Imam Samir Mohtadi’s hate speech from pulpit

A high-profile Victorian Muslim leader who branded Zionists as ‘bloodsucking humans’ has declared Australia is waging a war on Islam while fundraising millions through his registered charity.

Sheik Abu Hamza, also known as Samir Mohtadi, speaks at a sermon in Melbourne.

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A high-profile Victorian Muslim leader who branded Zionists as “scavengers” and “bloodsucking humans” has declared that Australia is waging a war on Islam, as he plans to build a multimillion-dollar Islamic “sanctuary” north of Melbourne.

Sheik Abu Hamza, also known as Samir Mohtadi, is spearheading a $6.9m religious development in the fast-growing suburb of Mickleham, where he aims to establish an Islamic facility to cater for the city’s burgeoning Muslim population.

But while fundraising millions through his registered charity, the Islamic Information and Services Network of Australasia, Sheik Mohtadi has also launched inflammatory public attacks on Zionists, Australian politicians, the “West” and secular institutions.

In a hate-fuelled sermon delivered at the Australian Bosnian Islamic Centre in Melbourne’s west last week, which was attended by The Australian, the prominent imam prayed for victory for “our mujahideen (fighters) in Palestine” and called on Allah to “cast terror into the hearts of the Zionists”.

“Oh Allah, grant victory to our mujahideen in Palestine, strengthen their feet, and grant them a clear triumph,” he said in Arabic.

“Oh Allah, cast terror into the hearts of the Zionists and shake the ground beneath their feet.

“Oh Allah, take away from them the blessing of security, scatter their gatherings, and tear apart their unity.”

Sheik Mohtadi, centre, with Victorian state MP Kathleen Matthews-Ward and Victorian Police Minister Anthony Carbines.

Sheik Mohtadi’s sermon then turned to Australia itself, as he accused the federal government and institutions of waging an ideological “war of no God”.

He preached to worshippers that they were not obliged to adopt the values of the country that had hosted them, granted them citizenship, and provided them full political, social, and economic rights – including the freedom of religion. He declared that as long as they had their own values, culture, language, and religion, they did not need to embrace Australia’s.

“There’s a war at the moment that exists in this country which is much more dangerous than the war in Gaza,” he said.

“Within this country, we need to understand that the war that exists here, which is much more dangerous (than the war in Gaza), is the war of no God.

“They want to instil in our minds that God does not exist. So this is a war of intellect … They want to convey this message through organisations, through governments, so me and you doubt Allah.

“They want us to doubt Allah, to doubt the Day of Judgment, to doubt the prophet.”

The hardline imam also lamented the removal of religious practices from local council meetings and said secularism was leading Australians into a moral collapse.

“Here in councils, at one stage, they used to begin the meeting with a prayer … now they don’t want this to happen. So they want to distance Allah away from our lives, and that’s why the majority of people (in the West) are in a state of loss.”

The planned $6.9m Islamic ‘sanctuary’ facility on a 12ha site in Mickleham.

Sheik Mohtadi’s radical commentary comes as he leads efforts to build a mega Islamic facility, dubbed a “sanctuary”, on a 12-hectare (30-acre) site in Mickleham, complete with a mosque, Islamic schools, aged care and sports facilities, as well as a youth services hub.

So far, his charity has raised $4.8m of the $6.9m goal, with appeals urging “1000 believers” to donate $3500 each “for the sake of Allah”.

“Plant the seeds that grow for generations to come,” IISNA said in its online fundraising pitch.

While Sheik Mohtadi has attempted to position the Islamic centre as a community building project, his political rhetoric has intensified in recent months after he called former opposition leader Peter Dutton a “filthy human being”, a “racist” and a “grub” in the lead-up to the 2025 federal elections.

A mosque in Broadmeadows in Melbourne’s northwest.

Speaking with The Australian on Monday, he defended his right to express his opinions on Zionism while living in a “democratic country”.

Sheik Mohtadi declined to explain why he thought Australia was waging a war on Islam, or answer questions about his criticisms of Israel and Zionism.

It’s understood the Hume City Council has not yet approved his planned Islamic “sanctuary” development.

In a separate social media post on IISNA’s official Facebook page, Sheik Mohtadi declared his outright rejection of the Israeli state and labelled Zionists as subhuman.

“We don’t believe in a state called Israel … every righteous human being believes there is Palestine and there is no Israel,” he said.

“I’ve always said and I’ve always believed that these Zionists are not normal … They are bloodsucking human beings … They’re scavengers. They are not humans, I swear by Allah,” he said.

“Inshallah, they all go back to Russia, Ukraine, America and Britain … and that Palestine is pure from these filthy terrorist Zionists.”

He then called on Allah to grant him one final wish: “Oh Allah … give me the ability to pray in Masjid al-Aqsa and to free Palestine from the terrorist Zionists”.

Despite these inflammatory statements, IISNA remains a registered charity and has previously secured state support for community events and education initiatives.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has condemned Sheik Mohtadi’s rhetoric as “vicious” and called for the immediate revocation of his organisation’s charitable status.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin. Picture: John Feder

Its co-chief executive, Alex Ryvchin, said the imam’s statements revealed a dangerous and deep-seated hatred masked by anti-Zionist language.

“The sheik gives a demonstration on how those who harbour a deep contempt for Jewish people hide behind euphemisms such as ‘Zionist’,” Mr Ryvchin said.

“We have been called bloodsuckers and non-human before. It is a belief that has destroyed millions of lives. He proclaims his desire for a racially pure Arab Palestine entirely cleansed of Jews, demonstrating the violent motives of the anti-Israel movement.”

Mr Ryvchin also stressed that silence from within the Muslim community would be concerning and urged Islamic leaders and followers to publicly reject “this hate”.

“There should be outrage at these vicious words. It is essential that the loudest condemnation comes from his own followers and co-religionists who should disavow this hate,” he said.

“It doesn’t belong here. If the sheik benefits from charitable status which he uses to villainise other Australians, this should be immediately revoked.”

Zionist Federation of Australia CEO Alon Cassuto said the claim that most Jews support genocide was a baseless slur.

“Samir Mohtadi’s rant is a disgrace, and a dangerous mix of antisemitism, lies, and incitement,” Mr Cassuto said.

“Zionism, which Mohtadi attacks, is simply the belief in Jewish peoplehood and the right to self-determination.

“This isn’t religious leadership. It’s hate speech, and it has no place in a free, democratic Australia.”