Three-quarters of Australian Muslims feel they are unfairly targeted by terror laws, study reveals

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Monday 16 Mar 2015 - 10:09 Makkah mean time-25-5-1436 Most of Australian Muslims feel they are unfairly targeted by terror laws Sydney, (IINA) - Australian Muslims believe overwhelmingly that they are unfairly targeted by counter-terrorism laws but say terrorist groups distort the true meaning of Islam, a survey of community attitudes has revealed, The Guardian reported. The study involved focus groups and surveys of Muslim Australians from a range of backgrounds, including Pakistanis, Syrians, Indonesians and South Africans. The participants were evenly split by gender and ranged in age. The researchers, including University of Queensland criminologist Adrian Cherney, said the findings showed that police, especially those in Sydney, needed to do more to build trust and a willingness to cooperate among Muslim communities. Close to 75% believed that counter-terrorism laws of which 64 separate pieces have been passed since the September 11 attacks – were unfairly aimed at Muslims. Fewer felt the media treated Muslims fairly, but most felt Muslims were treated fairly by authorities and in their schools and workplaces. The survey was conducted before the largest counter-terrorism raids in Australian history in September, which may have sharpened the sense among some Muslims of being targeted by law enforcement. The authors said “There is a real risk that the types of experiences reported play into the hands of extremists by providing fuel for a key narrative they use to justify their actions: that Muslims are a suppressed and victimized minority.” SM/IINA