Australia accepts 35 of 54 Islamophobia envoy recommendations, but not enforcement

On 18 July the Australian government responded to Special Envoy Aftab Malik's Islamophobia report, accepting 35 of its 54 recommendations. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised practical action to keep communities safe and strengthen social cohesion. Accepted measures include a taskforce to combat Islamophobia, a review of the Australian Curriculum for religious tolerance, and $41.9 million for security at Muslim faith-based sites. Rejected were a ban on religious discrimination, revisions to counter-terrorism laws, and inquiries into Islamophobia. Muslim leaders welcomed the response, but Bilal Rauf of the Australian National Imams Council named one glaring omission: no legal enforcement mechanism comparable to the protections that exist against antisemitism. Malik called the response just the start of the journey and said he would keep advocating for the outstanding recommendations. Why it matters: it shows the gap between a government's recognition of a problem and the institutions that make protection enforceable.

This is a QeRN summary by Ahmed Qerni. Read the original at SBS News: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/government-response-islamophobia-report-aftab-malik-2026/25cw8s7z9.