Australian Muslim group backs Greens despite religious school policy concerns

Group backs Greens over Labor in key seats, despite differences on school religious freedom policies

CANBERRA, Australia (MNTV) — Muslim Votes Matter, an advocacy group, plans to recommend Greens over Labor in key electorates, despite disagreeing with the Greens’ stance on religious freedoms in schools, according to The Guardian.

The group opposes the Greens’ policy preventing religious schools from discriminating against staff or students based on sexuality but appreciated their commitment to dialogue and balancing rights.

Campaigning in 32 seats, many with significant Muslim populations, Muslim Votes Matter endorsed the Greens in seats like Wills and Bruce in Victoria, where Labor faces backlash over its response to the Gaza genocide. 

Other endorsements include Moreton in Queensland, Sturt in South Australia, and independent candidates in Blaxland and Watson in western Sydney.

Ghaith Krayem, the group’s spokesperson, said their how-to-vote cards are being finalized but confirmed far-right parties would be ranked last. 

Krayem acknowledged disagreements with the Greens’ policy but noted their willingness to engage. 

“On this issue, we were never going to be 100% aligned,” he said.

Greens leader Adam Bandt assured the group that schools could still require staff to uphold their values but could not discriminate based on sexuality or gender identity, per Australian law.

Labor declined to engage with the group, accusing it of supporting opposition leader Peter Dutton against the interests of Australian Muslims. 

Krayem called this criticism dismissive, saying Labor seems to prefer “quiet, loyal Muslim voters.”

Before the 2022 election, Labor promised laws to protect students and teachers from discrimination while allowing schools to prioritize hiring staff of their faith. 

However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later shelved reforms, citing the need for bipartisan support and social cohesion.