The Alliance of Australian Muslims (AAM) and Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) strongly condemn the AJA for their persistent pattern of racist anti-Palestinian and
Islamophobic rhetoric, which they have been unleashing online and within mainstream media for some time. AAM and ANIC generally refrain from publicly calling out other organisations, however, given the gravity of the situation, we feel it is necessary to address the damaging actions of the AJA.
Our societies efforts to maintain and foster social cohesion are constantly undermined by organisations such as the AJA who continue to vilify Muslims and Arabs without any accountability or condemnation. Their public posts contravene NSW vilification laws as well as Racial Discrimination provisions through their contentious, inflammatory and uncivilised use of language where Islam is equated with Nazi ideologies, Muslims are constantly referred to as ‘thugs’, ‘radicals’, ‘terrorists’ and calls for a free Palestine and a ceasefire are described as antisemitic.
We are appalled by the double standards of politicians and the media, who allow calls for violence and hatred against Muslims and Arabs to go unchallenged and ignored, despite anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia reaching unprecedented levels. The silence on the impact of racism and extremism within Australian society exposes the selective nature of the law and media bias, which downplay Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian racism. This failure enables groups like the AJA to continue their bigotry unchecked, further marginalising Muslim and Arab communities and reinforcing a harmful narrative that threatens social cohesion.
Despite their persistent racist and Islamophobic rhetoric, which violates the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) Governance Standard 1 – Purposes and Not-for-Profit Nature, the AJA continues to be recognised as a charity under the ACNC. Their endorsement of discriminatory behaviour undermines the core principles of their organisation, which is to combat antisemitism. Combatting antisemitism should not be achieved by promoting Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. As a result, they also violate ACNC Standard 3 – Compliance with Australian Laws, including breaches of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1975 (Section 9 – Prohibition of Racial Discrimination and Section 18C – Religious Vilification) and the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986. Their actions contradict the values and standards upheld by Jewish communities, who have publicly denounced the organisation for its inflammatory remarks.
We call on the ACNC to take immediate action and conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the action by the AJA that violate their standards. Furthermore, we call on government and media organisations to publicly denounce the anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia embedded in the AJA’s activities.
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