About
40 Racist Attacks on Sydney Muslims Since Bali
The Imam of Sydney’s Lakemba Mosque preaches solidarity;
Australian Muslims’ fears of a backlash after Bali have materialized
SYDNEY,
October 28 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - About 40 racist attacks
have been made against Muslims in Sydney, since bombs killed more than
80 Australians in Bali October 12, police said Monday, October 28.
Muslims’
property has been vandalized and Muslims have been spat on and
threatened, with women being the main targets, Police Commissioner Ken
Moroney told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
He
said one 14-year-old Muslim girl had her veil torn off as she traveled
on a Sydney train last week.
“The
conduct of these people who are perpetrating these offences on other
Australians is very much un-Australian,” Moroney told reporters.
“It’s
offensive and it illustrates an element of ignorance and arrogance on
their part.
“We’ve
not seen matters of this type since September 11, nor necessarily since
the Iraq-U.S. war.”
Moroney
said he was concerned the true figure for assaults on Muslims could be
much higher because many women were failing to report the crimes,
fearing retribution.
“These
Muslim women need to come forward, without fear of repercussions, and
talk to police so we can get a clear picture of what is going on,”
Moroney said.
Moroney
said the offence of racial vilification, covered by Australia’s
Anti-Discrimination Act, carried a jail sentence of up to six months,
but he would welcome a review of that penalty.
He
will meet with religious and ethnic community leaders later this week to
discuss the problem.
No
one has claimed responsibility for the Bali bombing which killed more
than 190 people, but it has been blamed on Al-Qaeda network, also blamed
for the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
