ELEANOR HALL: As police warn about a backlash over last nights death, members of the broader Muslim community are already reporting a rise in attacks against Muslim women in particular, since the Federal Government joined the US coalition against IS. Some women in Australias Muslim community have now set up a Facebook register where people can report any violence and they say theyre shocked that many of the incidents have occurred while children were present. But theyve also been receiving messages of support and solidarity from the wider public. As Sarah Sedghi reports. SARAH SEDGHI: The Islamophobia Register is just a week old, but its founders say they are deeply worried about what has been reported so far. Lydia Shelley is the pages co-founder. LYDIA SHELLEY: Weve heard and documented experiences such as women who are wearing the hijab being physically attacked in public and having their property vandalised, such as their motor vehicles. Weve had mothers and children being verbally abused, spat on. Weve had an incident where prams have been kicked, incidences where verbal abuse has been so horrific that a mother has had to remove her children from a playground. Weve had incidences where a woman has been almost run over in the inner west of Sydney when she was crossing the road to her daughters school. And we have got countless examples of the social media vitriol targeting Muslims. And can I say, so horrific is some of this social media attacks, weve actually had to disable public posts on our own Facebook page, ironically, because we were getting a lot of hate mail. SARAH SEDGHI: The registers creators want people in the community who have been attacked to let them know as well as notifying police. Information can be submitted anonymously and the register is managed by Muslim women and intended to be read by Muslim women in particular. Lydia Shelley says women are often unfairly targeted. LYDIA SHELLEY: Because Muslim women and especially those who chose to wear veil or niqab, theyre obviously far more recognisable than the Muslim men say in the community. So weve noticed that a lot of the victims in these matters are actually Muslim women. I think its very important that they feel, they receive the support from somebody amongst their own community who understands the issues that theyre facing who can record whats happened to them, who can reassure that whats happened is not their fault, and to encourage them to contact the police force and make their incident known to the police. SARAH SEDGHI: Women in the Muslim community say while attacks have always been a concern, violence is rising, particularly since last weeks anti-terrorism raids in Brisbane and Sydney. Silma Ihram from the Australian Muslim Womens Association says many people feel so threatened that its having an effect on peoples daily lives. SILMA IHRAM: Ive had some Muslim women saying they are not going far from their home. Ive had some who have recently put on the hijab, really worrying that theyre going to be a target now. SARAH SEDGHI: But she has also been heartened by what the wider Australian community has been telling her. SILMA IHRAM: They realise that there is a small number of people who have hijacked this beautiful religion of ours. We are calling on as many Muslim women as possible to stand proud, to wear the hijab proudly, and to give the lie to the horror and atrocities and negativity that this IS represents. SARAH SEDGHI: Maha Abdo from the Muslim Womens Association is also heartened by support from across the broader community. MAHA ABDO: The fear and the anxiety is rising and there have been some very, very severe incidents reported. But amongst all of this I must say weve had amazing, amazing messages of support to say that people are putting their hands out and saying if theres fear and if you feel like youre uncomfortable about walking down the street, we as non-Muslims and people like Australians would love to be able to support you and walk with you. SARAH SEDGHI: The Islamophobia Register has already found many women are taking a stand against racial and religious violence. Lydia Shelley. LYDIA SHELLEY: Weve got everyday Australians contacting us to tell us that they stand with us in solidarity, that they recognise that bigotry, theres just no place for it in Australia. That people shouldnt feel threatened or intimidated or harassed or subject to physical abuse simply because of the cultural background that they come from or indeed the religious beliefs that they have. At the end of the day we all want to be safe and we all want to live in a country where youre safe to take your children to a playground, or its safe to take your children and walk them to their school. So the biggest thing you can do is indeed, if you see an incident like this occurring in public, to stand up and just say something. And just to understand that Muslim women especially, we are a little bit vulnerable at the moment, and we do indeed appreciate your position of support. ELEANOR HALL: And thats Lydia Shelley, the co-founder of the Islamophobia Register, ending Sarah Sedghis report. abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2014/s4093692.htm
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 05:48:29 +0000
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