Arabic version: لجنة حقوق الإنسان تحقق في مزاعم التمييز العنصري ضد وزير نيو ساوث ويلز
The Australian Human Rights Commission is investigating a complaint against the New South Wales multiculturalism minister, Steve Kamper, and his department over allegations of racial discrimination against organisations representing south Asian Muslims and caste-oppressed Hindu communities.
According to The Guardian, the complaint was accepted for investigation last month, suggesting there are reasonable grounds to consider the allegations of unlawful discrimination. The complaint, lodged in December by the Alliance Against Islamophobia and Periyar Ambedkar Thoughts Circle of Australia (Patca), alleges Kamper and Multicultural NSW failed to investigate the groups’ allegations about the Hindu Council of Australia. It was also alleged that both minimised concerns raised by Muslim and caste-oppressed communities.
In a separate complaint, the Alliance Against Islamophobia accused the Hindu Council of Australia of engaging in repeated instances of Islamophobia in social media posts. Surinder Jain, a spokesperson for the Hindu Council, denied these allegations, asserting that the organization does not discriminate against any community or faith group.
The complaints also highlight that Kamper and his department continued to endorse the Hindu Council’s position on the NSW Faith Affairs Council, despite being aware of the ongoing Human Rights Commission investigation. Furthermore, the allegations include claims that Multicultural NSW omitted any reference to caste-based discrimination in its state of community relations reports for 2023 and 2024, despite the existence of substantial community concern.
A spokesperson for Kamper acknowledged the complaint, reiterating the NSW government’s commitment to ensuring that all communities feel respected and supported. The Human Rights Commission has the authority to facilitate a conciliation process between the involved parties but does not have the power to determine whether unlawful discrimination occurred. If the complaint remains unresolved, the complainants may pursue action in federal or circuit court.
