Retired Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has joined a national campaign to raise awareness of Islamophobia in Australia, urging bystanders to report incidents of anti-Muslim hate.
Khawaja, who retired from international cricket in January after a 15-year career, wrote the foreword to the campaign’s report and appeared at its official launch in Melbourne alongside Aftab Malik, the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia. He also wrote the foreword to the campaign’s accompanying report, Islamophobia in Australia: Shining a Light on Anti-Muslim Hate, which documents the scale and nature of Islamophobic incidents across the country.
The campaign, which includes a video calling on bystanders to act when they witness Islamophobic behaviour, will roll out across all states and territories following the Victorian launch. It comes amid a reported 740 per cent rise in Islamophobic incidents since the Bondi attacks in December last year.
“Some people believe Islamophobia isn’t real or doesn’t really exist, or maybe it’s not considered as important as other prejudices. But I can tell you it’s real,” Khawaja wrote in the foreword to the report.
The spot aims to raise awareness of why reporting matters and to provide practical guidance on how people can report incidents through the appropriate channels. It also encourages bystanders to play an active role by reporting incidents they witness and standing in solidarity with those affected.
“Let’s not allow Islamophobia or any other form of hatred to corrode the values we hold dear. The responsibility of dealing with Islamophobia doesn’t lie with a select few, but all of us,” he added.
Khawaja has spoken publicly about his own experiences with Islamophobia throughout his career, including an incident at the 2024 Boxing Day Test at the MCG where his mother was verbally abused by fellow Australian supporters while watching her son play.
He gave this interview upon his retirement from international cricket.
Aftab Malik, who was appointed as Special Envoy to Comb Islamophobia in Australia in 2024, authored a landmark report on Islamophobia in Australia. He pointed to what he describes as a significant underreporting problem, saying incidents on the public record represent only a fraction of what is actually occurring.
“Every report matters. Reporting Islamophobia is not just about responding to individual incidents—it is about helping build a safer Australia where everyone can live with dignity, respect and a sense of belonging. By reporting what we experience and witness, we strengthen our collective ability to understand, respond to and prevent anti-Muslim hate,” said Malik.
The Office encourages all Australians to learn how to recognise and report Islamophobia and to work together to foster a more respectful, inclusive and cohesive society.
