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The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane is urging Queensland authorities to take firm action to curb acts of "Islamophobia" in the wake of the Bali bombing and last year’s terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York.

The Commission is responding to both local and inter-state reports of violence and verbal abuse directed towards Muslims in the streets.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that it was very disturbing that Muslim women particularly were being singled out for such attacks.

"We have heard many reports from different refugee organisations and in the media about Muslim women, wearing traditional dress, being abused, having their head-dress torn off or being spat on," Mr Arndt said.

"This is not behaviour that we can accept if we are a people who value our commitment to justice and human rights," he said.

"Justice demands that the people responsible for the dreadful acts of violence in New York and Bali be held accountable in a court of law for the death and suffering they have caused, but to subject Muslim people in Australia to acts of violence in return is outrageous behaviour," he said.

Mr Arndt also warned against allowing an atmosphere of intolerance towards the Islamic faith to develop.

"We should act decisively to counter the peddling of ‘Islamophobic’ ideas," Mr Arndt said.

"The indiscriminate condemnation of Muslims because of Bali and September 11 is as unfair as a blanket condemnation of Christians on the basis of the Oklahama bombing a few years ago," he said.

"Catholics have an important role in this situation because Church Teaching enshrines the defence of human rights and dignity as an essential aspect of Christian discipleship," he said.

"I hope that Catholics will make it clear to the Premier and their local State Member of Parliament that they should speak out firmly on the issue and ensure that police act decisively to eliminate these unacceptable acts of hate in our community," he said.