Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read | 24 December 2025

A security guard stands outside the Lakemba mosque as people arrive for Friday prayers. Some Sydney congregations had cut the amount of time they spent at mosques after prayers, the vice-president of the National Imams Council has said Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters – Source/ The Guardian

The aftermath of the Bondi Beach attack in Australia has sparked renewed concern over rising Islamophobia, political manipulation and media narratives that continue to associate Islam with violence, despite Muslims often being among the victims and first responders.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Ali Kadri, CEO of Islam College in Brisbane, described the attack as “an act of terror” whose consequences have extended far beyond the immediate tragedy. He warned that the incident has been exploited to fuel anti-Muslim sentiment and advance specific political agendas.

“The Islamophobia industry never sleeps, never stops,” Kadri said. “Whenever these incidents occur, it rears its ugly head and spikes a little more, but it never goes away.”

In the days following the attack, Muslim communities reported a surge in attacks on mosques, cemeteries and community spaces. Kadri noted that this pattern reflects a deeply entrenched global narrative that unfairly links Islam to terrorism. “There’s been a narrative created where people have attached and associated Islam with violence and terrorism when that is not the case,” he explained.

He added that lobby groups and political actors have seized on the incident to pressure the Australian government into legislating against Muslim interests. “There are various lobby groups who have a vested interest in pressurising the government,” Kadri said, adding that pro-Palestinian activists many of whom are non-Muslim have also been unfairly targeted.

According to Kadri, some groups have attempted to conflate pro-Palestine activism with the Bondi Beach attack in an effort to reverse Australia’s position on recognising Palestine and supporting UN bodies. “They all converge into one thing, which is anti-Islam hatred,” he said.

While anti-Semitism is widely and rightly condemned, Kadri argued that Islamophobia is often minimised or ignored. “Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred is a much bigger problem,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s not being highlighted to policymakers or the media.”

He attributed this partly to the lack of structured Muslim advocacy. “We don’t have a structured way of advocating or lobbying as some other groups do,” Kadri said.

Calling for restraint, Kadri cautioned against reactionary lawmaking in the wake of such incidents. “We cannot be reacting in a knee-jerk fashion,” he said. “Whatever decisions are made must benefit all communities and social cohesion in Australia.”

He stressed that addressing hate speech, improving media accountability and demonstrating responsible political leadership are essential steps toward preventing further marginalisation of minority communities.

Listen to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie and Ali Kadri, CEO of Islam College in Brisbane.