Being a Transnational Muslim in Australia in an Era of Hyper-Security

The general response to the threat of terrorism has been to institute Countering Violent Extremism policies and legislation that facilitate powerful regimes of surveillance. Whilst such legislation is purportedly neutral in its construction, it implicitly and disproportionately targets and impacts upon Muslim communities. Concomitant with this turn towards hyper-securitisation has been a retreat from multiculturalism, where in Australia the Muslim immigrant ‘other’ has been targeted as the main catalyst. Some Muslims have begun to self-censor for fear of unwanted attention from the authorities and have formed their own ethno-religious groups online, as ‘safe spaces’ to avoid ‘microaggressions’ from a hostile public that questions their national identity. This fight against violent extremism has often been invoked as a platform to curtail and silence political opponents. Cutting across this climate of securitisation, suspicion, and rejection, there has been an increase in ‘umma consciousness’ amongst young Muslim thinkers. This has been facilitated by processes of globalisation and the rapid development of technology, particularly of the internet which has allowed for the formation of a ‘virtual umma’. This functions as a post-national community wherein members who have never met each other can engage in collective identity construction and create a sense of belonging that subverts their lived reality. Based on qualitative data from an Australian Discovery Grant (DP220101722), this paper details the lived experience and diverse responses of four ethnic groups in Australia under these conditions - the Lebanese in Sydney, the Turkish community in Melbourne, Indonesians in Perth and the emerging community of Rohingyas in Brisbane. The results not only provide comparison and contrast between these groups but also reveal differences across cities in Australia, and across first and second generation migrants. We demonstrate the complexity of influences over these responses, but also underlying shared themes, including resilience and a desire for invisibility.