Australian cricket star Usman Khawaja has hit out at media organisations for a double customary on social media after two Muslim ladies carrying hijabs had been attacked at a procuring centre in north Melbourne final Thursday.
Victoria Police stated {that a} 30-year-old lady and a 26-year-old lady had been allegedly attacked by the identical particular person on the Pacific Epping Buying Centre in two separate incidents. Police investigations are ongoing.
‘There’s completely no place in our society for discriminatory, racist or hate-based behaviour and such exercise is not going to be tolerated,’ a police spokesperson stated.
‘Investigators consider that the victims had been focused because of the ladies carrying head coverings and are treating the incidents as prejudice-motivated assaults,’ the assertion added.
No costs have been made by police over the alleged incident. Investigators are analysing CCTV as they appear to establish the girl who is known to have left the scene with a person, following the alleged assaults.
Ms Al-Esawie, 26, is alleged to have been confronted by an attacker and was ‘completely floored’ whereas she made her method via the procuring centre throughout her lunch break, based on Motion Towards Islamaphobia case supervisor, Mariam Ardati.
Usman Khawaja has criticised media organisations following an alleged assault on two Muslim ladies in Melbourne
Khawaja claimed that ‘the media has by no means handled assaults in opposition to the Islamic group or every other group the identical as anti-Semitic assaults’
The alleged incident is alleged to have taken place on the Pacific Epping Buying Centre final week
The organisation claims that Al-Esawie was allegedly ‘punched, slapped and pushed to the bottom’. She was left with bruises throughout her physique and a possible again harm.
Ardati additionally alleges that officers failed to provide her an incident quantity or comply with up with the sufferer within the aftermath of the assault. She claims the sufferer had not heard from police by Saturday.
It’s understood that Victorian Police requested Ms Al-Esawie ship a press release in individual on Tuesday afternoon.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan stated the ‘evil assaults on two younger Muslim ladies are simply horrific.’
‘This type of evil, evil, evil hatred – on this occasion, Islamophobia – has completely no place in our group.’
Noting the report, which was printed on Tuesday morning, Khawaja took to Fb and X to criticise the media, hitting out at media organisations over their reporting of the matter.
‘The media has by no means handled assaults in opposition to the Islamic group or every other group the identical as anti-Semitic assaults. They’re all deplorable,’ he wrote on Fb.
‘However there isn’t any method that anti-Semitism is any much less or greater than Islamaphobia and vice versa,’ the 38-year-old continued.
‘They each deserve the identical weight as they’re each related. However the media won’t ever deal with them the identical.
Khawaja additionally printed a number of posts on X the place he famous that there had been a 500 per cent improve within the variety of Islamophobic incidents being reported
Jacinta Allan blasted the assaults on the 2 ladies as ‘evil’ claiming that it has ‘no place in our group’
‘And because of this, individuals will at all times assume that one is extra prevalent than the opposite. However that isn’t true.’
The Aussie Check opener famous experiences that had emerged on-line detailing the incident and wrote on X: ‘Final Thursday this occurred.
‘Completely atrocious. Nobody has talked about it or talked about it.
‘Will probably be swept underneath the rug like all assaults in opposition to the Islamic group. The Prime Minister and undoubtedly not the Opposition chief will point out it. It is superb how 1 sided the world is.’
He adopted that with a number of different posts on X, writing: ‘Let’s get issues straight. What the nurses stated was additionally atrocious. However have a look at the media protection that received. Then an precise assault occurs. And nothing. It occurred 4 days in the past.’
Motion Towards Islamophobia is a community-led initiative that present members of the Muslim group with assist to take motion in opposition to Islamophobic incidents. They assist those that have been subjected to prejudice search justice and look to lift consciousness of the results that discrimination can have.
It’s understood Ardati got here throughout Al-Esawie’s story on social media. She had tried to tell and warn different members of her group about her alleged attacker however is known to have been threatened on-line.
‘She went dwelling and she or he didn’t really feel protected to go away her home alone. She made the publish in good religion,’ Ardati stated.
She added: ‘Muslim group members are shocked however not stunned by the assaults.
‘For a lot of months, Islamophobic incidents and hate crimes in opposition to Muslims have been on the rise however little has been finished to deal with it and most haven’t obtained any media consideration.
‘Extra actual motion must be taken earlier than somebody will get killed, or we see one other Christchurch bloodbath proper on our doorstep.’
In keeping with the Islamophobia Register of Australia, there was a 510 per cent improve in Islamophobic incidents being reported for the reason that Israel-Gaza warfare.
Khawaja famous the statistics, writing on X: ‘Over 500 per cent in Islamophobic incidents reported. The place is the justice? It is not simply anti-Semitic assaults which can be on the rise.
‘Reasonably than have an unique anti-Semitic summit how about we cease choosing sides and embrace Islamophobia to the register and provides it the load it deserves.’
Federal MP Julian Hill famous the rise in Islamophobic incidents, writing on X: ‘Muslim Australians have each proper to really feel protected and included whereas going about their enterprise locally. Anybody who experiences Islamophobic or any racist incidents mustn’t keep silent however report and search assist.’
