November 6, 2023
A Sydney Islamic preacher's defence of terrorists who gunned down 1400 Israeli civilians has received the attention of police amid concerns of a growing threat to Australia's national security.
NSW Police revealed they were looking at a YouTube video of an Islamic leader at the Al Madina Dawah Centre in Bankstown blasting the Albanese government for labelling Hamas militants, who waged the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, as "terrorists".
The opposition has called for an investigation into whether any visa conditions have been violated by the preacher if he is not an Australian citizen or if the comments could constitute a crime of incitement.
In the clip, seen by the Daily Telegraph, the man known only as Brother Ismail called Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a hypocrite and compared Hamas's attack on Israel to Indigenous Australians' response to colonisation.
"If the Australian government likes it or not, if the ASIO likes it or not, if they want to deport me from Australia or not. The Jihad is the solution," he told the crowd.
"The youth is now boiling with emotions and rage towards what is happening to their brothers and sisters in Palestine." The preacher told the crowd, which included children, that Palestinian "freedom fighters" were unfairly being described as "terrorists" and Muslims were being pushed into a corner which could see them threaten Australia's security.
"That hypocrite Albanese when he came and stepped and dirtied one of the mosques.
saying we love Muslims and respect them. Not long after Allah exposed his lies when he said Israel has the right to defend itself, when he labelled Hamas as terrorists," he said.
"We say to every individual who says Hamas is terrorists, did you really forget your dark history? Did you really forget your ancestors what they did to the native people in this country?... how they raped their women to change their colour.
"How you chained them like dogs. And you want to come and teach us about morals and humanity and what terrorism is. Did you forget when you celebrate every single year the massacre that you did to the native people?" He said describing Hamas as terrorists created a risk to national security.
"By pushing us into a corner you are creating a threat to the national security system. We will not back down," he said.
Coalition Home Affairs spokesman James Paterson supported the investigation.
"These incendiary comments are toxic to ours social fabric and could constitute crimes of incitement," Mr Paterson said.
"They must be urgently investigated, including whether any visa conditions have been violated on character grounds.
If so, it should be cancelled without delay."The Al Madina Dawah Centre said they support Palestine.
"Our organisation condemns Israel's state funded terrorism targeting the innocent civilians of Gaza and Palestine," a spokesman said.
"We are against the actions of the IDF and any encouragement to aid them in their killing of the people of Palestine." When asked what they made of videos showing Hamas militants beheading a man with a shovel, they said "no proof has been brought forward that the alleged beheading has taken place. As for what occurred on the 7th of October, we are a bit behind still playing catch up on the news of 75 years of oppression, blockade, crimes against humanity, land theft, and oppression of the Palestinian people."
