Anti-Semitism ‘running unchecked’ amid ‘unchallenged, unimpeded’ radical sermons
Anti-Semitism is ‘running unchecked’ in NSW with Jewish and political leaders at a loss as to the apparent inability to charge extremist clerics calling Jews ‘monsters’.
Anti-Semitism is “running unchecked” in NSW with Jewish and political leaders at a loss as to the inability to charge under existing legislation extremist clerics calling Jews “monsters” and “descendants of pigs and monkeys”, and that they “ran like rats” from Hamas’ October 7 attacks.
It comes as The Australian revealed footage of sheikh Ahmed Zoud giving a hate-fuelled and anti-Semitic sermon at Lakemba’s As-Sunnah mosque in southwest Sydney.
Senator Dave Sharma – a former Australian ambassador to Israel – said the longer it went “unpunished” the “more normalised it becomes”.
“Is this really the sort of Australia Anthony Albanese and Chris Minns want us to live in, where speech demonising religious minorities is allowed to pass unchallenged,” the Senator said.
“They both talk a lot about social cohesion, but they are failing the most fundamental tests of leadership in allowing anti-Semitism like this to run unchecked.
“I find it hard to understand how these sermons wishing harm to Jews fail to meet the threshold of criminal conduct. At the very least, this should be tested in court. And if our laws are inadequate, we should strengthen them.”
The NSW government recently “streamlined” section 93z of the state crimes act, which outlaws public acts of incitement of violence towards a group on the basis of race and religion.
The legislation dropped the requirement for police to seek approval from the Director of Public Prosecutions before laying charges.
However, after police felt forced to drop investigations into previous anti-Semitic sermons citing the criminality threshold, and given sheikh Zoud’s recent comments, Jewish and political leaders have criticised the legislation and apparent inaction to “test” it in court.
“It’s time they tested the extensive anti-incitement and harassment laws passed by state and federal parliaments over the years with exactly this sort of conduct in mind,” Opposition Home Affairs spokesman James Paterson said, asking when state and federal governments would “finally say enough is enough”.
“We have a growing crisis of anti-Semitism in this country and it is only going to get worse with tragic and predictable consequences unless they act.”
The Australian has previously reported that the “absence” of a low-level criminal offence dealing with inciting hatred or contempt meant only specific incitements of violence were viewed as chargeable.
However, a NSW government spokesman said it was “always prepared” to improve laws and that the state’s anti-discrimination legislation was subject to a Law Reform Commission review, which would include looking at its adequacy and “whether these (anti-discrimination) protections should be harmonised with the criminal law”.
The government amended the Anti-Discrimination Act to prohibit religious vilification last year, although that is a civil not criminal provision.
Sheikh Zoud’s December 22 sermon was what the cleric called “the truth about the Jews”.
“Who are these terrorists… these monsters… who have removed mercy from their hearts,” he said in Arabic.
“These (people) are the Jews, not all of them, but most of them.
“The most important characteristic of the Jews is that they are thirsty for bloodshed... another is betrayal and treachery.”
Sheikh Zoud said the Jews “loved to shed blood” and accused them of raising their children on “violence, terrorism and killing”.
“The Jews (will always) remain the Jews, the days nor years change them,” he said, calling them “vengeful people” with “international bonds”.
Appearing to refer to Hamas’ October 7 attacks, which killed more than 1200 Israelis, sheikh Zoud said Jews “ran like rats”.
“The cowards fell before the attacks of the mujahideen… (they ran) like rats,” he said.
It follows cleric Abu Ousayd calling Israelis “descendants of pigs and monkeys” in a sermon at the Al Madina Dawah Centre on December 29.
Previously, The Australian revealed that Ousayd – also known as Wissam Haddad – and clerics “Brother Ismail” and “Bro Mohammed” had given sermons calling for jihad, the establishment of a Muslim army to fight the West, recited parables about killing Jews, and encouraged people to spit on Israel “so the Jews would drown”.
State and federal police made inquiries into the sermons, but were forced to drop investigations.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said sheikh Zoud’s comments depicted Jews as “less than human or representing the worst of humanity”.
“And yet, there is a muted response from all but the Jewish community and certain principled political leaders,” Mr Ossip said.
“It is difficult to imagine that such vilification would be tolerated if the target was any other minority group.
“Where is the condemnation from local MPs and other Islamic community leaders?”
The mosque was contacted, as was the Australian National Imams Council, who were asked if they condemned the sermon – although neither responded to questions from The Australian.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin called the sermon “chilling Nazi-grade anti-Semitism”.
“The characterisation of our community as bloodthirsty and treacherous appeals to deeply embedded anti-Jewish beliefs,” he said.
“It projects the killing of Jews as an act of self-defence and a sacred, religious duty.
“If this (anti-Semitic sermons) is allowed to pass, our social cohesion, our multiculturalism and our tolerance are a sham and no one is safe.”
NSW Upper House deputy president Rod Roberts – a 20-year police officer before becoming a MP – said inaction on “wheeling these guys in” had allowed the sermons to “gain momentum”.
“What more will it take for authorities to do something,” he asked.
“This isn’t an outlier, we’ve now got another cleric allowed to preach this vile hate speech unimpeded by state law.
“If there’s a legislation issue, it’s on the government to draft up laws that are operable and allow the police to take action.”
The NSW government spokesman called the sermon “unacceptable” and pointed to it strengthening both religious vilification and race-incitement laws since taking office, and that it was “always prepared to consider improvements” to existing legislation.
“NSW is a proud multicultural society – we need to pull together right now to protect our community cohesion,” he said.
The spokesman revealed the government was “constantly monitoring the operation of laws” and that it had “acted rapidly to update NSW anti-discrimination and vilification laws”.
“Law enforcement authorities continue to monitor the situation and stand ready to prosecute breaches of the criminal law,” he said.
The Australian understands that NSW Police are aware of the sermon at the As-Sunnah mosque.
More Coverage
Dutton defends Coalition’s nuclear power proposal
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has rejected costing estimates for the Coalition’s nuclear power proposal released by Energy Minister Chris Bowen, suggesting it would raise household energy bills by $665 a year.
Gallery takes First Nations art to world
More than 200 key works by about 130 First Nations artists from the National Gallery of Victoria’s collection will be showcased in a ‘landmark’ exhibition in Washington next year.