Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and spokesperson for Anti-Racism, has responded to the Albanese Government's launch of the Social Cohesion Education Hub.
As stated by Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and spokesperson for Anti-Racism:
"This so-called Social Cohesion Education Hub includes 24 resources on antisemitism but just two on Islamophobia and one on First Nations hate. That isn't social cohesion. That is creating a hierarchy of racism where some victims are seen as worthy and others are seen as an afterthought.
"We've seen this pattern over and over again. The budget included more than $600 million in antisemitism measures, but did not mention Islamophobia once. The Government has failed to respond to the National Anti-Racism Framework, and has simply ignored the recommendations of the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia.
"Muslim Australians, First Nations people, and every other community of colour are facing rising and escalating racism, fuelled further by One Nation, which cannot be tackled by this selective treatment. When some Australians are wrapped in the protection of the Government, while others are left to weather the storm alone, and when some voices are amplified, while others are ignored, it is not going to lead to anti-racism or social cohesion.
"For the past two and a half years, the Albanese Government has weaponised "social cohesion" to silence dissent and punish voices it finds inconvenient. Education resources should help children challenge all racism equally and to speak out against injustice."
