Sydney Muslims experience discrimination at three times the rate of other Australians: study
By Justine Kearney and Mohamed Taha
Updated 43 minutes ago PHOTO: Muslim men pray at mosque in Sydney.(Ian Waldie/AFP/Getty Images) MAP: Sydney 2000
Muslims in Sydney experience discrimination at three times the rate of other Australians, but most believe relations between Muslims and non-Muslims are friendly, a study has found.
Almost 600 Sydney Muslims were surveyed by the Western Sydney and Charles Sturt universities, and the Islamic Sciences and Research Academy.
Western Sydney University Professor Kevin Dunn, the report's lead author, said the results were consistent with other studies that showed high rates of Islamophobia in Australia.
"Because of things that are happening in the world and the various representations of Muslims, and these are problematic, and it means that some people unfortunately feel more emboldened to say things and do things which are prejudicial and which are hurtful towards Muslims," Professor Dunn said.
Ninety seven per cent of respondents agreed that it was a good thing for society to be made up of people from different cultures, compared to the average of all Australians of 87 per cent.
Some of the key findings of the study included:
57 per cent had experienced racism
62 per cent had experienced racism in the workplace or when seeking employment
1 in 10 Sydney Muslims had "very high" rates of exposure to racism
86 per cent believed relations between Australian Muslims and non-Muslims were friendly
Unemployment was higher among those surveyed (8.5 per cent) than the general Sydney population (3.7 per cent)
Professor Dunn said most Sydney Muslims had a high sense of religiosity, or were strongly committed to their faith.
"That religiosity is positively associated with a sense of belonging to the country, and a sense that Islamic ways align with Australian norms," he said.
"Those Muslims with stronger levels of religiosity have a stronger level of self-belonging in the country."
Issues of concern for Sydney Muslims included education and employment.
"And these are the issues that most Australians worry about," Professor Dunn said. 'Discrimination makes young Muslims more vulnerable'
The majority of Australian Muslims in the study not only identified themselves as Australian but also felt a sense of belonging to Australia.
An even larger substantial majority indicated that it was important for their children to get fully accepted as Australians [90 per cent].
Two-thirds also indicated that they frequently mixed with non-Muslims in their social lives.
This challenged the assumption that Muslims self-segregate, Professor Dunn said.
The report was released at the second Australasian Conference on Islam, which is being held in Parramatta.
The conference's keynote speaker is Georgetown University Professor John Esposito, the founding director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.
He said discrimination could make young Muslims more vulnerable to radicalisation.
"One of the things that does wind up alienating some youth is the extent to which anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic diatribe, hate crimes, attacks on mosques make people feel alienated and marginalised from their societies," he said.
"But I think a lot of it also has to do with western foreign policies." Right-wing groups playing into ISIS narrative: expert
Deakin University Professor Greg Barton, who is a counter-terrorism expert, told an audience at the conference that a recent spike in protests against mosques and multiculturalism fuels the Islamic State message.
"ISIS is masterful at messaging and manipulation," he said.
"They understand our weaknesses. They understand that if we turn on each other on suspicion, it's going to be much easier for their local recruiter to find somebody who be asking questions and convince that young person."
Professor Barton said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's comments after the Parramatta shooting had strengthened ties with the Muslim community.
He said Muslim leaders had told him Mr Turnbull's rhetoric was inclusive and measured in comparison to those of former prmme Minister Tony Abbott.
"For the first time in a long time, we felt we had somebody who wants to engage us and hear what we have to say," he said.
"He's made a very good start. Some might say this is just about perception but perception is everything in politics." Anti-halal debate 'reflects growing hysteria'
Ms Abdel-Fattah said in her research she found many anti-halal activists believed halal food symbolised a "takeover".
"There are people who are really quite emotionally sort of disturbed by the label of halal on quintessential Australian products like Vegemite or Cadbury chocolate," she said.
Ms Abdel-Fattah said the language from certain politicians and media commentators had contributed to an increased sense of fear towards Muslims and Muslim-related issues, such as halal food.
"That's when we start looking to the wider regimes of power, language and the conversations we have about Muslims," she said.
"It is filtering down into the way people respond to something as benign as a halal food label."
