9/11 a comedy show, claims touring sheik

An Egyptian sheik touring Aust­ralian mosques has mocked the September 11, 2001, and Charlie Hebdo terror attacks.

Sheik Omar Abdel Kafi addresses worshippers at Misjad Al Noor mosque in South Granville, in Sydney’s west. last night. Picture: Julian Andrews

An Egyptian sheik touring Aust­ralian mosques has mocked the September 11, 2001, and Charlie Hebdo terror attacks as “comedy films” and repeatedly denounced Jews and Christians in social media posts and sermons.

Sheik Omar Abdel Kafi — who is in Australia on a week-long speaking tour — told supporters in 2015 that Muslims were not involve­d in attacks on French magazine Charlie Hebdo and the World Trade Centre in New York.

“This play, to which the Muslims­ are subjected ad naus­eam across the world, is the sequel to the comedy film of 9/11 … The first part took place in New York, and the sequel is taking place in Paris,” Dr Abdel Kafi said.

“Soon you will find out that (the Paris attacks) were a comedy show, in which we played no part.”

The Islamic preacher, who has visited mosques in Adelaide and Melbourne and delivers his final sermon tonight at Lakemba, in Sydney’s southwest, has been promoted as “one of the most renown­ed scholars of our time” and described by supporters as a “peaceful man”.

Last night more than 700 worshippers listened to Dr Abdel Kafi’s speech after evening prayers at Misjad Al Noor mosque in South Granville in Sydney’s west. The mosque — linked to slain al-Nusra jihadists Yusuf Ali and Amira Karroum — did not respon­d to requests for comment.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry said yesterday that he should not have been allowed into Australia, echoing previous protest­s against him in the US, Canada and Morocco.

The New York Times reported in 1994 that Dr Abdel Kafi said Muslims should not shake hands with Christians and should cross the street to avoid them.

His Facebook posts, translated by the American Centre for Democracy — which includes a former US attorne­y-general and an ex-CIA director on its board — include a litany of anti-Semitic statements calling for “revenge” on Jewish people.

“O Allah, the Jews have gone astray and therefore show us the wonders of your might and ability inflicted upon them,” he posted on July 21, 2017. On September 13, 2015, he posted: “O Allah, destroy the Zion­ists. O Allah, protect our people­ in Palestine. O Allah, take revenge of the Jews and their assistant­s.”

The sheik’s initial tour through Adelaide mosques was promoted by the Islamic Societ­y of South Australia. It said it was not aware of his past statements. A spokesman said ISSA hosted him “because of his international reput­e and modera­te views”.

“What we can confirm is that, while in Adelaide, all of his lectures­ promoted a moderate message including loyalty to Aust­ralia and obeying the law of the land, kindness, good relations with all Australians regardless of their faith, and the importance of spiritual refinement of the indiv­idual as opposed to mere external religious observances.”

An imam at Melbourne’s Heidelberg Mosque, who refused to give his name, told The Australian DrAbdel Kafi was a “peaceful man”. “He’s a good man … he asked at the lecture for all not to think of themselves as refugees but as citizens of this country,” the spokesman said.

Dr Abdel Kafi’s speech last night was relatively tame compared with some of the more controversial comments he has made in the past, instead focusing on being thankful to God and maintaining one’s home culture when moving to a new country.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry research director Julie Nathan said Australian authorities needed to be “more vigilant” before letting people such as Dr Abdel Kafi into the country.

A spokeswoman for Immig­ration Minister David Coleman said she could not comment on “individual cases”.

Additional reporting: Elias Visontay