November 7, 2023
Both sides of politics have condemned a southwest Sydney preacher who praised Hamas terrorists as "freedom fighters" and said that "jihad" was the solution as it was revealed the Islamic centre that hosted his sermon has posted videos attacking Jews as "mischievous" money lenders.
In the video on the YouTube account of the Al Madina Dawah Centre that hosted the preacher known as Brother Ismail, an unnamed preacher says Jews are a mischievous people who "oppress" people, even their own prophets, and have throughout history.
Purporting to be a historical lecture, the speaker in Islamic clerical garb quotes a Muslim scripture, saying "towards the end of time . the trees will speak, the stone will speak, and they will say Oh believer! Oh Muslim! There is a Yahudi (Jew) behind (me), come and kill them!" The video goes on to say that throughout history Jews have used their wealth obtained by "moneylending" to "have authority over the weak".
"Their hands are everywhere in businesses we should be boycotting", he says, mentioning Coca Cola, Nike and McDonald's. "This continues today where we find the majority of banks are owned by the Jews who are happy to give people loans knowing that it's almost impossible to pay it back." Sydney lawyer Sam Macedone said such speech would "most likely" breach vilification and incitement laws.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson raised the possibility of deporting Brother Ismail and other preachers if they were not citizens of Australia.
"These are deeply disturbing and unacceptable sermons which will only fuel hate and increase tension," he said.
Were they here on a "temporary visa", he said, they "must be breaching the character provisions of the migration act and sent home without delay." Education minister Jason Clare, whose Bankstown seat is home to the Al Madina Dawah Centre, said: "I condemn these remarks. There's no place for hate in Australia." Workplace minister Tony Burke, who represents the nearby seat of Blaxland, said he "unequivocally condemned" anti-Semitism.
"I know that mosques and prayer rooms right around Australia have been speaking out against anti-Semitism and Islamophobia ever since the atrocities on October 7," he said.
Premier Chris Minns said Brother Ismail's sermon was being investigated by police, but he was "reluctant to offer comment" that might preempt the investigation.
State member for Bankstown Jihad Dib spoke more broadly.
"It is important to lean on our forged interfaith and intercultural relationships to lead us through these very difficult times, when so many people are grieving in my community and elsewhere," Mr Dib said.
"Anti-Semitism has no place in our multicultural society, nor does Islamophobia or any type of racial or religious vilification." The Australian National Imams Council and its NSW branch were also contacted for comment.
