SYDNEY: Australia´s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday condemned a “reprehensible” assault on two Muslim women at a shopping centre, rejecting criticism that Islamophobia was treated less seriously than anti-Semitism.

The country´s Islamic community, joined by Test cricketer Usman Khawaja, have pointed to the February 13 incident in Melbourne as an example of the insufficient government response to threats against Muslims.

Asked if the government would have reacted more swiftly if the incident had been anti-Semitic, Albanese told journalists that an attack on anyone because of their faith was “reprehensible”.