The ‘ordinariness’ of Islamophobia

“Islamophobia is taking place in very normal circumstances, in normal surroundings such as shopping malls, at the beaches, on public transport, even in schools, even amongst neighbourhoods. And so that scale was something that was quite surprising for me.”

“In my conversations, the majority of individuals that told me their stories of Islamophobia also informed me that they did not report it,” he said.

“They’re terrifying, they’re intimidatory and they are simply done to instil fear and hate,” he said.

Antisemitism and Islamophobia

“It’s important to understand that both antisemitism and Islamophobia are repugnant, and both the Muslim and Jewish communities face common fear and anxiety.”

He also said he would “love to have a conversation” with politicians who deny the seriousness of Islamophobia.

Envoys for antisemitism and Islamophobia

“There should be places designated away from where the Jewish community might venture, where people can demonstrate.

Jillian Segal is Australia’s antisemitism envoy. Source: AAP / Thomas Parrish

“That is not to in any way to attack the right of people to express their views, but at some point, [holding protest] every single week becomes intimidatory in the city.”

“If we are looking for a change in the law, I would be very circumspect about that.”

“The impact of Islamophobia is that it spreads hate, fear, isolation, and also an ‘us and them’ mentality. So this is an immense undertaking an immense task and will take many people.”