Usman Khawaja’s family faces racial abuse after Sydney’s Bondi Beach terror attack, with wider fallout for communities.
Days after Australia’s deadliest terrorist attack in nearly thirty years unfolded at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, the family of cricketer Usman Khawaja became the target of online racial abuse. Khawaja, currently playing in the Ashes series, has not responded publicly to the hateful messages. His wife, Rachel Khawaja, shared examples of the abuse on social media, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Rachel Khawaja posted that the family had received numerous offensive comments in the aftermath of the attack. “I’ve collected a small sample of some of the comments we have received over the past week,” she wrote. “I would love to say this is new, but sadly, we have always received these kinds of messages. But of course, they have gotten worse.”
The terrorist attack occurred on December 14 during a Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach. Two gunmen, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, opened fire, killing 15 people in what authorities described as an antisemitic act. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police during the incident. An Indian national, he had entered Australia on a visa in 1998.
His son, 24‑year‑old Naveed Akram, born in Australia, was hospitalized after the attack before being transferred to Long Bay Correctional Complex in southeastern Sydney. He was charged last week with 15 counts of murder, along with offences related to committing a terrorist act and planting an explosive device. Authorities have accused him of 59 crimes in total, including 40 counts of intentionally causing serious injury and one charge of carrying out a terrorist act.
The Bondi Beach shooting, which coincided with the beginning of Hanukkah, has been described as the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since 1996, when 35 people were killed in Tasmania. The incident has reignited concerns about extremist violence and its impact on communities across the country.
Usman Khawaja, born in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 18, 1986, is one of Australia’s most prominent Muslim athletes. A left‑handed opening batsman, he made his Test debut in 2011, becoming the first Muslim cricketer to represent Australia. Over the years, he has established himself as a key figure in the national team, earning recognition such as ICC Test Cricketer of the Year in 2023.