The Islamophobia Register and the Muslim Women’s Support Centre of Western Australia collaborated to host an impactful workshop on 9 November 2024 in Perth, focusing on Muslim youth aged 15–30 aimed to address Islamophobia by exploring its many forms and empowering participants with the knowledge and tools to respond effectively.
The workshop covered a range of important topics, including:
• Understanding Islamophobia: Exploring the various forms, including structural and institutional Islamophobia, and its manifestations both online and offline.
• Online Safety: Strategies to protect oneself in digital spaces.
• Legal Rights: Unpacking laws in Western Australia and understanding rights.
• Reporting Mechanisms: Guidance on how and what to report when experiencing or witnessing Islamophobia.
• Victim support available through the Register, including mental health, police statement submissions, legal support and advocacy
• Mental Health: Addressing the psychological impact and providing coping strategies.
• Upstander Responses: Practical tools for bystanders to respond effectively, safely and supportively.
These workshops are designed to be highly interactive with many engaging activities that encouraged robust and frank dialogue and hands-on learning. Attendees also gained valuable knowledge about their rights and the broader impacts of Islamophobia on individuals and communities.
The feedback received was overwhelmingly positive, with participants calling for similar workshops to be held nationwide. Attendees praised the initiative for providing awareness of the different ways Islamophobia manifests- at an individual, community and societal levels,
with one youth participant noting, “This workshop has given me the confidence to stand up for myself and others in a positive and constructive way.”
The following day, a workshop tailored for parents and adults expanded the conversation, emphasising the importance of community-wide involvement in addressing Islamophobia. In particular, this workshop focused on strengthening advocacy to address structural and
institutional Islamophobia, often not discussed in conversations on Islamophobia.
If you’d like to see this important and engaging workshop in your city, reach out to us—we’d love to bring this important initiative to your community.
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