Three arrested after alleged racially motivated attack on Muslim religious leader in Victoria

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Australian Associated PressJanuary 11, 2026 at 11:22 PM

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In Victoria, Australia, three individuals were arrested following an alleged racially motivated attack on a Muslim religious leader and his wife. The incident occurred on Saturday evening on the South Gippsland Highway near Melbourne, where the couple was reportedly subjected to racial abuse and intimidation by the occupants of another vehicle. The attackers allegedly forced the couple into a service station, assaulted the 47-year-old imam, and threatened his wife before members of the public intervened. A 23-year-old man and a 22-year-old man have been charged with criminal damage and common law assault, while an 18-year-old woman was released pending summons. Police condemned the attack, emphasizing that prejudice-motivated behavior would not be tolerated.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Dandenong magistrates court 40% Cranbourne North ×250% Cranbourne East ×250% Noble Park 50% South Gippsland Highway 60% Dandenong South ×260% Victorian police 70% Melbourne ×270% Australian National Imams Council 70% Victoria ×280%

Keywords

racially motivated attack 100% muslim religious leader 90% hate crime 80% assault 70% prejudice-motivated 60% religious based 60% victoria 50% australian national imams council 50% criminal damage 40% common law assault 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Victoria

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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racially motivated attack muslim religious leader hate crime assault prejudice-motivated religious based victoria australian national imams council criminal damage common law assault

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