The fading divide between religion and politics in Australia’s outer suburbs is a new, confusing and corrosive development in Australian politics.

Politicians courting the votes of Muslim communities in Sydney and Melbourne have encountered a bewildering range of responses, including threats of violence, as identity-based tribalism invaded the opening days of the election campaign with an attack on both Labor and Coalition stances on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Dr Jamal Rifi.Credit: Janie Barrett

On Sunday in western Sydney, activist group Stand4Palestine called for followers marking the end of Ramadan to monitor mosques and places of worship for local MPs and to disrupt public appearances. When Labor’s........

© The Sydney Morning Herald