Islamophobia and social work collusion

In Australia anti-Muslim sentiment, commonly known as Islamophobia, has taken hold, driven by a convergence of actors in political, public and media spheres. Thinly disguised strategies of 'social cohesion' laws, particularly 'anti-terrorism' laws, are incrementally put in place, justified on the grounds of 'national security' and compounded by policies that align with national security perspectives. Australia's anti-terror laws were enacted as a response to attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 and subsequent attacks in Europe. Academic lawyer George Williams states (2011, p. 1137) that the laws were cast as a temporary, emergency reaction. However, he argues that Australia's anti-terror laws can no longer be cast as a transient, short-term response. This reflects the assessment of the Australian government and its agencies that terrorism remains a persistent threat. This chapter examines the incremental entry of anti-Muslim policies that build on legal codification and shifting social relations. Our attention focuses on the Australian government's Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) policy, which we posit is anti-Muslim and entrenched in Islamophobic ideas and beliefs. We examine social work complicity in Islamophobia in two ways: first, the scant attention given by social work to the 'wicked problem' of Islamophobia and, second, complicity by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW, 2017) through adopting CVE policies. By not naming social work collusion, we allow harmful policies and practices to flourish.