A failed political attempt to use global Islamophobia in Western Sydney : the 'Lindsay leaflet scandal'

This chapter reviews a failed attempt at using Islamophobia in the western suburbs of Sydney during an Australian federal election. The purveyors of the Islamophobia intended to distribute a fraudulent electoral leaflet, a few days before the election, to make residents anxious about the local developmentof a mosque. The pamphlet sought to link the opposing political party with Muslim organizations and suggested that there was a tolerance of Islamic terrorism. The political party targetted by the leaflet was tipped off, and they photographed and confronted the leaflet distributors that same night. Two days later, the leaflet affair was national headline news and became known as the 'Lindsay leaflet scandal'.