‘I couldn't stay silent': Pro-Israel group accused of racial vilification
The 58-page complaint points to nine alleged acts of racial vilification and seven acts of religious vilification, in social media posts by AJA on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Kassem Chalabi, a Palestinian-Australian Muslim based in Sydney and chief executive of the Palestinian Australians Welfare Association, alleged the posts incited hatred, contempt and ridicule of Palestinians and Muslims.
'As a grandfather, father, a husband, and a proud Palestinian Muslim, I couldn't stay silent,' he said.
'These are cruel, disgusting attacks on who we are. They came while Palestinians here and around the world are mourning the immense suffering in Gaza.'
One of the posts mentioned in the complaint called the Palestinian flag a 'flag of terrorism' while another accuses Islam of including a 'worship of death'.
Another post includes a photo of a man and his child, who is wearing toy grenades. The post says that 'perhaps this father wishes for his child to be a suicide bomber and kill Jews or other infidels'. The post goes on to accuse refugees from Gaza of being exposed to 'decades of jihadist brainwashing'.
Another post mentioned in the complaint focuses on Senator Fatima Payman, who defected from Labor in 2024 over the party's perceived lack of support for Palestinians. The post makes several 'constructive suggestions' to Payman, including mentioning that there were 'some openings now available in the governance of Hamas' and that she 'could go back to Afghanistan to help the Taliban with human rights challenges'.
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