Australian PM condemns alleged attack on Muslim women

SYDNEY - Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Feb 19 condemned a “reprehensible” assault on two Muslim women at a shopping centre, rejecting criticism that Islamophobia was treated less seriously than anti-Semitism.

The country’s Islamic community, joined by Test cricketer Usman Khawaja, have pointed to the Feb 13 incident in Melbourne as an example of the insufficient government response to threats against Muslims.

Asked if the government would have reacted more swiftly if the incident had been anti-Semitic, Mr Albanese told journalists that an attack on anyone because of their faith was “reprehensible”.

“I take all attacks on people on the basis of their faith seriously, and they should all face the full force of the law.”

Mr Albanese faced criticism earlier this week for not condemning the attack sooner.

Australian leaders have been vocal in condemning a series of anti-Semitic incidents over recent months. In these incidents, vandals torched a Sydney childcare centre, firebombed a Melbourne synagogue and scrawled anti-Semitic graffiti in Jewish neighbourhoods.

But on Feb 17, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils said it was alarmed by a trend of attacks against Muslim people.

The response “remains grossly insufficient”, federation president Rateb Jneid said in a statement.

“When compared to the swift and significant attention given to less severe incidents affecting other communities, the disparity in response is not only apparent but also unacceptable.”

The country’s anti-Islamophobia envoy, Mr Aftab Malik, on Feb 18 called for Australian leaders to condemn the attack and invest in making Muslims feel safe.

“All forms of hate need to stop,” he later told Australian broadcaster ABC.

Mr Khawaja posted on social media on Feb 18 that such attacks on the Islamic community were being “swept under the rug”.

On Feb 19, however, he welcomed Mr Albanese and the country’s opposition leader