October 8, 2024
Muslim Votes founder unloads on day of 'appalling' Oct 7 rallies across Sydney
Islamic leader tells Sydney muslims October 7 is a 'celebration' day of shame, not sorrow The first anniversary of Hamas' deadly attacks on Israeli civilians has been declared a "celebration" by speakers at a pro-Palestinian rally in western Sydney, with horrified government officials and Jewish leaders condemning the gathering attended by hundreds as "appalling".
Yesterday, a rally at Lakemba Mosque orchestrated by extremist group Hibzb utTahrir featured attendees waving the organisation's flag as speakers, including campaign group The Muslim Vote's founder Shaykh Wesam Charkawi and American guest speaker Khaled Beydoun, addressed the crowd.
Mr Beydoun said October 7 was in some ways a day of "celebration" and "growth" for Palestinian people.
"Today is not a day that is full of mourning, today is a day that marks celebration," he said, adding that the response of Israel since the Hamas attacks was now undoubtedly a "genocide".
"Anyone who opposes that's what it is, is a complete idiot. They're flat headed.
They're vapid," he said.
Mr Charkawi claimed the Albanese government was trying to silence Muslims and said the prime minister's use of the words "social cohesion," was an attempt to stop Muslims voicing their concerns.
The disgusting comments by Mr Beydoun were met with condemnation.
Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said his comments exposed the true intention behind proPalestine protests held on the anniversary of the Hamas terror attack.
"Khaled Beydoun said the quiet part out loud," Mr Paterson said.
"The only reason to hold a protest on October 7 is to celebrate the slaughter of Jews.
"Others may pretend otherwise but this shows exactly what we all knew animated these appalling events."
Protesters chanted anti-Israel slogans before final speaker Sheikh Mahmoud Al Azhari described Prime Minister Anthony Alabanese as a "cancer" and led attendees in a final prayer.
More than 1000 activists also flocked to the steps of Sydney's Town Hall for a gathering at 6pm, with organisers Palestine Action Group decorating the hall's front with Lebanese and Palestinian flags as keffiyeh-clad attendees sat on the ground.
Both sites were met with a heavy police presence, with Hezbollah flags displayed at previous rallies nowhere to be seen after warnings from officials instead replaced with yellow flags, the colour of the terror group.
While both gatherings appeared largely peaceful, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said each of the protests across the weekend were "horribly inappropriate" and "intended to provoke and inflame".
"These people think they're very clever to find loopholes in the law, but the fact that they're looking for loopholes to publicly support a terrorist organisation says it all," he said. "If they (protesters) were concerned about civilian loss of life they would have been concerned on October 7, they showed no concern, quite the contrary. If they want to commemorate what's happening in Gaza and the loss of civilian life they can do it on any other day."
Meanwhile, more than 10,000 Jewish community members and several political leaders attended an eastern suburbs vigil last night.
Premier Chris Minns, Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman were in attendance. Mr Minns reiterated that the October 7 terror attacks were a "great crime".
He said Australians "must acknowledge" the antisemitism at home, and said the Jewish people he has spoken with feel less safe now than they did a year ago.
"The poison of antisemitism is being expressed with a confidence that we haven't seen for a long time," he said.
"We can't change the hate in people's hearts but we can call it for what it is racism."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also attended an anniversary "illuminate October" event in Melbourne after earlier condemning the attacks and the subsequent increase in anti-Semitism.
"Since the atrocities of October 7, Jewish Australians have felt the cold shadows of antisemitism reaching into the present day and as a nation we say never again,'' the PM said. "We unequivocally condemn prejudice and hatred.'
