Racism today can involve a belief that a particular culture is incompatible with a mainstream way of life or national identity. The relationship with race is this: what counts as a culture frequently coincides with race.
In the case of anti-Muslim sentiment, what we frequently see is an expression of racialised cultural hostility. Often we are talking about negative stereotypes that are directed particularly at people who come from the Middle East. The stereotype may be one about the incompatibility of Muslim identity and practices with an Australian way of life.
Dr Tim Soutphommasane, Race Discrimination Commissioner
