Experiences of Islamophobia impacts a person’s ability to do day-to-day activities like a trip to the shops, taking public transport or attending work or school. It has significant implications to accessing education, healthcare and work.
Health
Islamophobia has serious impacts on health.
People who have experienced Islamophobia report ongoing mental health and psychological impacts including anxiety, fear, anger, humiliation, despair or sadness4.
This can lead to intergenerational trauma, where the harmful and insidious impact of Islamophobia is felt through multiple generations.
Witnessing or experiencing Islamophobia can also prevent some people from accessing healthcare services because they don’t feel safe accessing essential services. Participants in an Australian Human Rights Commission project that explored the experiences of Muslim Australians, reported unfavourable and discriminatory treatment when accessing healthcare5.
Education
Educational settings are a particular site of concern for Islamophobia.
Muslim students can face bullying, physical assaults, and discrimination6. These experiences negatively impact young people’s view of themselves and their sense of belonging and can lead to low self-esteem and mental health issues7.
Participants in an Australian Human Rights Commission project reported experiences of discrimination and vilification at university. These reports are supported by data from the 2023-24 Islamophobia in Australia report which included reports of verbal abuse, hate speech and physical assault at universities8.
Employment
Participants in an Australian Human Rights Commission project identified structural (systemic) Islamophobia as a key barrier to seeking employment and noted that the workplace was a key site of Islamophobic treatment9.
Research found that people with Middle Eastern names seeking employment in Australia had to submit 64 per cent more applications to receive the same opportunities as a person with an Anglo-sounding name10. While not all Muslims have a Middle Eastern name, this study is an example of structural Islamophobia.
Children and young people
Islamophobia impacts children and young people, with research noting that exposure to Islamophobia can lead to internalising negative stereotypes about their own community, along with feelings of hopelessness and being disempowered. Young people surveyed as part of a research paper noted the prevalence and normalisation of Islamophobia in Australia11. Exposure to Islamophobia as a child or young person can have long term impacts on mental health and self-esteem.
Suppression of culture
Seeing or experiencing Islamophobia can cause people to hide their culture or religion.
Some may stop wearing the hijab in public or avoid going to mosques or community events out of fear. This makes it difficult to freely express who they are, celebrate their culture, and practice their religion without fear of being harassed or discriminated against.
Disengagement from the community
Experiencing Islamophobia can make people feel like they don’t belong in Victoria or Australia. It can lead to feeling left out and like they are not accepted for who they are. As a result, people may feel less connected to their community and less interested in getting involved in political or community activities. Over time, these feelings can grow, leading to a sense of exclusion, feeling isolated and declining mental health.
Responding to Islamophobia
Everyone has a role to play in creating a safer, more inclusive Victoria. An important part of this is being able to identify and stand up to Islamophobia when you see it. One way to help is to be an active bystander. This can include offering support to someone who has experienced Islamophobia, calmly calling Islamophobic behaviour out (if it is safe to do so), or reporting what you witnessed. See the Active bystander toolkit for practical steps on how you can stand up to Islamophobia.
If you have experienced or witnessed Islamophobia, there are services that can provide you with advice on what to do, options for reporting your experience and how to access support. See the Guide to accessing support and reporting Islamophobia for more information.
In Victoria, there are laws to protect people from discrimination and vilification (hate speech).
Under the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010 it is against the law to discriminate against someone based on their race, skin colour, ancestry, nationality, ethnic background or religion in areas of public life such as:
- at work
- at school
- when using services
- when renting or buying property
- when taking part in sport
- when accessing public places.
Under the Crimes Act 1958, it is a criminal offence to incite hatred or threaten physical harm against someone because of who they are or what faith they follow.
Combatting Islamophobia is not just the responsibility of individuals.
Decision makers and people in positions of power also have an important role to play in combatting Islamophobia.
Schools, workplaces, universities, and governments have a responsibility to prevent and address Islamophobia, hate and racism.
Under the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010, some organisations such as education institutions, workplaces and goods and services providers, have a legal duty to eliminate discrimination and victimisation as far as possible12.
This means that these organisations must take positive and proactive action, regardless of whether a complaint has been made.
References
4Carland et al, Islamophobia in Australia Report V.
5Australian Human Rights Commission, Sharing the Stories of Australian Muslims.
6Carland et al, Islamophobia in Australia Report V.
7Hammond, K and Bottriell, N, Stand Out, Speak Up: Racism and Islamophobia in Victorian schools, Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights, 2023.
8Carland et al, Islamophobia in Australia Report V.
9Australian Human Rights Commission, Sharing the Stories of Australian Muslims.
10A L Booth, L Andrew and E Varganova, ‘Does Ethnic Discrimination Vary Across Minority Groups? Evidence from a Field Experiment’, Oxford bulletin of economics and statistics, 2011, 74(4), doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0084.2011.00664.x.
11A Bedar, N Bottriell, S Akbarzadeh, Supporting Muslim Families and Children in dealing with Islamophobia, Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights, 2020.
12Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, Positive Duty
Updated