Islamophobia on the Rise
‘Islamophobia’… it is a term that is commonly thrown around within the media and commentary. It is what we all understand as discrimination directed at the Muslim community. However, while most of us condemn such acts of prejudice, just a few weeks ago, a video of a Muslim woman being attacked in Paramatta has led to widespread concern that things are just not getting any better. According to a major study by the Charles Sturt University on Islamophobia, such incidents do not occur in isolation. In particular, research found that women wearing headscarves were at most risk of Islamophobic abuse. To discuss these issues further we had Dr Derya Iner, Senior Lecturer at Charles Sturt University and chief investigator of the 2019 Islamophobia in Australia report. Dr Iner is also a key figure within the academic and Islamic community who is an executive and founding member of many associations such as the Australian Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies and the Australian Islamophobia Register.
