AFP refer hate-fuelled Al Madina Dawah sermon to terror squad

The AFP has referred a hate-fuelled sermon to a counter-terrorism squad as security experts criticised the country’s approach to tackling extremism.

Abu Ousayd, also known as Wissam Haddad, gives a sermon posted to YouTube. Picture: YouTube

The Australian Federal Police has referred a hate-fuelled sermon, revealed by The Australian, to a counter-terrorism squad for ­assessment as security experts criticised the country’s approach to tackling extremism, accusing it of “forgetting basic lessons”.

Legal experts said the sermons – which included language pertaining to Jews being killed and drowned – could also “sail close” to criminality.

On Tuesday, this masthead ­revealed that the cleric who called himself Abu Ousayd and gave a “kill Jews” sermon in Sydney was jihadi preacher Wissam Haddad, an extremist who had ­expressed support for terrorist groups. His defunct al-Risalah Islamic Centre was frequented by men who went on to commit atrocities in Syria, like Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar.

This publication also revealed how another cleric, “Brother Ismail”, had given a sermon at Al Madina Dawah Centre – run by Haddad – which called for jihad.

NSW Police confirmed they were investigating both sermons and an AFP spokeswoman told The Australian one had been “referred to the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team for assessment”.

Wissam Haddad outside the Al Madina Dawah Centre in Bankstown in Sydney’s southwest. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“(Those teams) exist in all states and territories, and consist of the AFP, state police, ASIO, and in NSW, the state Crime Commission,” she said. “It assists to ensure a co-ordinated and collaborative nationally consistent approach to combating terrorism of a multi-jurisdictional nature.”

Haddad’s newly unearthed comments were met with condemnation. NSW Premier Chris Minns called the sermon “vicious and deplorable”, condemning the rhetoric in the “strongest terms”.

Liberal leader Peter Dutton said hate speech had “no place in modern Australia”.

“These messages of hate are a stain on our national character,” he said, calling the October 9 pro-Palestine rally at the Sydney Opera House a “day of shame”.

“Here, under the cloak of a religious preacher at an Islamic centre, we are seeing the very same evil messages expressed.”

Security experts slammed the sermon and criticised the counter-terrorism approach, warning the mindset had “forgotten basic lessons”.

“Our attention has gotten away from counter-terrorism,” Strategic Analysis Australia director Peter Jennings said, noting extremism was “closely tied to international events”.

Abu Ousayd, also known as Wissam Haddad, and ‘Brother Ismail’ in a video posted by the centre on Tuesday. Picture: You Tube

“The conflict in Gaza carries a substantial risk of becoming a spur for radicalism,” he said.

Mr Jennings urged authorities, who had become too focused on “crowd control”, to “rethink risk profiles”.

“Police are not prepared to deal with these situations, and have become confused how sensitive they should be to these types of views,” he said.

Mr Jennings criticised Labor federal and state governments for being “disinclined” to engage with Islamic leaders, to “marginalise extremists”.

“Multiculturalism isn’t about dance festivals, it’s also a vehicle to manage tensions,” he said.

Counter-terrorism expert Clive Williams said the sermons, and that they were published undetected, were a “concern”.

NSW Premier Chris Minns called the sermon ‘vicious and deplorable’.

“The civilian death toll in Gaza and graphic images of injured children has created a groundswell of hostility towards Israel, which is inevitably being exploited by Islamist terrorist groups, including those with reach into Australia,” he said.

Liberal leader Peter Dutton said hate speech had ‘no place in modern Australia’.

Legal experts weighed in on Haddad’s comments, with high-profile criminal lawyer Paul McGirr citing an amendment to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act that strengthened anti-vilification laws.

“There are clear, strong laws protecting the community from hatred and ridicule,” Mr McGirr said, adding some of Haddad’s language was on “tender ground”.

Criminal lawyer Daniel Wakim said some of Haddad’s language was “inciteful” on “face value”, but required more context to assess whether it had crossed the criminal threshold.