Seen and heard

Message from the Commissioner

Seen and Heard is an initiative that supports Arab, Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian communities facing increased racism in the aftermath of October 7, 2023.

My team and I have been privileged to spend several months in late 2024 and early 2025 meeting with and listening to the perspectives of leaders, academics, researchers and organisations working with affected communities in Australia. We have also attended several events including conferences, lectures and screenings. These events have given us the opportunity to better connect with individuals, hear their stories and enrich our understanding of the hope, the frustration, pain, fear and sense of injustice they carry with them. We welcome invitations to in-person or online events your community is hosting around Australia.

While this project focuses on the recent experiences of affected communities in Australia, we do not disregard the long history of violence and conflict, nor the unhealed wounds that continue to deepen. Among all groups, we have heard instances of physical assault; of online abuse; severed friendships and lost opportunities; of deep-seated feelings of fear, isolation and being ‘othered’; of mental and emotional exhaustion. Compounding these experiences is the feeling that they are not acknowledged nor validated by leaders and individuals in the broader community.

Many groups emphasised the systemic racism in government, the media, law enforcement and the workplace that works to delegitimise advocacy and punish those involved in it, leading individuals to self-censor or hide their identities. Additionally, racism has a specific and often disproportionate impact on women, young people, people with disability and those living in regional areas of Australia.

We have heard that the different forms racism and discrimination experienced by communities all have unique aspects. Anti-Palestinian racism, which affects Christian Palestinians as well as non-Palestinian supporters, is often conflated with Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism. We have also heard that Islamophobia stereotypes all Muslims as terrorists, while also seriously endangering individuals who ‘look Muslim’.

We were told that antisemitism is a specific form of racism, embedded in centuries of vilification and persecution. Some members of the Jewish community also pointed out that anti-Zionist sentiment often acts as code for antisemitism and contributes to dehumanising Jewish people.

Adding to this complexity is the diversity, distinction and overlap between communities: not all Muslims are Arabs, not all Palestinians are Muslim; not all Jewish people subscribe to the same political views.

So far, the key recommendations we've heard focus on combatting structural racism, an approach that lies at the heart of the National Anti-Racism Framework, recently released by the Australian Human Rights Commission. Community suggestions include a stronger stance from both government and the media to address and challenge systemic racism and endorse equitable, non-discriminatory policies; calling out politically motivated rhetoric that divides communities; offering better training and resources to help schools effectively identify and tackle racism; and promoting equity, inclusivity and diversity as core strengths of Australian society.

We are currently investigating the prevalence of racism at Australian universities. This project will assess how effectively universities are dealing with racism and will recommend reforms to better address it.

We acknowledge the concerns expressed to us by some that the Australian Human Rights Commission has not adequately represented the interests of their community. We are grateful to you for engaging with us despite this. We hear your feedback. We want to make sure we speak up about the experiences of all communities living with increased racism, discrimination and vilification and the actions needed to address it.

We try to end each conversation with the same question: “what can we do to make things better?” The responses we have received show that there is plenty of hope left: we have heard stories of resilience, of strength, and most of all, of a determination to keep getting up in the morning to create a fairer world for ourselves, our children and our communities.

In a landscape riven by trauma and distrust, the use of words like ‘empathy’ and ‘humanity’ runs the risk of sounding simplistic and naïve. Yet these are the words we keep hearing in our conversations. We all want to be seen and heard, we want our experiences to be validated, we want to live with dignity, agency and respect and have an equal standing in the application of law.

In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to have conversations with community organisations and will soon begin consultation sessions to listen to a wider cross-section of individuals. The upcoming social media campaign for Seen and Heard will focus on amplifying the voices and experiences of affected communities, as well as generating greater empathy and awareness among the public.

Below is a summary of the insights shared with us so far. I welcome any suggestions, advice or feedback you may have. We will be in touch again with further updates.

Kind regards,

RACE DISCRIMINATION COMMISSIONER

Giri Sivaraman


 

Palestinian Australians, a large proportion of whom are Christians, experience unique challenges: they feel their identity is frequently denied or conflated with broader Arab or Muslim narratives. Experiences of dehumanisation and silencing were commonly noted. Anti-Palestinian racism is distinct from Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism. Further, people who are not Palestinian also experience discrimination and vilification for their position and views on Palestine.

Some Jewish community members highlighted that anti-racism efforts often overlook the unique aspects of antisemitism; that antisemitism is experienced as distinct from other forms of racism and requires tailored responses. For Jewish Australians, historical traumas like the Holocaust continue to shape perspectives and experiences of antisemitism.

For the majority of Jewish Australians, identity is closely tied to cultural and religious heritage. Many feel a strong connection to Israel, which they recognise as the homeland of the Jewish people. Some Jewish Australians feel this connection is weaponised and used to hold them personally responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, regardless of their own political position.

Anti-Zionist or anti-Israeli sentiment and rhetoric are seen as screens for antisemitism, also affecting non-Jewish members of the community who support Israel.

Many Muslim people we spoke with noted that mainstream rhetoric and misrepresentations around terrorism operate to neutralise any meaningful intervention to address Islamophobia. Muslim communities often feel their experiences are simplified and misrepresented. An element of Islamophobia conflates Muslim identities and cultures as being inherently antisemitic and anti-democratic.

Muslim communities feel a heightened sense of isolation due to stereotypes linking them to terrorism. Some stakeholders also expressed feeling discriminated against by the tendency to group all Muslims under a single umbrella category, which overlooks their unique experiences and challenges. For example, South Asian people highlighted their distinct experiences of Islamophobia, particularly through targeted online hate from right-wing Hindu groups in India.

Anti-Arab racism is characterised by the dehumanisation of Arab communities through political and media narratives, often linking them with terrorism and extremism. Anti-Arab racism was reported to be underpinned by Islamophobia but does not only affect Muslims. Experiences and diverse identities are often erased or reduced to harmful stereotypes.

Harmful stereotypes and divisive narratives in media contribute to an “us vs. them” mentality, portraying Jewish and Palestinian support as mutually exclusive. Jewish, Arab, Muslim and Palestinian communities feel misrepresented, noting that media and political rhetoric often amplifies fear and resentment in the broader community. Inaccurate, and at times racist reporting was also identified as a significant issue, contributing to negative general perceptions about certain communities and portraying them as ‘other’, as a threat to society, or as not belonging in Australia.

Some communities report limited trust in government institutions and law enforcement. At best they are perceived as ineffective in understanding, identifying and addressing the increase in antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, and at worst as propagating and enabling these types of discrimination. School and university students in particular face exclusion and bullying without adequate institutional support, which further compounds feelings of vulnerability and isolation. University academic staff have reported being ordered not to talk about their views on the conflict or show solidarity for the people directly affected by it.

There is a distinct need for safe spaces within and between communities where people can share their experiences without judgment. Many community members feel isolated and are seeking platforms where they can openly express their identities and experiences. Similarly, stakeholders across all backgrounds urge government and institutions to publicly validate their experiences, adopt empathetic, inclusive language, and reinforce this with policies and practices that combat the structures that perpetuate racism.

There is a need for targeted education on antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism. Educational resources for institutions and organisations should fit within a human rights framework, counteracting materials and narratives that dehumanise groups of people and present them as not deserving of being treated equally.

All communities advocate for robust anti-racism policies that address antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination. Combatting misinformation, promoting accurate media representation, and holding media accountable for dehumanising portrayals are essential to reducing discrimination and fostering respect. Supporting grassroots initiatives that promote inclusivity and equity as Australian values will further reinforce anti-racism and diversity as strengths of Australian society.