The man appointed by the Albanese government as special envoy to combat Islamophobia has called on the prime minister to condemn the alleged attacks of two Muslim women in Melbourne.
Authorities are investigating reports a childcare worker, who was wearing a hijab, was slapped and punched in the head during her lunchbreak at a north Melbourne shopping centre.
A second Muslim woman was also allegedly attacked in the centre in Epping on the same day.
Aftab Malik, who was appointed special envoy on the issue in September, has called on authorities to take Islamophobic incidents seriously.
“I urge the prime minister and other leaders to condemn these attacks and to throw the respective resources into ensuring Muslims feel safe,” he said.
“The majority of victims are women in public spaces, which speaks to a worrying trend that people are feeling empowered to assault women in full view of the public.“
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has told the ABC the violence was unacceptable and a disgrace.
“It is even more egregious if the person is targeted because of their religion or appearance. It is a disgrace,” he said in a statement.
“It is particularly disturbing to see reports that a pregnant woman was injured.
“I hope the offender is apprehended as quickly as possible and that the victims make a full recovery.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is yet to comment on the attack, which police said happened on Thursday afternoon.
His office referred the ABC to a statement from Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill, who described the incident as “appalling” and “another unacceptable example of the rise of Islamophobic incidents and attitudes”.
“I wish this was an isolated incident, but the truth is it’s not,” Mr Hill said.
“Muslim women in my community in south-east Melbourne and elsewhere in Australia [have reported] a spike in racism and Islamophobia incidents.
“Worryingly, Islamophobic incidents are likely under-reported as many women feel that authorities would not take them seriously.”
Pressure to respond follows summer of antisemitic incidents
Over the summer, Australia witnessed several antisemitic attacks, including a terror attack at a synagogue in Melbourne, an arson at a childcare centre in Sydney, the vandalism of another synagogue in Sydney and several incidents of antisemitic vandalism and graffiti.
The string of incidents put the government under pressure to step up its response, with the opposition claiming it had been too slow to act.
The government insists it has been proactive in tackling antisemitism, pointing to AFP Operation Avalite established in the wake of the Adass Israel attack, laws prohibiting Nazi symbols and recently passed legislation creating minimum mandatory jail terms for antisemitic and terror offences.
Labor also appointed envoys to combat both antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Former Labor Senator Fatima Payman, who last year defected to start her own party, has also shared details of one of the attacks on social media.
“For anyone who questions Islamophobia, how do you explain these attacks?” her caption read.
Fatima Payman accused the federal government of a “double standard”.
On Sunday, Senator Payman accused her former party and the media of a “double standard”, citing an alleged attack on an Imam in Sydney that she said went ignored.
“Where was the national condemnation? Where was the wall-to-wall media coverage? Where were the prime minister and premiers denouncing it with the same force we see for these nurses’ comments?”
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, whose electorate of Watson in western Sydney has Australia’s second highest Muslim population, said incidents of Islamophobia were rising.
“Bigotry is always unacceptable, and Islamophobia is a form of bigotry which has been rising,” he told the ABC.
“The hatred that was shown to these women is completely unacceptable and is condemned without reservation.”
