The government’s response to Islamophobia report is big on lofty ideals, short on details

The Australian government has released its response to a special envoy's report on Islamophobia. The report contained fifty-four recommendations for how to address anti-Muslim prejudice. The government has endorsed more than half—thirty-five recommendations—but critics argue it doesn't go nearly far enough. The scope of the problem is significant. According to the Islamophobia Register, there were more than three hundred in-person incidents documented in 2023 and 2024, more than double the previous period's average. Online incidents reached three hundred sixty-six, more than triple the historical norm. Recent research found that thirty-five percent of Australians expressed negative views of Muslims in 2025, compared to twenty-seven percent two years earlier—the highest percentage for any religious group. The government's response does highlight education as a key focus, pledging to establish an Islamophobia education taskforce to help schools tackle the issue. But per The Conversation (Australia), the government frames the problem mainly as a social cohesion issue rather than institutional discrimination. Many of the commitments represent expansions of existing work rather than significant new initiatives. Experts argue that addressing Islamophobia requires deeper curricular reform and sustained federal commitment to building a more inclusive society for Muslim Australians.

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