Foreword Edward Santow Kristen Hilton Australian Human Rights Commissioner Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner The right to freedom of religion is recognised in international human rights law and receives some protection in Australia’s federal, state and territory laws. Many people of faith report that Australia offers peace and freedom to practise their religion. Indeed, some have come to this country from places where they were persecuted for their beliefs. However, we also know that some people of faith in Australia experience serious harms on the basis of their religious identity. We use the term ‘serious harms’ to include experiences of violence, abuse, intimidation, severe discrimination and some forms of vilification. Serious harms can occur as a result of activity in the physical world and online. These actions have terrible effects on individuals and communities, and they are a serious violation of the human right to freedom of religion. We were profoundly shocked by the killing of 51 worshippers at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. The person who has pleaded guilty to these killings is an Australian. The repercussions of this atrocity, which occurred so close to home, have been felt by Australia’s many Muslim communities, as well as by Victorians and Australians of all faiths—and none. Though Australia has never experienced an attack on people of faith on this scale, we should think carefully as a nation about the prevalence and effects of serious harms perpetrated on the basis of people’s religion, and about how we can best address this problem. The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) have come together to produce this Position Paper. It examines some research on serious harms experienced by religious communities and draws on two roundtable consultations that the AHRC and VEOHRC held in Sydney and Melbourne in June 2019. The Position Paper concludes with several recommendations as to how governments in Australia can improve protections for the right to freedom of religion in Victoria and Australia. Edward Santow, Australian Human Rights Commissioner Kristen Hilton, Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Freedom of religion in Australia: a focus on serious harms • July 2020 • 5