Australian PM Defends Multiculturalism After 2 Stabbing Attacks

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on March 18, 2024 . Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has emphasised the importance of nurturing its multiculturalism amid concerns about social cohesion due to ideology issues.

This follows two stabbing attacks in Sydney that sent shockwaves across Australia and countries around the world.

On April 13, a 40-year-old man went on a stabbing spree at a Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction, causing six deaths and a dozen injuries.

It was reported that the attacker had a history of mental illness and was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 17.

Two days later, a 16-year-old boy who had recently converted to Islam allegedly stabbed an Assyrian bishop multiple times during a livestream service at a Western Sydney church.

The incident sparked a riot, with a crowd of hundreds from the local community gathering outside the church, chanting and throwing bricks at police.

Meanwhile, the teenager has been charged with terrorism offences.

The two attacks prompted authorities to reach out to community leaders for assistance to prevent retaliatory attacks targeting different communities.

In an interview with 3AW Radio on April 19, Mr. Albanese refuted the idea that multiculturalism was failing in Australia following the church stabbing attack.

“I think overwhelmingly multiculturalism has been a part of modern Australia and that people overwhelmingly in cities like Melbourne and Sydney live in peace and harmony and are enriched,” he said.

The prime minister gave examples of various events in different communities that he had attended and believed multiculturalism was a success in Australia.

Nevertheless, Mr. Albanese acknowledged that the incident had an impact on the society.

“There’s no doubt that this is a terrible event and that we need to … make sure that we nurture our multiculturalism, that we at all times show respect for each other,” he said.

Mr. Albanese also criticised the rise of anti-Semitism sentiment among some communities.

“There’s no place for that in Australia,” he said.

“What we need to do is to show kindness, compassion and respect for each other regardless of what faith people have or whether they have none at all.”

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton condemned the church attack, saying violence motivated by ideologies was unacceptable.

“An act of violence in a place of worship is completely unacceptable in our country,” he said on social media.

“It doesn’t matter whether you disagree vehemently with a Priest or with an Imam, with a Rabbi, with any person, violence is never the answer.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, NSW Premier Chris Minns (C) and Allegra Spender (L) lay floral tributes at Oxford Street Mall at Westfield Bondi Junction in Bondi Junction, Australia, on April 14, 2024. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

PM Refrains From Labelling Bondi Junction Attack Terrorist Act

Following the Bondi junction attack, there have been calls promoted by local media to categorise the incident as a terrorist act against women, as most of the victims were female.

Despite the pressure, Mr. Albanese has refrained from making comments on whether the attack should be classified as misogyny-driven terrorism.

“I'll tell you what shouldn’t happen, which is politicians to define these things rather than security and police agencies,” he told SBS News.

“That’s what shouldn’t happen. We have a system whereby my job as Prime Minister is to give every support to the police and to the security agencies, and that is precisely what I’m doing. It is important.”

Echoing the sentiment, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said it was not appropriate to comment on the incident while police were still conducting investigations.

In a related development, the Australian government has granted permanent residency to a security guard from Pakistan who was injured during a confrontation with the Bondi junction attacker.

Nina Nguyen contributed to this article.