The Jewish Council condemns ‘Christchurch 2.0’ threat to Sydney mosque
The Jewish Council of Australia strongly condemns comments made on the Instagram page of a mosque in western Sydney, threatening ‘Christchurch 2.0’. This threat is part of a broader trend of Islamophobia and rising far-right extremism and white supremacist organising in Australia which places the safety of all racialised groups at risk.
The threat, made against the recently opened Australian Islamic House in Edmondson Park, invokes the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack in which 51 Muslim worshippers were killed by an Australian man. A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in Western Australia over the incident.
The alarming comment comes amidst a reported rise in incidents of Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, antisemitism and other forms of hate speech across the country. This recent threat comes only weeks after the violent attack of two women wearing hijabs in Melbourne. The Islamophobia Register Australia has documented a 546% increase in reported Islamophobic incidents over the last year.
Sarah Schwartz, Executive Officer, Jewish Council of Australia, said:
‘We condemn the disturbing escalation of Islamophobia in Australia and stand united with the Muslim community at this time. We call on our Government to treat Islamophobia seriously and we condemn politicians who have encouraged or dismissed rising Islamophobia.
'Far-right extremism and white supremacist ideologies in Australia represent a serious threat to all of us. We can’t forget that the Christchurch massacre was carried out by an Australian man and demonstrates the real dangers of home-grown racism. We need to get serious about addressing and preventing violent racism in Australia.’
Dr Max Kaiser, Executive Officer, Jewish Council of Australia, said:
‘The Jewish Council of Australia continues to work with our Muslim and Palestinian allies to organise against Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism and antisemitism together. Our grassroots cooperation strengthens the battle against all forms of racism.’
For further comment or to arrange an interview with Sarah Schwartz or Dr Max Kaiser, email jewishcouncil@jewishcouncil.com.au or SMS 0493 970 412.
