Factors Associated with Counter Terrorism-Related Behaviour Change among Australian Muslims

Abstract

Government interventions towards terrorism have often resulted in changed behaviour on the part of Muslims in various Western countries, including Australia. Counter terrorism laws have been seen as targeting Muslims and contributing to a climate of suspicion, resulting in behaviour changes. The study involved interviews to 268 respondents (mostly Muslims) in Australia. Univariate and multivariate Poisson analyses were conducted to identify and examine the factors associated with changed behaviours of Muslims in Australia as a result of the Australian government’s counter-terrorism laws. In the final multivariate model, it was revealed that the risk of changed behaviour was significantly associated with having a change of religiousness level, having been personally subjected to security checks at airports and being a female and having been interrogated by the Police. Results of the study are necessary to assess the long-term and unintentional consequences of the Australian government’s surveillance on minority Muslims in the country.