International Day to Combat Islamophobia

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. M. El Dannawi:

That this council—

1. Recognises 15 March as International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

2. Notes that 15 March was adopted as International Day to Combat Islamophobia by the UN General Assembly, in order to commemorate the Christchurch Mosque attacks.

3. Acknowledges the concerning rise in Islamophobic rhetoric, actions and sentiment in Australia.

4. Acknowledges that Islamophobia:

(a) isolates, endangers and dehumanises Muslim people;

(b) creates barriers to full and equal participation; and

(c) undermines social cohesion.

5. Affirms that Islamophobia, racism and discrimination have no place in Australian society.

(Continued from 2 April 2025.)

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:13): I rise today to support the motion recognising International Day to Combat Islamophobia and thank the Hon. Mira El Dannawi for moving this motion. The United Nations designates 15 March as International Day to Combat Islamophobia. It calls for the promotion of a culture of tolerance and respect for religious diversity. It recognises the need to combat Islamophobia and address rising intolerance, discrimination and violence against Muslims.

The United Nations defines Islamophobia as a fear, prejudice and hatred of Muslims that leads to provocation, hostility and intolerance by means of threatening, harassment, abuse, incitement and intimidation of Muslims and non-Muslims in both the online and offline worlds. As other honourable members have noted, the date of 15 March was intentionally chosen for this day of observance to commemorate the horrific Christchurch mosque attack, which occurred on that date in 2019. Those attacks were an act of pure evil that starkly highlighted the tragic consequences of unchecked hatred and underlined the urgent need to combat Islamophobia in all its forms.

At the time of the Christchurch attacks, both houses of parliament in South Australia spoke in bipartisan support to express our deepest condolences to the families, friends and communities who were deeply affected and devastated by that atrocity. I clearly recall that honourable members in both houses stood shoulder to shoulder with the Muslim community to pledge our support in their grief and suffering.

This parliament reaffirmed our commitment to an inclusive and harmonious multicultural society, as we have done on many occasions before and since. However, sadly, we continue to see an unacceptable and unprecedented rise in anti-Muslim sentiment across Australia, with the recent report from the Islamophobia Register Australia finding a 250 per cent increase in reported online incidents and a 150 per cent increase in reported in-person incidents.

Overwhelmingly, Muslim women and girls were the target of these incidents, making up 75 per cent of all victims, including 79 per cent of verbal abuse cases, 60 per cent of physical assaults, and they were the victims in 100 per cent of spitting incidents. Most of the perpetrators were men. Ninety-two per cent of victims reported ongoing psychological impacts, including anxiety, depression and social isolation.

In South Australia, we pride ourselves on our diversity and the success of a harmonious multicultural society. However, we cannot deny that Islamophobia, like all forms of racism and discrimination, undermines the fabric of social cohesion and threatens the foundation of our open, generous and respectful society. In South Australia, we have an incredibly diverse, proud, compassionate and generous Muslim community, and we have been enriched by their social, cultural and economic contributions in all aspects of our society. Today, we show support and solidarity for the Muslim communities in our state.

I want to take a moment to remind honourable members of the parliamentary declaration contained in the South Australian Multicultural Act 2021. It was legislation that I championed under the Marshall Liberal government, and I want to take a moment to remind members that in that landmark piece of legislation the Parliament of South Australia acknowledged:

(c) that all people have a right to express and celebrate their cultural, linguistic and religious diversity…

(e) that all South Australians should be able to participate in the cultural, economic, political and social life of South Australia to the maximum extent possible…

(g) that all people are entitled to mutual respect and understanding regardless of their background;

We also made a commitment to promote South Australia as a unified, harmonious and inclusive society. Today, I remind honourable members of these powerful statements because Islamophobia is incredibly isolating and dehumanising and creates very real barriers for Australians to fully participate in our society and achieve their aspirations. How can we as members of parliament commit to supporting all South Australians to participate in the cultural, economic, political and social life of our state without also addressing the obstacles that prevent some members of our community from doing just that?

I note that the opposition has indicated they will be moving amendments to this motion, which I believe will be seen as insensitive and lacking compassion by many Australians. The proposed amendments by the Liberal opposition completely changes the tone and intent of this motion and undermines the conversation about a very real problem that affects the lives of thousands of South Australian community members.

Tacking on amendments about the radical philosophies and extremist actions of some foreign regimes to this motion only fuels anti-Muslim sentiment by associating the policies and actions of foreign actors with innocent and peace-loving individuals in our society. We have spoken on motions before in this place that condemn human rights violations and oppression of minorities by foreign regimes, such as, for example, when we stood in solidarity with the women's rights movement in Iran and its calls for democracy and freedom.

We have also passed motions in this place to acknowledge and speak out against rising antisemitism in our society and to call for the better protection of Jewish people and communities. It is fitting that we do the same, with the same level of respect and sensitivity, to call out Islamophobia and to show our support for our Muslim brothers and sisters. While there is broad agreement that both antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise, we should avoid a tendency to debate which form of prejudice represents the biggest problem.

In the interests of addressing the rising hate in Australia, rather than attempting to resolve the political tensions overseas, many peace-loving Australian people are asking their political leaders to shift the focus away from an 'us versus them' implication because this competitive or adversarial approach risks exacerbating the issue and diverting attention from addressing the shared underlying causes of those forms of hatred. It should not be a competition between antisemitism and Islamophobia or any form of discrimination or prejudice.

It should be seen as a common problem that requires us to find new ways to address underlying causes of prejudice and hatred. This motion reaffirms that Islamophobia, racism and discrimination have no place in Australian society and I want to show my solidarity with our Muslim community in South Australia. We are stronger and better as an inclusive and harmonious multicultural society, and we should all defend that right. I wholeheartedly support the motion in its original form.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (17:20): I rise briefly as the lead speaker on behalf of the opposition in support of the Hon. Mira El Dannawi's motion. The date of 15 March is significant as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. This particular date was chosen to honour and remember the victims of the tragic Christchurch mosque attacks on 15 March 2019.

The decision to recognise 15 March worldwide was made with the intention of raising awareness about the dangers of fear, prejudice and hatred towards Muslim people. By acknowledging this day annually, we not only condemn acts of hatred and discrimination but also strive to foster understanding, tolerance and respect for all people of all backgrounds and beliefs. By doing this, we work towards a world where everyone can practise their faith freely and without fear of persecution.

While the Liberal Party fully supports efforts to uphold religious freedom, tolerance and social cohesion, there is a strong case for respectfully amending the motion. Our amendments not only recognise and condemn Islamophobia but also broaden the discussion to uphold universal human rights and condemn the harm caused by radical Islamism, both to Muslims and non-Muslims globally. In light of this, I move the following amendment as previously circulated:

Paragraph 5:

After 'Islamophobia' and before 'racism' insert 'antisemitism'.

After paragraph 5, insert new paragraphs as follows:

6. Condemns radical Islam for the deaths of countless Muslims by Muslims in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Nigeria, and Somalia;

7. Condemns the treatment of women and homosexuals under radical Islamic regimes and ideologies, including violations of basic human rights and dignity;

8. Condemns radical Islam's calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and supports the right of all nations, including Israel, to exist peacefully and securely.

The amended motion will retain full recognition of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia and the importance of fighting religious discrimination. However, it takes a broader, principled stand by also condemning the human rights abuses perpetrated under radical Islamic ideologies. This provides a more complete defence of human rights and dignity, consistent with Liberal Party values.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (17:23): I rise to speak in favour of the motion moved by the Hon. Mira El Dannawi. In so doing, I do not have a great deal to add to the speech the Hon. Jing Lee gave. I think that was a very well-considered speech and articulated many of the reasons why this motion is so important. I agree with the Hon. Jing Lee that these sorts of motions should be considered as standalone matters. They are opportunities for us to express solidarity with the Islamic community in Australia and, in particular, to stand up against Islamophobia and racism in our community. As the honourable member remarked, that conduct is abhorrent and it should be stamped out.

The motion acknowledges the impact that Islamophobia can have in terms of isolating, endangering and dehumanising people, creating barriers to full and equal participation in our society and undermining social cohesion. Indeed, a number of studies over the last few years have demonstrated that there has been an alarming spike of Islamophobia in Australia, and so I think these sorts of statements from the parliament are impactful.

I will just take a moment to reflect on my disappointment that the opposition has chosen to insert other material into the motion. Rather than, as the Hon. Jing Lee reflected, simply leaving this as a powerful standalone statement, they have sought to add in some other wording that I consider could be inflammatory and, indeed, other wording that seems to suggest that the Liberals have not learned the lesson of the federal election that was just two weeks ago.

I think the Australian people sent a very clear message that they do not want Dutton's duds. They do not want this sort of ugly culture wars permeating through our politics. They do not want politicians fanning the flames of division and disunity in our parliaments, whether here in South Australia or in Canberra. I think that is why a record number of people voted for political parties that rejected that style of politics in our state.

I would urge the Liberal Party to reflect, heed the lessons of the recent federal election and leave this culture war politics at the door, because I think people are really sick and tired of it. With that, I indicate that I will be supporting the substantive motion but opposing the Liberal amendments.

The Hon. M. EL DANNAWI (17:26): I thank the members for their contribution to the debate: the Hon. Tammy Franks, the Hon. Sarah Game, the Hon. Jing Lee, the Hon. Robert Simms and the Hon. Nicola Centofanti. In particular, I echo the sentiments of the Hon. Tammy Franks that there is no hierarchy in which one type of discrimination is worse than others, and that they all should be given the same level of reporting and the same level of action.

Equally, I echo the sentiment of the Hon. Sarah Game in acknowledging everyone's right to exist peacefully and cohesively, regardless of religion or background. The Hon. Jing Lee: thank you for highlighting the shocking data, the rich contribution to our Muslim community, and the right to be seen and to be heard in our society.

I am sure it will come as no surprise to the Hon. Nicola Centofanti to hear that the government will not be supporting the amendments to this motion. The reason is simple: this is not a motion about radical Islam. This motion is to offer support and recognition of the difficulties that Muslim Australians are facing. It is to recognise a day that commemorates a racially and ideologically motivated attack against them that occurred in our corner of the world.

This motion is about the millions of Muslims in Australia and around the world who lead normal lives just like you and me. We should not have to offer countless disclaimers before we extend solidarity and support to peaceful members of our community. The Australian people are not interested in getting into the sort of culture wars that are fuelled by the amendment proposed by the opposition. The recent election proved that. This government is not interested in those culture wars either.

I want to take this opportunity to remind the chamber of some of the shocking data that came out of the Islamophobia Register's report: a 250 per cent increase in reported online incidents and a 150 per cent increase in reported in-person incidents. Women and girls are the target of these incidents by an overwhelming 75 per cent. I remind honourable members that, in the face of the divisive political narratives and negative media portrayals globally and nationally, we have the utmost responsibility to uphold the fundamental values of justice and equality and to role-model tolerance and acceptance. I commend the motion.

The PRESIDENT: The first question I am going to put is that the word proposed to be inserted in paragraph 5 by the Hon. N.J. Centofanti be so inserted.

Question resolved in the negative.

The PRESIDENT: The next question I am going to put is that new paragraphs 6, 7 and 8 as proposed to be inserted by the Hon. N.J. Centofanti be so inserted.

Question resolved in the negative; motion carried.