A Muslim preacher who described the abhorrent Hamas terror attacks in Israel as ‘a day of courage’ once held prayers with Anthony Albanese.
Sheikh Ibrahim Dadoun spoke at a recent Iftar dinner during Ramadan where the Prime Minister also addressed the crowd of worshippers.
During his speech, Mr Albanese thanked the Australian National Imams Council for their support for the Voice to Parliament, saying they ‘are very much at the heart of the story of this great nation’.
‘Events like this one remind us of the value of coming together and taking time to reflect on both the sacrifices in our histories and the possibilities of our shared future,’ Mr Albanese said, according to the Australian Muslim Times.
On Sunday, Sheikh Dadoun joined a large crowd outside Lakemba Station in western Sydney cheering on the Palestinian terrorists who plotted the most devastating and well co-ordinated strike on the Jewish state in 50 years.
Sheikh Ibrahim Dadoun spoke at a recent Iftar dinner during Ramadan where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also addressed the crowd of worshippers
Sheikh Ibrahim Dadoun (pictured), who described the abhorrent Hamas terror attacks in Israel as ‘a day of courage’ once held prayers with Anthony Albanese
‘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 pride. It’s a day of victory. This is the day we’ve been waiting for!’ he shouted as the mob who chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’ or God is great in Arabic.
Facing a severe backlash over the confronting rally cry, the cleric on Monday tried to walk back his comments in a lengthy statement posted to Facebook.
‘To be clear, at no stage did I express any support for, nor refer to, the loss of lives on any side,’ he said.
‘I made no reference to the killing of the innocent people. I do not condone nor celebrate the killing of innocent people from any side, particularly women and children.’
More than 700 Israeli soldiers and civilians were shot dead or blown up in rocket attacks launched by the Palestinian militants on Saturday, who mowed down some 260 innocent people at a music festival in a brutal, unexpected offensive that drew comparisons with the 9/11 attacks or Pearl Harbour.
Israel has now ordered a ‘complete siege’ on the Gaza Strip, cutting off food and electricity as it prepares for a massive ground offensive.
In retaliation, Israel’s Defence Forces (IDF) and air force pounded the Gaza Strip with air strikes and missile attacks, claiming they hit more than 1,000 Hamas targets in the past two days.
‘I’m smiling and I’m happy. I’m elated,’ Sheik Ibrahim Dadoun told the crowd
Meanwhile, there was tense scenes on Monday night as police formed a ring of steel around the Sydney Opera House to hold off hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside to demonstrate against the iconic building’s sails being lit up in support of Israel.
The rally, organised by the Palestine Action Group Sydney, saw vast numbers of pro-Palestine activists gather at Town Hall in Sydney’s CBD before marching on the Opera House.
There were scenes of chaos as the demonstrators – some wearing masks – hurled lit flares at the line of over 100 cops stopping them from approaching the iconic building.
Some were heard chanting ‘f*** Israel’, ‘f*** the Jews’ and even, at points, ‘f*** Albanese’ – while some attempted to set fire to an Israeli flag before stamping on it and tearing it to shreds.
Cries of ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is great in Arabic) rang out as some members of the crowd swarmed towards the police barrier, brandishing torn pieces of the Israeli flag – despite the rally organisers calling for protestors to respect the police.
The Opera House’s sails were later lit up blue and white in support of Israel, which came under attack from Hamas over the weekend. The death toll from this new war is already well above 1,100.
The illumination of the Opera House had been due to take place at 7.30pm but did not appear to happen until nearer 8.30pm, when some of the protesters had left the area.
The rally, organised by the Palestine Action Group Sydney, saw vast numbers of pro-Palestine activists gather at Town Hall in Sydney’s CBD before marching on the Opera House
Police formed a ring of steel around the Sydney Opera House
A man has been arrested by NSW Police at a pro-Palestine rally at Sydney’s Town Hall (pictured) on Monday after he was seen with an Israel flag
The sails were lit up in a muted blue and white pattern in support of Israel
As protesters arrived at Town Hall earlier in the evening, a man clutching an Israeli flag was dragged away by three police officers for ‘disrupting the peace’ – before he even had a chance to unfurl it.
In an video of the incident taken by Daily Mail Australia, the man can be heard repeatedly saying ‘I’ve done nothing wrong’.
An officer told him: ‘You’ve been arrested in relation to a breach of the peace.’
A speaker then told the booing crowd: ‘Zionist’s don’t deserve our attention’.
In total, this publication witnessed three individuals attempt to fly an Israeli flag before being chased away by protestors and arrested by the police ‘for their own safety’.
Abigail Lane, 23, a social care student originally from Tasmania, had an Israeli flag with the words ‘peace’ taken from her by police.
‘A police officer came and snatched it out of my hands and said: ‘Why the hell are you going in there with that sign? What the hell do you think you’re doing?’,’ she said.
‘I said: ‘I’m not Palestinian, I’m not Israeli. I’m just Irish-Australian and I don’t like that we are inciting hate here in Sydney. My sign said love not hate’.’
She added: ‘I don’t think inciting more anger and violence is the solution.’
The start of the rally at Town Hall kicked off with various chants including ‘Resistance is justified when Palestine is occupied’, ‘Israel, Israel you can’t hide you’re committing genocide’ and ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’
Pro-Palestine supporters are pictured tearing up an Israeli flag
The protestors marched from Town Hall to the Sydney Opera House, chanting ‘Free Palestine’
A protestor makes his feelings clear below the steps of the iconic building on Sydney’s harbourside
Jeremy Heathcote, Indigenous community engagement officer at the University of Sydney, performed the ‘Welcome to Country’ and likened the Palestinian cause to the experience of Aboriginal people in Australia.
‘People ask me why I support Palestine and it’s pretty simple,’ he told the crowd.
‘Two reasons, it’s the right thing to do for starters. And also you see between us as Aboriginal people and what you guys are going through, the same sorts of things.
‘Dispossessed from our land, racist attacks from people, intergenerational trauma that your kids are facing and your grandkids will face for many years to come.’
Israeli supporters largely stayed away from the Opera House on Monday evening, with some watching the illumination from the other side of Circular Quay.
In a depressing turn of events, NSW Police felt compelled to warn Sydney’s Jewish community from attending Sydney’s CBD on Monday evening over safety concerns.
‘NSW police are urging the community not to attend the Sydney Opera House or Town Hall this evening,’ an email from the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies to members read.
‘Community members already in the CBD should be vigilant as protesters are likely to seek to march from Town Hall to the Sydney Opera House.
There were scenes of chaos as the demonstrators lit up flares and cops lined up to stop them approaching the building
A large crowd has gathered outside the Opera House
Israel supporters kept their distance, watching the display from the other side of Circular Quay
‘The events tonight may pose a risk to the safety of community members and you are strongly urged not to attend.’
One of the speakers told the crowd it was a ‘disgrace that the Sydney Opera House is going to be lit up in the colours of the Israeli flag’ to rapturous cheers and applause.
‘Australia has blood on its hands,’ said another speaker.
Protestors carried placards emblazoned with the words ‘Palestine is Ukraine’ and ‘cut ties with Israeli apartheid’.
Premier Chris Minns condemned the ‘horrible scenes’ at the Opera House.
He said the protestors ‘do not represent the people of NSW’.
‘This sort of behaviour incites violence and creates division,’ he said, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier called on pro-Palestinian protesters to abandon the rally.
Dramatic footage shows the man being dragged away by police while repeatedly saying ‘I have done nothing wrong’ during his arrest (pictured)
An Israeli woman is seen being forced into a car by a terrorist before she is taken to the Gaza Strip
Appearing on 2GB’s Drive with Chris O’Keefe, Mr Albanese called on people to respect the ‘loss of life’ that occurred on the weekend after Palestinian military group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, leading to the death of more than 1100 civilians.
‘I think people need to really take a step back,’ he said, speaking on 2GB’s Drive with Chris O’Keefe.
‘What has occurred here is completely indefensible.
‘You can’t target civilians like what occurred over the weekend where you had thousands attending a music festival.
‘The idea that you would have people launching essentially indiscriminate shooting at random, just trying to cause as much harm and bloodshed as possible, is just an atrocity that deserves condemnation of all.’
Prime Minister Anthony (pictured) has pleaded with pro-Palestinian protestors to abandon the rally at the Sydney Opera House on Monday night
However, Palestine Action Group Sydney organiser Josh Lees criticised both the state and federal government for taking a ‘one-sided stance’.
‘The media and government are decrying the loss of life of civilians. What about Palestinian civilians. Why don’t their lives matter?’ he said.
‘Where is the condemnation for the promises coming from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to target every corner of the Gaza Strip in the coming days.’
The activist group condemned Israel for launching a ‘full scale war on Palestine’ and demanded Australia ‘cut ties with Israel’.
‘It is the responsibility of everyone who stands for justice, freedom, against apartheid, colonialism and imperialism to stand up for Palestine,’ the event description read.
‘End Israeli apartheid, the occupation, the siege on Gaza.’
As of 5pm on Monday, more than 250 people had said they would be attending the rally.
Demonstrators plan to move from the Town Hall to the Sydney Opera House at 7pm in protest of the landmark being lit up in white and blue, the colours of the Israel flag
A statement issued by the NSW Police confirmed officers ‘will have a presence at the protest’ and ‘will work with protesters to ensure there are no breaches of the peace and there is minimal impact to the community’.
‘The NSW Police Force is aware of upcoming planned protest activity at Sydney Town Hall today (Monday, October 9, 2023) and will monitor the situation accordingly,’ the statement said.
‘The NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals and groups to exercise their rights of free speech and peaceful assembly; however, the first priority for NSW Police is always the safety of the wider community.’
On Sunday evening, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Lakemba, where the Hamas attack was labelled as a ‘day of pride’ and a ‘day of victory’.
The demonstrations were criticised by Anthony Albanese, who condemned people who supported the violence.
‘There’s no victory with the slaughter of innocent people,’ the Prime Minister told Sunrise on Monday.
‘The capturing of the people and taking them back to Gaza represents an extraordinary action by Hamas. And Israel, of course, has a right to defend itself, and it will.’
The rally is the latest of demonstrations in support of Palestine after the Hamas group launched a surprise attack on Israel, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured
NSW Police say they will closely monitor the rally, saying in a statement that while they respect the right to exercise free speech their priority ‘is always the safety of the wider community’
Foreign Minister Penny Wong reiterated Mr Albanese’s concerns and said the ‘targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages is never a cause for celebration’.
The planned protest will occur hours before the Sydney Opera House will be illuminated in blue and white at 7.30pm as an act of solidarity with Jewish communities across NSW.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the government was working to identify whether any Australians had been involved in the attacks.
‘We are deeply concerned about the horrific attack by Hamas on Israel and those who have been kidnapped,’ he said.
‘We will continue to work to ensure that we provide all support possible to those impacted across our state and are monitoring the situation closely to learn if any NSW citizens that are currently living in, on holidays or pilgrimage in the Middle East are impacted.’
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