'Hate is everywhere': Usman Khawaja reveals his mother was racially abused during Boxing Day Test

Usman Khawaja has revealed his mother was racially abused at last year's Boxing Day Test and that he "kept it quiet and hidden" from his Australian teammates.

The 38-year-old detailed the events in a new government report titled "A National Response to Islamophobia" which was released on Friday.

Khawaja explained that his mother, Fozia Tariq, had come to watch him play against India at the MCG when two young men targeted her for wearing a hijab.

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"Hate is everywhere in today's society - and my mother, of all people, experienced it last year during the Boxing Day Test match," he wrote.

"She had come to watch me play with my family. It's always a momentous occasion.

"Unfortunately, this time two young men decided to walk behind my mum and scream obscenities in both ears, simply because she was wearing a hijab.

"Imagine yourself, just walking along, minding your own business at the MCG and 2 guys walk behind you out of nowhere only to scream insults in your ear.

"She was terrified. My mum was distraught; she didn't know what to do and she was extremely frightened, shocked and upset by the incident."

Khawaja added that police became involved, but his mother opted not to proceed any further and didn't want to make the incident public.

"A security guard saw everything," he continued.

"The guys were detained, and the police were called and they were taken away - but god bless my mum's soul, she didn't want to proceed any further.

"I don't want to ruin the rest of these young boys' lives over one incident", she told me.

"I was furious that someone treated my mother that way, but I respected my mum's wishes, and we kept it quiet and hidden, even from my teammates."

Khawaja - a proud Muslim - has been an outspoken advocate for human rights issues during his career.

Two years ago, he wrote the phrases "all lives are equal" and "freedom is a human right" accompanied by the Palestinian flag on his shoes, which led to a warning from the ICC.

The left-handed opener also supported veteran cricket journalist Peter Lalor after he was sacked by radio station SEN earlier this year for publicly criticising Israel's actions during the Gaza war in social media posts.

He also refused to partake in interviews with the network after Lalor's exit.

Khawaja is expected to finish his Test career this summer in the Ashes.