PERTH – A group of Perth Muslim women have lamented the fact that commentaries feeding irrational fear of Islam were putting their life at risk, having a direct impact on their safety.
“What we are noticing is that every time there is some commentary made by some politicians or public figures where they speak against Islam, ignorantly often, it feeds into fear by the public,” Wajma Padshah, vice president of the Muslim Women’s Support Center of WA, told 720 ABC Perth on Thursday, July 28.
“There is a direct correlation [between the commentary] and Muslim women being attacked and their safety put at risk.”
Padshah added that as a result of these comments, Muslim women could face harassment anywhere, including at work, in public places and shops, and that women who wore the hijab were most at risk.
“For Muslim women, it’s a sad situation,” she said.
“It causes fear for them to get out and participate in the community.”
The fears were real after a close friend of Padshah was verbally harassed on a bus in Perth.
“Another woman had got on at the same time and started saying not very nice things and saying to the bus driver: ‘She needs to get off because I’m not going to get on the same bus as her. What if she blows up the bus?’,” Padshah said.
“The bus driver responded to this woman saying they were going to call security if she didn’t get off.
“That’s great, that’s what should happen, but it was peak hour and my friend didn’t want to hold up the whole bus so she chose to get off instead.”
A male passenger also got off the bus with her friend in a show of support, offering to catch the next bus with her and apologized for the harassment, saying the woman’s views were not those of a majority of Australians.
“He got off and reassured her and that meant the world to her,” Padshah said.
“What would have been amazing though is if that entire bus could stand behind her and speak to this woman, gently, and say, ‘She has a right to be on this bus and you have nothing to fear. If you don’t want to be here, you get off the bus and get on the next one’.
“Emotionally it can be quite draining,” she said.
Creators of Fear
Wajma Padshah encourages women who encounter violence or harassment to report it.
Amid increasing reports of similar harassment for Muslim women, Padshah urged people who spoke publicly linking Muslims with terrorism to take responsibility.
“Yes, they have freedom of speech but need to use that responsibly, because we know very well that the commentary that is made has a very direct, negative impact on Muslim communities, especially visible Muslims who are women,” she said.
“We acknowledge that fear is real for some.
“We might look at it and laugh or cringe at it, but for some it is real.
“Again, the responsibility, we put back on those who are using the rhetoric and creating unfounded fear in members of the public which then causes them to respond in ways that are quite irrational.”
She also urged women who encountered violence or harassment to report it either to police or through the support centre.
“At the centre we have connections to police officers who are supportive and willing to respond,” she said.
The centre also offers ongoing emotional support to Muslim women.
“I think it challenges your sense of belonging,” she said.
“We do belong to this land and we contribute in lots of different ways.
“Don’t let anyone dim your spark and instead share your light and hang in there.”