed onto the side of a Lebanese supermarket in western Sydney earlier this year, prompting widespread condemnation.
Social cohesion
A 2024 report published by the independent Scanlon Foundation Research Institute highlighted the links between global conflicts, and Islamophobia and antisemitism.
It showed the percentages of Australians who held “negative attitudes” towards Jewish and Muslim people rose between 2023 and 2024, rising from 9 to 13% for Jewish people, and from 27 to 34% for Muslim people.
State Government department Multicultural NSW has also found that “negative attitudes towards Muslims, which had been slowly declining in the years before 2024, remain by far the highest towards any single faith group”.
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Funding
The NSW Government has pledged $1 million to a community-run program to combat Islamophobia. It includes a ‘Report Islamophobia Support Line’, community education, and help for anyone impacted by anti-Muslim hate.
“Anecdotal evidence presented to me indicates that Islamophobia is far higher than what is reported,” Premier Chris Minns said in a statement.
Over the past two years, the Government has also funded Jewish community bodies that run programs combatting antisemitism, including $5 million to the Sydney Jewish Museum in 2023.
Response
The anti-Islamophobia program is run by a group of cultural leaders, the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC).
ANIC President Shadi Alsuleiman said the spread of 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.”
In addition, Alsuleiman said: “We’ve seen an increase in micro-aggressions that are often brushed off as ignorance or rude behaviour.“
Coalition
Shadow Multiculturalism Minister Mark Coure welcomed the new funding announcement.
In a statement to TDA, he said: “It’s 2025, racism has no place here.”
However, he criticised the Government’s overall response to the rise in hate since October 2023, saying its “slow approach to tackling hate has allowed it to fester on our streets and particularly online via social media platforms.”
