Women wearing hijabs targeted in anti-Muslim abuse since Bondi attack
There are concerns women wearing hijabs are bearing the brunt of a "horrifying" wave of Islamophobia in the wake of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, with the Australian National Imams Council reporting a rise of hate incidents.
There are concerns women wearing hijabs are bearing the brunt of a "horrifying" wave of Islamophobia in the wake of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, with one support service saying reports of hate incidents have increased nearly 200 per cent.
Naveed Akram, 24, faces 59 charges over the December 14 attack, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act.
His father, Sajid, was shot dead by police.
The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) said the incident had triggered a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment, including acts of vandalism of Islamic institutions, harassment, physical intimidation and online hate.
The ANIC's Action Against Islamophobia initiative — which runs a helpline for victims of Islamophobia — has recorded a near-200 per cent increase in reported anti-Muslim hate incidents since the attack.
Specifically, since December 14, there have been 62 incidents officially reported to the ANIC helpline.
They include a Muslim disability support worker in Leppington who was assisting clients onto a bus when she had her hijab ripped off by a passing couple, a hijab-wearing Muslim woman who was egged and abused on her way to work in Redfern and a woman spat at while wearing a hijab in Perth.
Several mosques and Islamic centres were also vandalised or subject to serious security incidents that were reported to police.
Bilal Rauf said much of the abuse had been aimed at women wearing hijabs. (ABC News: Sean Tarek Goodwin)
ANIC senior advisor Bilal Rauf said much of the abuse had been aimed at women across Australia, particularly in Sydney.
"In the few weeks' period since the horrific murders at Bondi, we're talking hundreds in terms of the level of increase [in hate incident reports]," he said.
"We've had a number of incidents where young girls have been spat at and, in one instance, the hijabs ripped off, and many other abusive comments directed at women.
"People have reached out to express their utter devastation, distress, concern, fear, and many of these [incidents] have also been raised with the authorities, including police."
'Divisive rhetoric'
In the statement of facts released by a Sydney court, it is alleged videos found on Naveed Akram's phone show the pair reciting "political and religious views" and "appear to summarise their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack".
Another video shows the men sitting in front of an image of an Islamic State flag with long-arm firearms.