Muslims in Sydney are three to five times more likely to experience “very high rates of exposure to racism” compared with Australians in general, a study shows.
But about 97% of the nearly 600 Muslims surveyed said relations between them and non-Muslims were friendly and that they felt “a very strong sense of belonging”, the report’s key author, professor Kevin Dunn, said.
The research, which revealed the workplace to be the most frequent site of anti-Muslim bigotry, was released to coincide with a conference in Sydney examining the links between Islamophobia and violent extremism.
Its keynote speaker, professor John Esposito of Georgetown University in Washington DC, said on Monday prejudice against Muslims played into the hands of extremists.
“One of the things that does wind up alienating some youth is the extent to which anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic diatribe, hate crimes, attacks on mosques make people feel alienated and marginalised from their societies,” he said.
About two-thirds of those surveyed said they had experienced racism “at least sometimes” in their workplaces, schools, online or when dealing with police, the survey showed.
The research, unique in its scale and focus on Sydney Muslims, was conducted by Western Sydney University, Charles Sturt University and the Islamic Sciences and Research Academy.
Nine in 10 of those who took part felt it was important their children be accepted as Australians, and two-thirds said they mixed socially with non-Muslims.
“The fact that Muslims face high levels of racism, yet still believe Islam is compatible with Australian norms, bodes well for the future,” Dunn, a professor at Western Sydney University, said.
“It seems that Australia’s values of diversity and multiculturalism give hope to Australian Muslims, and makes them more resilient in dealing with the pressures of Islamophobia and racism.”
Dunn said higher levels of religiosity were “positively associated with stronger levels of national belonging”.
