Sydney - Middle East Times Int’l: THE Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) has marked the fifth anniversary of the Christchurch massacre and joined in calls to tackle rising Islamophobia worldwide.

On March 15, 2019, an Australian gunman killed 51 worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in an attack which sent shockwaves across the world.

The ANIC said the date was etched into the collective mind of Muslims around the world and that many across the world continue to mourn for the victims and pay their respects to the families of the victims.

The Council also said it continues to raise the issues of increasing Islamophobia and anti-Muslim prejudice and dangers of white supremacy. 

ANIC spokesman Bilal Rauf said: “This was a massacre committed by an Australian very close to home. The massacre was preceded by ignorance, hate and a pervading and publicly stated anti-Muslim sentiment which was left unaddressed and allowed to fester and be shared”. 

Ramia Abdo Sultan, the ANIC Community Relations Advisor, stated that the date “is a constant reminder that Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment is real, particularly for Muslim women who are readily identifiable by the religious attire they choose to wear”.

“Vilification is real. Discrimination is real,” he said.

ANIC called on the Australian Government, and international community, to acknowledge Islamophobia, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian prejudice as a real threat and danger to our society.

“We ask that Islamophobia and bigotry be addressed on a legislative level so that minority communities can be better protected,” a Council statement read.

The ANIC also expressed its support for Palestinians in Gaza and strongly condemned the ongoing massacres and illegal settlements committed by Israel, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.