Visa cancelled for preacher who praised Hezbollah leader as ‘freedom fighter’

The move halts a planned speaking tour through Sydney and Melbourne after Hussain Makk described Hassan Nasrallah as the world’s “greatest freedom fighter”.

A controversial preacher set to come to Australia to speak at events in Sydney and Melbourne weeks after he attended the funeral of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has had his visa cancelled.

It’s understood the Department of Home Affairs cancelled the visa of Hussain Makke, a Lebanon-based social media personality who described Nasrallah as the world’s “greatest freedom fighter”, on Wednesday ahead of him entering Australia.

Mr Makke was due to speak at events throughout Ramadan in Sydney and Melbourne, as revealed by Sky News’ Sharri Markson on Wednesday.

One of his speaking events was to be held at the Orion Function Centre in Campsie with the Miraj Institute, an Islamic educational institution.

Late last month he posted on his social media a picture of himself at the funeral of Nasrallah, who had led Hezbollah since 1992 until his death in an Israeli air strike in September last year.

Preacher Hussain Makke. Image: Instagram

Following the funeral, which was held in a sporting stadium within Hezbollah’s suburban stronghold in southern Beirut, Mr Makke was captured on video praising the group’s former leader.

“This was an incredible day, anyone that was there would see these scenes are very difficult to replicate … for a person who is regarded by much of the world as its greatest freedom fighter,” he said.

Hezbollah’s military wing has been listed as a proscribed terrorist organisation since 2003 by the Australian Government, with the entire organisation listed in 2021.

Coalition Home Affairs spokesman James Paterson said “No one who praises terrorism should be allowed to visit Australia on a speaking tour – particularly in the middle of an anti-Semitism crisis”.

“It’s even worse that Hussain Makke apparently attended the funeral of Hezbollah’s deceased terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah,” he said.

According to his online biography, Mr Makke was born in London in 1991 before moving to Lebanon in 2012 where he continues to reside.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke faced calls from the Coalition last week to temporarily block Australians who allegedly attended the funeral of Nasrallah.

“It’s like somebody attending the funeral of Adolf Hitler or somebody who had been responsible for (the) deaths of many people,” Opposition leader Peter Dutton said last week.

A spokesman for the department responded that it does not comment on individuals, including travel movements.

Mr Burke last year denied a visa to former Israeli government minister Ayelet Shaked, who had planned on coming to Australia for a public speaking tour.

“My view is really simple: If you’re simply coming here to demean people, we can do without you,” Mr Burke said at the time.

“Whether those hatreds are demeaning of Israelis or demeaning of Palestinians, I’m going to have the exact same hard line.”

Mr Makke was contacted for comment.