MEDIA STATEMENT
Government’s selective response to racism undermines true democracy
The swift establishment of dedicated resources, comprehensive recommendations, and immediate government attention for combating antisemitism stands in stark contrast to the government’s response to other forms of racism plaguing our communities. This selective urgency exposes the hierarchy of racism that continues to operate within our democratic institutions.
Democracy in Colour National Director, Noura Mansour, says: “The government’s response pattern reveals a concerning truth: some forms of racism receive red-carpet treatment while others are relegated to performative gestures and token appointments. This hierarchy of concern undermines the fundamental democratic principle that all citizens deserve equal protection from hate and discrimination.”
We call on the Australian government to apply equal urgency to all forms of racism, including the immediate development of comprehensive action plans for combating Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism; to provide equivalent resources and institutional support for all racial justice envoys, and to engage meaningfully with affected communities across the spectrum, ensuring that government responses are informed by lived experience rather than political calculations.
“True democracy requires that we address racism as a system, not as isolated incidents affecting only certain communities. The government’s selective response to racism not only fails the communities left behind but weakens our democratic fabric by reinforcing the notion that some citizens matter more than others. Australia’s democracy is only as strong as its commitment to equality for all. The government’s current approach falls far short of this standard,” Mansour says.
The special envoy’s report says: “The Envoy will work with government to enable government funding to be withheld, where possible, from universities, programs or individuals within universities that facilitate, enable or fail to act against antisemitism.”
Democracy in Colour calls upon the government to confront all manifestations of racism that inflict genuine harm upon marginalised communities with the same urgency and efficiency. This comprehensive approach must begin with addressing institutional racism against First Nations peoples, which the Kumanjayi Walker inquiry established as the primary cause of death, citing findings about the police officer who killed him and his documented racist beliefs.
We must also address the alarming surge in Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian attacks documented by the Anti-Palestinian Register and Islamophobia Register, as well as antisemitic attacks targeting houses of worship and community spaces. The government’s response in exceptionalising one form of racism is fundamentally flawed on multiple levels.
It is hypocritical and reeks of double standards, creating a hierarchy of marginalised communities that generates further harm and division. This approach pits marginalised groups against each other, targeting the social cohesion and fabric of our nation—a classic textbook divide-and-conquer colonial tactic designed to maintain power structures. We urge all communities to unite against racism in all its forms.
It is ineffective in tackling racism comprehensively. From an anti-racism framework, genuine protection for marginalised and targeted communities requires addressing the root cause: institutions and structures built to uphold white supremacy and privilege. Selective responses fail to provide the required strategy to achieve real change and effective solutions.
The proposed plan to combat antisemitism through defunding mechanisms as a punitive measure represents an affront to civil rights and a threat to our democracy. This approach aligns with the government’s broader pattern of restricting the rights of individuals, groups, and institutions to exercise their democratic freedoms—freedoms that are fundamental to a healthy and functioning democracy. The proposed plan is not only counterproductive in addressing antisemitism but has the potential to cause greater harm.
“Democracy in Colour stands firmly against all forms of discrimination: from systemic racism against First Nations people, to antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian racism. We also stand resolutely in defence of our civil rights as individuals, groups and communities to exercise our freedoms without fear of defunding, smearing, demonisation, or physical harm—as witnessed in the most recent case of Hannah Thomas, who suffered irreversible damage in one eye as she was peacefully protesting against arms manufacturers complicit in war crimes and genocide in Gaza,” Mansour says.
“We call upon all marginalised communities to reject draconian measures designed to protect the powerful while suppressing dissent. Instead, we must work together to build bridges and unite behind the principles of human rights, equality, and justice for all.
True democracy demands that we address racism comprehensively and consistently, not selectively. Only through this unified approach can we build a society where all communities are protected, valued, and free to thrive without fear of discrimination or persecution,” Mansour says.