‘Not innocent’: Islamic preacher’s ‘disturbing’ comments under fire

A controversial Muslim preacher from Western Sydney has claimed the 1400 Israeli civilians gunned down by Hamas a month ago were “not innocent”.

A Western Sydney Muslim preacher who gives religious talks on marriage, divorce and following Islam at mosques and organisations stretching from Regents Park to Wollongong has claimed no “innocent” people were killed in the October 7 attack on Israel.

Australian Islamic scholar Nassim Abdi was recorded saying the 1400 Israelis who died in the Hamas attack were “not innocent” and were “provoking” Palestinians by taking their land.

The same preacher was forced to clarify his remarks in 2018 after suggesting women who did not have sex with their husbands were committing a major sin.

Mr Abdi was forced to clarify his remarks were a slip of the tongue and that he did not support marital rape or rape in any form.

Nassim Abdi. Picture: Supplied

In footage of the attack, seen by the Telegraph, Hamas militants gunned down children, babies and innocent festival goers.

In the new video, he added that Jewish people were killed in the “so called Holocaust” before saying that people who lived in Israel made a choice to live there and the attack was the consequence.

“These weren’t innocent victims. They were people on the borders, they were armed soldiers, these were people who were infuriating the Palestinian people, they were people that were there to cause problems, to provoke and to oppress by taking over their land,” Mr Abdi said.

“They were people that made the choice to go back to Israel, to get citizenship there and to live there knowing that it is illegal under international law … do not say they are innocent victims.”

Australian Islamic Scholar Nassim Abdi. Picture: Supplied

Senator James Paterson. Picture: Martin Ollman

The video, titled Palestine and Us, was shared on Mr Abdi’s Facebook page and shows him interacting with a crowd but it is not clear where he is speaking.

The preacher has spoken at several Western Sydney venues including the Regents Park Musallah and The Australian Islamic House in Edmondson Park.

The AIH said Mr Abdi was a guest speaker at their events and the talk on Palestine did not take place at their venue.

“He was a guest speaker at one of our events and does not officially represent the AIH,” a spokesman said.

Mr Abdi said all the women shown on the news who died in the attack were wearing “skimpy clothes” and dressed like “Victoria’s Secret models”.

“This is human psychology. They put these women there for what reason? To show that we are beautiful women, we are free women. They put them there in their skimpy clothing. We are just like you in the West, we enjoy the same freedoms, the same liberal understanding as you guys. Help us, be with us, we are one against these savages, these beasts,” he said.

“Did anyone see ugly women on the news? They looked like Victoria’s Secret models. Why do they do that? … it’s easier for you to feel sorry for an attractive person”.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry President Jillian Segal and Co-CEO Alex Ryvchin address the media. Picture: Julian Andrews

In comments to The Daily Telegraph, Mr Abdi said it was important to take his comments in the context of the hour-long speech.

“I sincerely encourage yourself and all others to listen to the over hour long discussion on the matter for context and clarity of the situation overall,” he said.

“I did not say that ‘all the women who died were wearing skimpy clothing’ but the wording and context clearly alludes to the usage of the media’s marketing strategy of the situation to rarely, if ever, use images other than those in skimpy clothing and beautified. This is a technique in marketing psychology. If over 1000 people died that day, why were only these types of ‘victims’ showed?”

Mr Abdi doubled down on his view that those killed by Hamas were not innocent.

“Who were the people along the Gazan border and why were they there? Generally speaking, they were either army personal or those involved in the security apparatus or those assisting them or ‘settlers’ (colonisers and thieves); those who are happily living on stolen Palestinian land under the cover, support and funding of the Israeli and allied governments of which the UN has repeatedly called illegal,” he said.

“Those living there are by no means naive of the consequences of their actions and the oppression and antagonising caused to the innocent Palestinian people of whom the vast majority of the world has turned its back on.”

The speech has been condemned by Jewish leaders who took aim at prominent Australians and the Greens for dividing Australian society.

“The surge in antisemitism is entirely predictable in light of weekly protests calling for attacks on Israeli civilians and the destruction of the Jewish State,” Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said.

“Most terrifying of all is that you have Islamic leaders, trusted clerics glorifying rapists and torturers and encouraging their followers to emulate them.”

Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the comments add to a “series of deeply disturbing comments” about the conflict that are being exposed across Australia.

“These are yet another series of deeply disturbing comments from extremist preachers in Sydney that will strike fear into the hearts of the Jewish community and many other Australians,” he said.

“I fear this radical language will lead to real world harm unless it is adequately addressed.”

Mr Abdi and the Australian Islamic House were contacted for a response.