‘Elated’ Sheik Ibrahim Dadoun’s Lakemba comments slammed by political and religious leaders

An ‘elated’ and ‘smiling’ sheik who called Hamas’s attacks a ‘day of pride’ has been slammed by political and religious leaders as his background and links became clear.

Sheik Ibrahim Dadoun at a rally showing support of Palestine, in Lakemba, Sydney’s southwest.

An “elated and smiling” sheikh who called Hamas’s attacks a “day of pride” has been slammed by political and religious leaders after his background and links became clear.

On Sunday night, at a pro-Palestine rally in Lakemba, in Sydney’s southwest, Sheik Ibrahim Dadoun told a raucous crowd he was “elated” by the attacks by terrorist group Hamas.

“I’m smiling and I’m happy – I’m elated,” Sheik Dadoun told the crowd. “It’s a day of courage, it’s a day of resistance, it’s a day of pride, it’s a day of victory. This is the day we’ve been waiting for.

“75 years of occupation and 15 years of blockade, what yesterday happened was the first time our brothers and sisters break through the largest prison on earth. This brings pride to the heart.”

His comments – and Sunday’s rally – have been condemned by Anthony Albanese , NSW political leaders and religious groups.

A pro-Palestine rally in Sydney’s CBD on Monday. Picture: AAP

The Prime Minister on Monday said the Hamas attack was “indefensible” and an “atrocity that deserves the condemnation of all”.

“What has occurred here is completely indefensible. You can’t target civilians like the weekend,” he said, while warning people against going to similar pro-Palestine rallies.

“You can have your views, the Middle East is a complex issue ... (but) the actions of Hamas in this are indefensible.”

Sheik Dadoun is an imam at the United Muslims of Australia and the public relations director at the Australian National Imams Council. Born and raised in Sydney, with a Lebanese background, he studied in Malaysia and Turkey.

The UMA was established by Imam Sheik Shady Alsuleiman, who was banned from entering Denmark in 2018 and refused entry to New Zealand in 2019.

Imam Sheik Shady Alsuleiman. Picture: AAP

Sheik Alsuleiman is president of ANIC, and has spoken in support of Palestine previously.

During a sermon in 2014, the sheikh said “Palestine belonged to the Muslims and not the Jews” and in a sermon uploaded to YouTube in 2013 he said it was “homosexuality that’s spreading all these diseases”.

Last week, Mr Albanese posted a photo to social media alongside a group, and to his left was Sheik Alsuleiman.

His office on Monday would not comment on the picture, referring this publication to his condemnation of Sunday’s rally.

Sheik Alsuleiman – and Sheik Dadoun, through UMA and ANIC – did not respond to requests for comment.

Neither UMA nor ANIC responded to requests for comment on Sheik Dadoun’s comments, although the former told Sky News “it was not involved in the protest ... as such, it cannot comment”.

Anthony Albanese posted a picture on social media last week, which included Sheik Shady Alsuleiman, third from right.

In posts to Facebook across the weekend, Sheik Dadoun tagged the Prime Minister and asked if he was “friend or foe”, as well as calling him a “coward”.

“You were a supporter of Palestine, until you (the Prime Minister) was bought,” he wrote on Facebook.

In another post, when Lakemba was designated a purple-flag zone by the NSW government – to signify a safe late-night precinct – Sheik Dadoun slammed the “subliminal messages” of the colour purple.

“This is what happens when we allow capitalism to run through our veins,” he wrote.

“Make no mistake, choosing the colour purple is carefully selected … since 1978 to 2018 LGBT flags predominantly included purple. These subliminal messages are purposeful.”

Pro-Palestine protesters in Lakemba on Sunday. Picture: TNV

He did, however, come out in support for a Voice to parliament.

“On National Sorry Day... I’ll be going to sign a joint resolution by faith groups to support the Uluru Statement,” he wrote in a May 2022 post.

“If one does not openly condemn the injustices of the occupying Israeli state, the modern day displacement of indigenous people from their land, Palestine, yet they post about National Sorry Day, then know these people don’t care about Aboriginal people or the indigenous voice.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns said “there was nothing to celebrate in the killing of innocents”, condemning Hamas’s actions and the rally, while Liberal leader Mark Speakman said it was “celebrating brutality”.

Sheik Dadoun’s comments were also slammed by Australia’s Jewish groups.

“These words are a reminder that evil sometimes presents in human form,” Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gregory said of Mr Dadoun’s celebratory comments. “Just as Nazis had support worldwide, so do these Hamas barbarians.”