Senior Muslim leaders and community advocates in Australia have voiced deep concerns about the country’s recently passed anti-hate legislation aimed at combating antisemitism, warning that the laws could inadvertently create unequal protections and erode confidence in broader racial and religious equality.

The legislation, passed in January to strengthen legal responses to antisemitism and related hate speech following a deadly antisemitic terror attack in December, criminalises public acts promoting hatred on the basis of race and introduces tougher penalties for conduct that intimidates or threatens racial groups.

Muslim organisations have contended that the legislative framework, which principally focuses on race-based hatred with Jewish Australians protected as an ethno-religious group, leaves gaps in legal recognition for other communities, including those targeted on the basis of religion alone.

“I am a Muslim and a Semite,” an advocacy representative explained, underscoring the historical and linguistic reality that Arabs and many Muslims are also Semitic, yet are not afforded the same statutory protection under the current law.

He said an attack against a Muslim imam and his wife — widely understood to be motivated by Islamophobia — highlighted the necessity of hate protections that encompass both race and religion.

Community representatives have also raised alarm over what they see as a potential “hierarchy of suffering” if hate legislation prioritises one group’s experience over others, arguing that true social cohesion requires equitable legal safeguards against all forms of hate.

They have cautioned that framing the current laws narrowly could intensify perceptions of marginalisation among Muslim communities, particularly when compounded by broader public debates over extremist violence and religious discourse.

The concerns from Muslim organisations have emerged alongside broader civil liberties debate in Australia, with media unions and civil rights groups warning that some aspects of the anti-hate package could chill public debate and inadvertently restrict free expression.

Government officials have countered that the laws are designed to target clear incitement of violence and hatred without curtailing legitimate criticism or dialogue on political or theological subjects, and have emphasised ongoing consultation with affected communities.

As implementation of the new legal regime continues, Muslim leaders have urged policymakers to consider amendments that explicitly protect religious communities beyond race-based categories and ensure equal safeguards for all Australians affected by hate, emphasizing that legal precision is essential to uphold both social harmony and fundamental rights.