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

<p>Police allege a 47-year-old imam was assaulted after he and his wife were forced off the road by three people in Melbourne’s south-east</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/jan/12/victoria-bushfires-adelaide-festival-writers-week-board-chair-resigns-anthony-albanese-labor-sussan-ley-coalition-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>A Victorian Muslim religious leader was punched in the face after he and his wife were allegedly forced from their car on a Melbourne freeway in what police allege was a racially motivated attack.</p><p>Police allege the pair were travelling along the South Gippsland Highway in Melbourne’s south-east at 7.40pm on Saturday when they were “racially abused” by three occupants of a small black hatchback.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/12/alleged-racially-motivated-attack-muslim-religious-leader-victoria-arrests-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>

Read the full article at: The Guardian World →