Australians back the federal government’s decision to join the military effort against the militia group calling itself Islamic State, but believe doing so will make us “less safe”, according to a new poll.



However the poll found strong opposition to new anti-terror measures that could see whistleblowers and journalists jailed for reporting abuses of power, with more than four in 10 saying the laws went too far.

More than half of 1,000 Australians surveyed online in the past week said they supported the Abbott government’s decision to begin air strikes against Islamic state targets in Iraq, with one-quarter saying they opposed the decision.

Committing ground troops at America’s request was less favoured, with around 40% and the same proportion against. One in five said they weren’t sure, the poll, conducted by Factuality, said.

More than half said Australia’s involvement in the US-led effort against Islamic State (Isis) made a domestic terror attack more likely, while more than one in four said they felt personally more at risk of a terror attack after the events of the past six months, during which Isis released a series of shocking videos depicting the beheading of western journalists and aid workers.

More than 60% said hysteria around the terrorism threat made Muslims more likely to be attacked.

The survey also canvassed Australian views of Islam. The majority (69%) of respondents said they felt positively towards Muslim Australians around them, but fewer (54%) felt they had made a “positive contribution to the nation”.

Asked what proportion of Australian Muslims “pose a terrorist threat”, a strong showing (72%) said only “a tiny minority”, though 70 respondents felt the “majority” of Muslims were a risk.

They also backed the government’s handling of the issue, with 57% saying it had been “fair” to Australia’s Muslims. Fewer (46%) felt the same way about the media’s reporting, with 32% arguing it had been discriminatory.