Police condemn threats and say family of teenager shot dead by police in Melbourne must be ‘left alone to grieve’

There is increasing concern about a backlash against Muslim Australians, with police taking care to say that anti-terrorism operations were to do with criminality, not religion. RacistIslamic leaders have also been upset at some media coverage of recent events.

The treasurer of the Islamic Council of Victoria, Eugenia Flynn, said the anti-Muslim incidents “run the gamut from verbal abuse on the street right through vandalising of property, vehicles and then to actual assaults, physical assaults.’

She said the council was encouraging people to report any incident to police.