A Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) project which brought Muslim communities and police together to discuss incidents of racial and religious discrimination and abuse has led to a forum, and a report and audit now available online at www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/unlocking_doors/index.html

Funded by the federal Department of Immigration and Citizenship, HREOC facilitated community consultations and forums in NSW and Victoria in 2006-07 as part of the Unlocking Doors project.

National Race Discrimination Commissioner Tom Calma said the Unlocking Doors project aimed to work with, and develop resources for, law enforcement agencies to better enable them to help victims of racial or religious hatred and abuse.

“Unlocking Doors also aimed to strengthen Muslim communities’ relationships with law enforcement agencies, and inform community members of the legal avenues and services available to them as victims of racial and/or religious hatred and abuse,” Commissioner Calma said.

“The project identified specific issues for diverse Muslim groups such as those in regional areas, young people and women, to better equip police to take their needs into account when responding to claims of racial and religious hatred and abuse.”

Mr Calma said the project has also developed strategies that will better enable law enforcement agencies to deal with acts of racial and religious hatred and abuse against Muslim people, and would improve the extent to which such acts were monitored and responded to by police. Muslim communities were also made aware of the protections available to them under federal and state discrimination laws.

A Report on a Dialogue between Muslim communities, HREOC and Police in NSW and Victoria is available online at www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/unlocking_doors/report.html Hard copies can be ordered from HREOC publications online or by calling (02) 9284 9600.

An Audit of Initiatives Related to Police and Muslim Communities is available at www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/unlocking_doors/audit.html

A DVD of the forum titled Unlocking Doors can be downloaded online at www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/unlocking_doors/video/unlocking_doors.mp4

Unlocking Doors follows a 2002 HREOC project titled Isma - Listen: National consultations on eliminating prejudice against Arab and Muslim Australians, where HREOC consulted with more than 1,400 people to listen to increasing concerns expressed by Muslim organisations about the rise in anti-Muslim prejudice. These consultations culminated in a report published in 2003 of the same name available at www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/isma/index.html.

People concerned that they may have experienced vilification or discrimination on the basis of their race or religion can ring HREOC’s complaint information service on 1300656419 for information about their rights.

www.humanrights.gov.au