Muslim anger may hand poll defeat to Labor

A sheik who celebrated Oct­ober 7 has told hundreds of people outside the Lakemba mosque that ‘victory was coming soon’ as concerns mount among Labor operatives that the ALP’s election chances are in serious peril.

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A sheik who celebrated the Oct­ober 7 massacre has told hundreds of people rallying outside the Lakemba mosque one year on that “victory was coming soon” as concerns mount among Labor operatives that the ALP’s election chances are in serious peril over anger at the plight of Palestinians.

At Lakemba Mosque in Sydney’s west on Monday, more than 300 people waved Palestinian and Lebanese flags in a rally to show the community’s “outrage”, organised by Stand for Palestine, a front for extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir.

There were no Hezbollah flags but Lebanese Muslim Association secretary Gamel Kheir said the crowd stood “united”, criticising political leaders for not more strongly condemning Israel.

It follows Sunday’s scenes where hundreds of protesters chanted “f..k you Albo (and) Tony Burke” at a Sydney CBD rally, and The Muslim Vote and Muslim Votes Matter told The Australian that Labor should be prepared for a “long-lasting” political shift.

“The horse has bolted … things (politics) will never be the same again,” Sheik Wesam Charkawi, The Muslim Vote’s convener, said.

Sheik Wesam Charkawi speaks on Monday at a rally held at Lakemba Mosque. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Sheik Ibrahim Dadoun addressed Monday’s crowd – he has described October 7 as a “day of courage” – and proclaimed that Zionists were “losing the public relations war” and Israel was a “bastard state” of the West, saying it had suffered losses on the “PR, boycott and international community fronts”.

“Victory is coming soon,” he said.

Sheikh Ibrahim Dadoun addresses the crowd at a Hizb ut-Tahrir rally outside Lakemba Mosque on Monday afternoon, on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks. Picture: Jane Dempster/The Australian.

The event came a day after nearly 10,000 people descended on to the Sydney CBD in pro-Palestine rallies on Sunday, protests replicated across state capitals.

Hezbollah praised the protests, posting pictures of the rallies on its Telegram channel with the caption: “From Australia to the world.”

Labor figures present at Sunday’s rally said the palpable anger was striking, with many now believing the party was heading for federal election defeat next year, such was the visceral vexation with the government’s stance and handling of the conflict.

Lakemba’s rally was peaceful but the speakers took aim at Israel, Zionism and what they claimed was the Albanese government’s complicity.

American guest speaker Khaled Beydoun told the crowd that October 7 was in some ways a day of “celebration” and “growth” for Palestinian people.

“Today is not a day that is full of mourning, today is a day that marks celebration,” he saidcadding that Yemen Houthi rebels went “one better” than simply implementing Boycott, Divest, Sanction policies by attacking ships in the Red Sea.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is considering cancelling the visa of the US-based academic

Mr Burke said that “as soon as I heard about these comments I asked my department to conduct a visa check.

“At 8.30pm they confirmed this man is travelling on a visa. I immediately asked them to prepare a brief so I can consider his visa status.”

Khaled Beydoun speaks at the Hizb ut-Tahrir hosted rally outside Lakemba Mosque on Monday afternoon, on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks. Picture: Jane Dempster/The Australian.

Sheik Mahmoud Al Azhari said Zionism and its “lies” would soon “be defeated”, adding the Muslim community and Palestine would “not kneel for anyone”, while Amer Al-Wahwah, a Hizb ut-Tahrir activist, claimed the Netanyahu government was trying to create a “greater Israel” that would take in parts of Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

The Muslim Vote is supporting candidates in “key electorates” where it hopes to topple Labor, particularly in Mr Burke’s western Sydney seat of Watson, where the organisation is co-ordinating independent Ziad Basyouny’s campaign

Naser Alziyadat at the Muslim Votes Matter national launch in Melbourne in September. Picture: David Crosling

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Sheik Charkawi said there had been “emphatic” support for Mr Basyouny’s candidacy, and it provided an opportunity to “challenge” Labor, who had “let down” the community.

He said the days of Labor attempting to “buy” votes or lean on “relationships” were over, revealing announcements would be made in the “near future” on other target seats.

“This is a long-term vision,” he said. “Whether now or in subsequent elections, change will happen. A new trajectory is being traversed.”

Sheik Charkawi wouldn’t be drawn into commenting on the community “countermovements” to The Muslim Vote, saying people were entitled to their own views and it was important that ­respect was “maintained”, but he said there was “outrage” with Mr Burke and federal Education Minister Jason Clare.

Monday’s rally outside Lakemba Mosque. Picture: Jane Dempster

When Hezbollah flags and pictures of its slain leader, Hassan Nasrallah, were displayed at rallies last week, Mr Burke was quick to condemn, promising action.

Sheik Charkawi pointed to the Home Affairs Minister’s firm stance, even threatening some with the prospect of deportation – a stance he said was missing in support of the community.

“He took a firm stand and condemned the action,” he said.

“However, the community has not seen such a stance for Palestinians, Arabs, Lebanese or Muslims.

“This point is not about the issue of symbols or flags but about the firm stance. There is no illusion about what the community is seeing.”

Flipping Watson and Blaxland will remain difficult for Mr Basyouny and The Muslim Vote, where Mr Burke and Mr Clare both enjoy about 15 per cent margins but where Muslim voters make up about 35 per cent and 27 per cent of the electorate respectively.

Former NSW premier Bob Carr and Jamal Rifi at the launch of the Friends of Burke campaign in September. Picture: Alexi Demetriadi

The community is not homogeneous and elements of it, particularly in Watson, remain supportive of Mr Burke and Labor.

A Friends of Burke network co-ordinated by prominent Lebanese Muslim community leader Jamal Rifi will campaign for the two ministers to keep their pro-Palestine voices “in the corridors of power”.

At its September launch, Dr Rifi said Mr Burke had worked his whole life for the “Palestinian cause” and although the community’s heart was “bleeding”, voters needed to vote with a clear head.

Separately, Muslim Votes Matter will wait until nominations are closed to endorse candidates, but previously told The Australian it would have no trouble preferencing independents or Greens above Labor.

The organisation had a stall at Sydney’s rally, and its national spokesman, Naser Alziyadat, said the movement was now “well-established” in five states, with “hundreds” of volunteers from different faiths and “thousands” more supporting the campaign online.

“This (political) shift indicates a growing disenchantment with the two major parties in Australia, part of a gradual movement towards alternative political expressions and platforms,” he said.

“The change has been gradual and collective, and when it is gradual, it will be long-lasting.”

Muslim Votes Matter’s “system” assesses and ranks each candidate’s “political stances, plans and promises”, and Dr Alziyadat said that amid rising frustration with the two major parties and current polling, independents and minor parties could be king or queen after the next federal poll.