A special envoy appointed to address rising Islamophobia in the Australian community has vowed to fight against hate as war continues in the Middle East.
Muslim affairs expert Aftab Malik was announced as the special envoy to combat Islamophobia in Australia by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday evening.
Earlier in July, the government named respected business leader and lawyer Jillian Segal as Australia’s first special envoy to combat anti-Semitism.
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The appointment of an envoy for Islamophobia was supposed to be announced alongside the anti-Semitism envoy but Albanese said at the time finding a suitable candidate had “proved more of a challenge”.
This led some Muslim community members to feel they were not being treated equally by the government.
Recognised as a global expert on Muslim affairs by the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations, Malik has spent almost a decade working in the NSW premier’s department, countering hate and extremism.
He will listen to and work with the Muslim community, religious discrimination experts and government on the best ways to tackle prejudice.
Tensions in Australia have been heightened after a protracted conflict in the Middle East following the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.
The fighting has extended beyond Israel and occupied Palestinian territories to Yemen and Lebanon, sparking fears of conflict engulfing the entire region.
Malik said promoting social cohesion and “fighting against hate” in Australia was more important today than it had ever been.
“I don’t intend to use this role to advocate that one form of hatred is more important than another: both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are unacceptable,” he said.
“Each of us can play a part in making sure that violence and hatred have no place in our communities.
“We can do this by valuing and strengthening the bonds between us and by calling out discrimination and being allies to those who experience it.”
Australia Palestine Advocacy Network President Nasser Mashni said both special envoy roles risked inflaming community tensions “by suggesting that the experiences of some racialised groups are more significant than others”.
“Anti-Palestinian racism is not about religion, but about colonialism and the systemic oppression of Palestinians as an indigenous people whose lands have been stolen and illegally occupied,” he said.
Malik said he looked forward to working with his counterpart Segal to “fortify” social cohesion and bring communities together “rooted in dignity for all”.
More than 1200 Israelis were killed in the Hamas attack, with hundreds taken hostage.
Almost 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel declared war on Hamas, authorities there say.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said bigotry was always wrong and had no place in Australia.
“You should be able to live safely and freely in Australia, regardless of who you are or what you believe,” he said.
Malik will start his three-year term in mid-October and will report to the prime minister and Burke.
The government has spent $90 million on the ingoing impacts of the conflict on Australian communities.