Islamophobic graffiti has been found in a multicultural suburb in the west of the Australian city of Sydney, with the police launching an investigation into the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police received reports over the weekend of offensive graffiti spray-painted on a bridge underpass near a busy shopping area that includes numerous halal restaurants and grocers in the western Sydney suburb of Chester Hill, New South Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pejorative words and slogans were in denunciation of Islam and had been painted onto both sides of the underpass and scrawled on a nearby advertising billboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chester Hill has one of the largest Muslim populations in the state, with nearly 40% of residents identifying as Muslim, according to census figures. NSW police said if someone was arrested they would \u201clikely\u201d be charged with a hate crime due to the offensive graffiti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NSW Premier Chris Minns was quick to hit out at the religious vilification and said the Chester Hill action was designed to sow discord in the community. Minns described the vandalism as \u201cabhorrent\u201d and said the people responsible would face the \u201cfull force of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVandalism like this that is aimed at particular religions is designed to incite hatred and is completely abhorrent,\u201d he said. \u201cThis racism and Islamophobia is disgusting and corrosive to the very fabric of the successful multicultural state that we have here in NSW. Division and conflict from around the world cannot be allowed to be imported onto the streets of Sydney.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Federal Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke similarly condemned the graffiti as an act of \u201chatred\u201d and \u201cbigotry.\u201d \u201cLike other forms of dehumanizing abuse, Islamophobia has no place in Australia,\u201d the minister said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jason Clare, a fellow federal minister and the local MP for Blaxland, called the vandalism a \u201cgutless attack on our community.\u201d \u201cThis is disgusting,\u201d Clare said. \u201cPeople in my community are hurting because of the conflict in the Middle East. There is no place in Australia for Islamophobia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A spokesperson for the Australian National Imams Council called for \u201cimmediate and decisive action\u201d from federal and state governments to address what it described as a \u201csurge\u201d in Islamophobic incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis rise in hate crimes and discriminatory behavior highlights a critical failure to address systemic Islamophobia effectively,\u201d the council said. \u201cGovernments at all levels must recognize this escalating crisis and implement robust measures to combat it \u2026 to ensure the safety and well-being of all communities in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The organization called on governments to strengthen anti-racism policies and police to \u201cprioritize hate crime investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
David Ossip, the president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, said the NSW Jewish community \u201cunreservedly condemns the anti-Islam graffiti.\u201d \u201cThe graffiti was hateful, deeply offensive, and would have understandably caused distress to the Islamic community. A bigoted attack on any group of Australians is an attack on all of us,\u201d Ossip said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gamel Kheir, the secretary of the Lebanese Muslim Association, called for Australian politicians to support the Muslim community. \u201cSadly many in our community have seen and felt the ugly racist elements in Australia. This has been a recurring theme our community has experienced for well over 20 years,\u201d Kheir said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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