'Take it up with God': preacher sued for anti-Semitism
Wissam Haddad's fiery sermons have racked up thousands of views online but are now being scrutinised in a lawsuit brought by a Jewish group alleging anti-Semitism.
The Islamist preacher maintains all his words are backed up by scriptures from the Koran and other Islamic texts.
"I like to call Islam a divine ideology and I'm going to give reference from that," he told AAP ahead of his Federal Court hearing on Tuesday.
"If people have an issue with the reference that I'm bringing, that I wholeheartedly know and believe is from God, then they should take this up with God, not me."
The Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre cleric has been accused of racial discrimination in more than 110 pages of court documents that detail inflammatory remarks in sermons posted on social media.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim and deputy president Robert Goot are seeking injunctions requiring the removal of the allegedly racist speeches and prohibiting Mr Haddad from making similar comments in future.
The pair, who are not seeking compensation or damages, hope the case will serve as "a warning to deter others seeking to mobilise racism in order to promote their political views".
Among the speeches detailed in their statement of claim, Mr Haddad blames the roots of "the enmity that we see today" on "none other than the Jews... because their forefathers had shown the same enmity to the Prophet (Mohammed)."
He also claimed divisions among Muslim communities were because of Jewish people.
Mr Haddad said most of the speeches identified had been taken down because he "didn't want the headache", while the complaint was being mediated at the Australian Human Rights Commission.
But he said he refused to comply with other demands from the council including reading a pre-written apology at a synagogue and attending an anti-racism workshop, and this had prompted the Federal Court lawsuit.
The council was contacted to verify Mr Haddad's claims but it declined to comment instead referring to a statement when it launched the lawsuit which seeks "to defend the honour of the community."
ECAJ is a prominent group representing the Jewish community that has received more than $55 million in funding from the federal government in the past two years in light of anti-Semitic attacks on synagogues and schools.
The council's co-CEO Alex Ryvchin's former home was the target of an arson and graffiti attack in January.
Mr Haddad has courted controversy for being friends with former Australian members who joined terrorist group the Islamic State and posted gruesome videos of their atrocities, including beheadings.
He defended his relationship with Khaled Sharrouf, an Australian ISIS member who was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Syria, because he was fighting other combatants in a bloody civil war.
The preacher, also known as Abu Ousayd, maintains religious and political contexts are needed to situate his sermons, including the war on Gaza.
"If you really look into it, our talks were never aimed at any Jews in Australia, rather we were speaking about the Jewish state of Israel," he said.
Mr Haddad maintains he wears his emotions on his sleeve and that he has not breached any laws.
"This is a test, not for me, this is a test for democracy itself."
Wissam Haddad's fiery sermons have racked up thousands of views online but are now being scrutinised in a lawsuit brought by a Jewish group alleging anti-Semitism.
The Islamist preacher maintains all his words are backed up by scriptures from the Koran and other Islamic texts.
"I like to call Islam a divine ideology and I'm going to give reference from that," he told AAP ahead of his Federal Court hearing on Tuesday.
"If people have an issue with the reference that I'm bringing, that I wholeheartedly know and believe is from God, then they should take this up with God, not me."
The Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre cleric has been accused of racial discrimination in more than 110 pages of court documents that detail inflammatory remarks in sermons posted on social media.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim and deputy president Robert Goot are seeking injunctions requiring the removal of the allegedly racist speeches and prohibiting Mr Haddad from making similar comments in future.
The pair, who are not seeking compensation or damages, hope the case will serve as "a warning to deter others seeking to mobilise racism in order to promote their political views".
Among the speeches detailed in their statement of claim, Mr Haddad blames the roots of "the enmity that we see today" on "none other than the Jews... because their forefathers had shown the same enmity to the Prophet (Mohammed)."
He also claimed divisions among Muslim communities were because of Jewish people.
Mr Haddad said most of the speeches identified had been taken down because he "didn't want the headache", while the complaint was being mediated at the Australian Human Rights Commission.
But he said he refused to comply with other demands from the council including reading a pre-written apology at a synagogue and attending an anti-racism workshop, and this had prompted the Federal Court lawsuit.
The council was contacted to verify Mr Haddad's claims but it declined to comment instead referring to a statement when it launched the lawsuit which seeks "to defend the honour of the community."
ECAJ is a prominent group representing the Jewish community that has received more than $55 million in funding from the federal government in the past two years in light of anti-Semitic attacks on synagogues and schools.
The council's co-CEO Alex Ryvchin's former home was the target of an arson and graffiti attack in January.
Mr Haddad has courted controversy for being friends with former Australian members who joined terrorist group the Islamic State and posted gruesome videos of their atrocities, including beheadings.
He defended his relationship with Khaled Sharrouf, an Australian ISIS member who was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Syria, because he was fighting other combatants in a bloody civil war.
The preacher, also known as Abu Ousayd, maintains religious and political contexts are needed to situate his sermons, including the war on Gaza.
"If you really look into it, our talks were never aimed at any Jews in Australia, rather we were speaking about the Jewish state of Israel," he said.
Mr Haddad maintains he wears his emotions on his sleeve and that he has not breached any laws.
"This is a test, not for me, this is a test for democracy itself."
Wissam Haddad's fiery sermons have racked up thousands of views online but are now being scrutinised in a lawsuit brought by a Jewish group alleging anti-Semitism.
The Islamist preacher maintains all his words are backed up by scriptures from the Koran and other Islamic texts.
"I like to call Islam a divine ideology and I'm going to give reference from that," he told AAP ahead of his Federal Court hearing on Tuesday.
"If people have an issue with the reference that I'm bringing, that I wholeheartedly know and believe is from God, then they should take this up with God, not me."
The Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre cleric has been accused of racial discrimination in more than 110 pages of court documents that detail inflammatory remarks in sermons posted on social media.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim and deputy president Robert Goot are seeking injunctions requiring the removal of the allegedly racist speeches and prohibiting Mr Haddad from making similar comments in future.
The pair, who are not seeking compensation or damages, hope the case will serve as "a warning to deter others seeking to mobilise racism in order to promote their political views".
Among the speeches detailed in their statement of claim, Mr Haddad blames the roots of "the enmity that we see today" on "none other than the Jews... because their forefathers had shown the same enmity to the Prophet (Mohammed)."
He also claimed divisions among Muslim communities were because of Jewish people.
Mr Haddad said most of the speeches identified had been taken down because he "didn't want the headache", while the complaint was being mediated at the Australian Human Rights Commission.
But he said he refused to comply with other demands from the council including reading a pre-written apology at a synagogue and attending an anti-racism workshop, and this had prompted the Federal Court lawsuit.
The council was contacted to verify Mr Haddad's claims but it declined to comment instead referring to a statement when it launched the lawsuit which seeks "to defend the honour of the community."
ECAJ is a prominent group representing the Jewish community that has received more than $55 million in funding from the federal government in the past two years in light of anti-Semitic attacks on synagogues and schools.
The council's co-CEO Alex Ryvchin's former home was the target of an arson and graffiti attack in January.
Mr Haddad has courted controversy for being friends with former Australian members who joined terrorist group the Islamic State and posted gruesome videos of their atrocities, including beheadings.
He defended his relationship with Khaled Sharrouf, an Australian ISIS member who was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Syria, because he was fighting other combatants in a bloody civil war.
The preacher, also known as Abu Ousayd, maintains religious and political contexts are needed to situate his sermons, including the war on Gaza.
"If you really look into it, our talks were never aimed at any Jews in Australia, rather we were speaking about the Jewish state of Israel," he said.
Mr Haddad maintains he wears his emotions on his sleeve and that he has not breached any laws.
"This is a test, not for me, this is a test for democracy itself."
Wissam Haddad's fiery sermons have racked up thousands of views online but are now being scrutinised in a lawsuit brought by a Jewish group alleging anti-Semitism.
The Islamist preacher maintains all his words are backed up by scriptures from the Koran and other Islamic texts.
"I like to call Islam a divine ideology and I'm going to give reference from that," he told AAP ahead of his Federal Court hearing on Tuesday.
"If people have an issue with the reference that I'm bringing, that I wholeheartedly know and believe is from God, then they should take this up with God, not me."
The Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre cleric has been accused of racial discrimination in more than 110 pages of court documents that detail inflammatory remarks in sermons posted on social media.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim and deputy president Robert Goot are seeking injunctions requiring the removal of the allegedly racist speeches and prohibiting Mr Haddad from making similar comments in future.
The pair, who are not seeking compensation or damages, hope the case will serve as "a warning to deter others seeking to mobilise racism in order to promote their political views".
Among the speeches detailed in their statement of claim, Mr Haddad blames the roots of "the enmity that we see today" on "none other than the Jews... because their forefathers had shown the same enmity to the Prophet (Mohammed)."
He also claimed divisions among Muslim communities were because of Jewish people.
Mr Haddad said most of the speeches identified had been taken down because he "didn't want the headache", while the complaint was being mediated at the Australian Human Rights Commission.
But he said he refused to comply with other demands from the council including reading a pre-written apology at a synagogue and attending an anti-racism workshop, and this had prompted the Federal Court lawsuit.
The council was contacted to verify Mr Haddad's claims but it declined to comment instead referring to a statement when it launched the lawsuit which seeks "to defend the honour of the community."
ECAJ is a prominent group representing the Jewish community that has received more than $55 million in funding from the federal government in the past two years in light of anti-Semitic attacks on synagogues and schools.
The council's co-CEO Alex Ryvchin's former home was the target of an arson and graffiti attack in January.
Mr Haddad has courted controversy for being friends with former Australian members who joined terrorist group the Islamic State and posted gruesome videos of their atrocities, including beheadings.
He defended his relationship with Khaled Sharrouf, an Australian ISIS member who was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Syria, because he was fighting other combatants in a bloody civil war.
The preacher, also known as Abu Ousayd, maintains religious and political contexts are needed to situate his sermons, including the war on Gaza.
"If you really look into it, our talks were never aimed at any Jews in Australia, rather we were speaking about the Jewish state of Israel," he said.
Mr Haddad maintains he wears his emotions on his sleeve and that he has not breached any laws.
"This is a test, not for me, this is a test for democracy itself."
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"I've had different comments over the years, from people I know pretty well, along the lines of 'You're so lucky, sweet job, it must be nice to work every three years, then it's pina coladas and away you go' and maybe that's okay. "Australians love their electoral system, they trust the AEC greatly, and maybe that's a good thing, that it's seen as unremarkable." And that's the thing about the King's Birthday honours - they're a chance to shine a light on the things that make our ordinary and everyday lives easy, or straightforward, or successful. Mr Rogers is in distinguished company this year, with the likes of broadcaster Phillip Adams, who was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his services to the media, the arts, cultural leadership and the community, alongside husband-and-wife creative powerhouse Baz Lurhmann and Catherine Martin, for eminent service to the arts. Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been appointed AC, routine postnominals for former holders of the nation's top office, but an honour that will not pass without some criticism. Former model and television host Deborah Hutton, who had two skin cancers removed from her face and advocated for sun safety, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to community health and to media. There are many extraordinary people living throughout our communities, and the King's Birthday is an opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a diverse country. Much like elections, a rich and varied life doesn't happen automatically, or without effort. Despite their seeming ubiquity in Australian life, elections don't just happen. 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He also led the AEC in 2023 to deliver the Indigenous Voice referendum, the first referendum held in Australia in nearly a quarter of a century. Most Australians are blissfully unaware that much of the system we take for granted comes down to a dedicated team of distinguished public servants, but this fact, in and of itself, is one to emulate. "Running the election, it is Australia's largest peacetime logistic operation," Mr Rogers said last week. "If you think about it, 105,000 workers, 8000 polling places, it's like setting up a Fortune 500 company in five weeks and then disassembling it a couple of weeks after the event." And with talk of stolen elections in the United States and elsewhere, Mr Rogers didn't mind that Australians just expected their electoral system to work. "We used to have this thing called the 'Electoral Commission's dilemma' - which was the easier we make it look, the easier people think it is," he said. "I've had different comments over the years, from people I know pretty well, along the lines of 'You're so lucky, sweet job, it must be nice to work every three years, then it's pina coladas and away you go' and maybe that's okay. "Australians love their electoral system, they trust the AEC greatly, and maybe that's a good thing, that it's seen as unremarkable." And that's the thing about the King's Birthday honours - they're a chance to shine a light on the things that make our ordinary and everyday lives easy, or straightforward, or successful. Mr Rogers is in distinguished company this year, with the likes of broadcaster Phillip Adams, who was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his services to the media, the arts, cultural leadership and the community, alongside husband-and-wife creative powerhouse Baz Lurhmann and Catherine Martin, for eminent service to the arts. Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been appointed AC, routine postnominals for former holders of the nation's top office, but an honour that will not pass without some criticism. Former model and television host Deborah Hutton, who had two skin cancers removed from her face and advocated for sun safety, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to community health and to media. There are many extraordinary people living throughout our communities, and the King's Birthday is an opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a diverse country. Much like elections, a rich and varied life doesn't happen automatically, or without effort. Despite their seeming ubiquity in Australian life, elections don't just happen. Turning up on election day, having your name crossed off the roll and repairing to a booth to exercise your democratic right ahead of nabbing a democracy sausage comes about as the result of an elaborate process overseen by the Australian Election Commission. And despite Australia's compulsory voting, our system is the subject of much envy the world over. And there's none more deserving of one of a King's Birthday honour this year than former Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers, who has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to public administration and leadership and administration of Australia's democratic electoral system. As commissioner for a decade, Mr Rogers led the agency to successfully deliver the 2016, 2019 and 2022 federal elections, numerous by-elections and boundary redistributions in every Australian state and territory. He also led the AEC in 2023 to deliver the Indigenous Voice referendum, the first referendum held in Australia in nearly a quarter of a century. Most Australians are blissfully unaware that much of the system we take for granted comes down to a dedicated team of distinguished public servants, but this fact, in and of itself, is one to emulate. "Running the election, it is Australia's largest peacetime logistic operation," Mr Rogers said last week. "If you think about it, 105,000 workers, 8000 polling places, it's like setting up a Fortune 500 company in five weeks and then disassembling it a couple of weeks after the event." And with talk of stolen elections in the United States and elsewhere, Mr Rogers didn't mind that Australians just expected their electoral system to work. "We used to have this thing called the 'Electoral Commission's dilemma' - which was the easier we make it look, the easier people think it is," he said. "I've had different comments over the years, from people I know pretty well, along the lines of 'You're so lucky, sweet job, it must be nice to work every three years, then it's pina coladas and away you go' and maybe that's okay. "Australians love their electoral system, they trust the AEC greatly, and maybe that's a good thing, that it's seen as unremarkable." And that's the thing about the King's Birthday honours - they're a chance to shine a light on the things that make our ordinary and everyday lives easy, or straightforward, or successful. Mr Rogers is in distinguished company this year, with the likes of broadcaster Phillip Adams, who was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his services to the media, the arts, cultural leadership and the community, alongside husband-and-wife creative powerhouse Baz Lurhmann and Catherine Martin, for eminent service to the arts. Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been appointed AC, routine postnominals for former holders of the nation's top office, but an honour that will not pass without some criticism. Former model and television host Deborah Hutton, who had two skin cancers removed from her face and advocated for sun safety, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to community health and to media. There are many extraordinary people living throughout our communities, and the King's Birthday is an opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a diverse country. Much like elections, a rich and varied life doesn't happen automatically, or without effort.
