ANIC Supports the Religious Discrimination Bill

The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) is pleased at the announcement of the release of a Religious Discrimination Bill. There is a critical need for such legislative protection in modern day Australia.

ANIC has worked closely with other faith communities and the Government to pursue a religious anti-discrimination bill. ANIC is a co-signatory to a statement released on behalf of 25 religious and faith-based school leaders released which advocates for nationally enshrined protections because there is little if any legislative protection against discrimination directed at a person based on their religious identity and belief. In States such as NSW, there is an absence of any such protective laws. 

According to the ANIC Spokesperson, Bilal Rauf, “At a Commonwealth and NSW level, there is generally no protection against religious discrimination. As a consequence, many people of faith who are subjected to discrimination based on their religious belief and practices have little to no legal remedy. This includes in public places and workplaces. This Bill is significant in that it brings into line protection against religious discrimination with protection which already exists for discrimination based on many other attributes. For the Australian Muslim community (among other minority faith communities), this is all the more critical in an environment of increasing anti-Muslim hatred and a proliferation of right wing and white supremacy ideology.”

ANIC hopes that, with the more controversial measures reportedly having been removed from the Bill, there can be a sensible discussion about the Bill with bipartisan support.