Australia launches its first national Islamophobia index
Tool will measure attitudes toward Muslims to guide policy, the special envoy says
SYDNEY, Australia (MNTV) — Australia has launched its first national index to measure and monitor community attitudes toward Muslims, an initiative the country’s anti-Islamophobia envoy says will replace anecdote with reliable data, the outlet ABNA reported.
Commissioned by the Office of the Special Envoy for Combating Islamophobia and conducted with the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute, the National Islamophobia Index aims to build a national database on the drivers of prejudice against Muslims, tracking attitudes across demographic groups, regions, and social contexts, while also examining conditions that strengthen belonging and inclusion.
“Effective action requires strong evidence,” said Special Envoy Aftab Malik, saying the index would move the discussion “beyond narratives and individual cases toward data-driven solutions” and help institutions understand and address Islamophobia.
Drawing on a representative national survey panel, the research will be published in an annual National Islamophobia Index Report.
Scanlon Foundation chief executive Anthea Hancocks said measuring attitudes within a representative framework would yield important insight into social cohesion and “support efforts to build a society in which all people feel safe, respected, and that they belong.”
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