Australia: anti-Muslim tags relaunch the debate on the effectiveness of the fight against Islamophobia

“F**k Islam” and “Cancel Islam”: these hateful inscriptions discovered on an underpass in Chester Hill, in western Sydney, are rekindling concerns among the Muslim community. An incident which adds to a series of hostile acts in this region, according to Elias Attia, head of the Islamic Council of New South Wales.

“It’s a form of intimidation aimed at excluding us from public space,” he told ABC Sydney radio. If the tags were quickly covered with white paint, their impact particularly resonates. Aftab Malik, appointed Special Envoy against Islamophobia in September, sees this as a symptom of a deeper evil. Since taking office, he has documented the daily harassment of veiled women in public places.

Faced with these tensions, the Prime Minister of the state, Chris Minns, strongly condemned these “acts intended to incite hatred”. The incident raises questions about the effectiveness of anti-Islamophobia measures. Aftab Malik insists on the urgency of concrete actions, beyond symbolic condemnations. “It is crucial to initiate a national dialogue to strengthen social cohesion,” he argues.

These events reveal the limits of the Australian integration model, particularly in multicultural areas like western Sydney. If the creation of a position of Special Envoy marks an institutional awareness, the trivialization of Islamophobic acts questions the effectiveness of current policies to combat discrimination. Moving from words to action remains the main challenge for the authorities.