Latest news with #ECAJ
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Sydney preacher taken to court over alleged anti-Semitic speech
A Muslim preacher is being sued by Australia's peak Jewish body over alleged anti-Semitic speeches in which he allegedly described Jewish people as 'vile' and 'treacherous'. Wissam Haddad, also known as Abu Ousayd, is being taken to the Federal Court by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) over a series of lectures he gave in November 2023. A three-day hearing in Sydney's Federal Court is set to begin on Tuesday. Recordings of the speeches made at the Bankstown centre, which allegedly included derogatory generalisations about Jewish people, such as descriptions of them as 'vile' and 'treacherous' people, were uploaded online. The proceedings have been brought by ECAJ co-chief executive Peter Wertheim AM and deputy president Robert Goot AO SC, who claim Mr Haddad breached the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. Mr Wertheim said they previously attempted 'in good faith' to resolve the matter through the Australian Human Rights Commission, but a conciliated resolution could not be achieved. 'Accordingly, we have commenced proceedings in the Federal Court,' he said. 'Australia has long enjoyed a reputation as a multicultural success story where people of many different faiths and ethnic backgrounds have for the most part lived in harmony and mutual respect.' Mr Wertheim added that all Australians were 'free to observe our faith and traditions within the bounds of Australian law'. 'Maintaining and strengthening social cohesion is the role of governments and government agencies, but lately they have failed us,' he said. 'It should not fall on our community, or any other community, to take private legal action. However, in the circumstances we feel we have no alternative.'
West Australian
3 hours ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Sydney preacher taken to court over alleged anti-Semitic speech
A Muslim preacher is being sued by Australia's peak Jewish body over alleged anti-Semitic speeches in which he allegedly described Jewish people as 'vile' and 'treacherous'. Wissam Haddad, also known as Abu Ousayd, is being taken to the Federal Court by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) over a series of lectures he gave in November 2023. A three-day hearing in Sydney's Federal Court is set to begin on Tuesday. Recordings of the speeches made at the Bankstown centre, which allegedly included derogatory generalisations about Jewish people, such as descriptions of them as 'vile' and 'treacherous' people, were uploaded online. The proceedings have been brought by ECAJ co-chief executive Peter Wertheim AM and deputy president Robert Goot AO SC, who claim Mr Haddad breached the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. Mr Wertheim said they previously attempted 'in good faith' to resolve the matter through the Australian Human Rights Commission, but a conciliated resolution could not be achieved. 'Accordingly, we have commenced proceedings in the Federal Court,' he said. 'Australia has long enjoyed a reputation as a multicultural success story where people of many different faiths and ethnic backgrounds have for the most part lived in harmony and mutual respect.' Mr Wertheim added that all Australians were 'free to observe our faith and traditions within the bounds of Australian law'. 'Maintaining and strengthening social cohesion is the role of governments and government agencies, but lately they have failed us,' he said. 'It should not fall on our community, or any other community, to take private legal action. However, in the circumstances we feel we have no alternative.'
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Preacher trial over alleged hate speech
A Muslim preacher is being sued by Australia's peak Jewish body over alleged anti-Semitic speeches in which he allegedly described Jewish people as 'vile' and 'treacherous'. Wissam Haddad, also known as Abu Ousayd, is being taken to the Federal Court by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) over a series of lectures he gave in November 2023. A three-day hearing in Sydney's Federal Court is set to begin on Tuesday. Wissam Haddad is being sued over a series of alleged anti-Semitic speeches delivered at a Bankstown religious centre. NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia Recordings of the speeches made at the Bankstown centre, which allegedly included derogatory generalisations about Jewish people, such as descriptions of them as 'vile' and 'treacherous' people, were uploaded online. The proceedings have been brought by ECAJ co-chief executive Peter Wertheim AM and deputy president Robert Goot AO SC, who claim Mr Haddad breached the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. Mr Wertheim said they previously attempted 'in good faith' to resolve the matter through the Australian Human Rights Commission, but a conciliated resolution could not be achieved. 'Accordingly, we have commenced proceedings in the Federal Court,' he said. He is being taken to the Federal Court by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Supplied Credit: Supplied 'Australia has long enjoyed a reputation as a multicultural success story where people of many different faiths and ethnic backgrounds have for the most part lived in harmony and mutual respect.' Mr Wertheim added that all Australians were 'free to observe our faith and traditions within the bounds of Australian law'. 'Maintaining and strengthening social cohesion is the role of governments and government agencies, but lately they have failed us,' he said. 'It should not fall on our community, or any other community, to take private legal action. However, in the circumstances we feel we have no alternative.'
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Jewish body gears up for landmark hearing after suing Islamist preacher Wissam Haddad for alleged racial vilification
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) is preparing for its four day court hearing against Bankstown Muslim preacher Wissam Haddad which begins on Tuesday, June 10 at 10am at the Federal Court. The hearing will be presided over by Justice Angus Morkel Stewart, according to the court application. The ECAJ announced action against Wissam Haddad – also known as Abu Ousayd – and the religious centre Al Madina Dawah Centre Incorporated that hosts the preacher. ECAJ's co-CEO Peter Wertheim and its Deputy President Robert Goot are taking Mr Haddad and the centre to court over speeches made late last year that were then published online. Alongside the alleged descriptions of the Jewish people as 'vile' and 'treacherous', Ms Haddad also claimed that 'their hands are in everywhere – in businesses … in the media'. Court documents allege Mr Haddad made "imputations" that Muslims will fight and kill Jews, that Jewish businesses and products should be boycotted and claimed Jews are racist and attack women and children. Mr Haddad said his controversial statements about Jewish people were in reference to, or while reciting, Islamic scripture in most instances. 'All these verses that we bring together (show) us that legislation belongs solely to God," he told Sky News' Jonathan Lea in reference to the Quran and Sunnah. 'When a person is involved in a democracy, whether it be in Australia or anywhere else… people become the legislator. People say and start to pass what is right and wrong. They start to say what is permissible and impermissible. 'There can't be a system that's ever-changing. There has to be one system that's divine … a system that's going to stand the test of time." Mr Wertheim and Mr Goot are seeking a declaration that Mr Haddad contravened section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act – which makes it unlawful for a person to 'offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate' someone based on their race or ethnicity. They also seek injunctions to have the speeches removed from the internet and restrain Mr Haddad and the centre from publishing similar content in the future. Alongside this, the Jewish leaders want the respondents to publish a corrective notice on Al Madina Dawah Centre's social media pages and are seeking an order for costs. Mr Wertheim said the ECAJ's action in the Federal Court came after a failed bid to the Australian Human Rights Commission, 'but a conciliated resolution could not be achieved'. 'Accordingly, we have commenced proceedings in the Federal Court to defend the honour of our community, and as a warning to deter others seeking to mobilise racism in order to promote their political views,' he said in a statement.
Sky News AU
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Teal candidate Nicolette Boele blames volunteer for antisemitic posts asking voters to donate 'shekels' for 'amazing bargains' in fundraising drive
A Teal candidate in one of New South Wales' biggest Jewish seats has blamed a volunteer for antisemitic posts made under her name. Nicolette Boele's posts were found to be so concerning, they were featured in a report on antisemitism by Australia's peak Jewish representative body. Sky News can reveal the resurfaced posts were published during the last election and included in a 2023 report on antisemitism by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ). Ms Boele is the independent candidate for the seat of Bradfield in north Sydney, the electorate with the second largest Jewish population in the state after Wentworth. In a Facebook post on October 4, 2022, Ms Boele wrote: 'It has been encouragingly suggested today that #TeamNic are demonstrating considerable 'chutzpah' in planning to open Australia's first Shadow Representative Electorate Office right here in #Bradfield… we really could use some more shekels to maintain our chutzpah…some absolutely amazing bargains on offer!' In a tweet published on the same day, she wrote: 'We really could use some more sheckles (sic) to maintain our chutzpah, so please consider bidding in our Spring Auctions. There's (sic) still some amazing bargains on offer!' Both posts, which appear to have since been deleted, linked to an online auction platform. The ECAJ report noted the posts used 'Hebrew/Jewish terms (chutzpah, shekels) in calling for donations, offering bargains, and thus using and reinforcing the stereotype of Jews and money." In a statement to Sky News, Ms Boele said the posts were written by a volunteer no longer working on her campaign. 'A volunteer wrote a disgraceful, antisemitic Facebook post on my page in 2022,' Ms Boele said. 'I took responsibility for the post and apologized for it. 'Wherever antisemitism appears, political leaders have a responsibility to call it out. 'The volunteer who wrote the post is not volunteering or working on my campaign. 'I will always call out antisemitism. 'The rise in antisemitism in recent years, including incidents in my electorate, is a stain on our nation and we must all do whatever we can to stamp it out.' Sky News has also obtained a survey Ms Boele completed for ECAJ last week, in which she rejects the idea of a judicial inquiry into antisemitism at universities, proposed by Jewish Liberal MP and shadow assistant minister for foreign affairs Julian Leeser. Ms Boele is asked in the survey if she would advocate for the next government to conduct a judicial inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities, including an investigation into whether there has been foreign funding of student protests. She replies that while she does believe foreign funding should be investigated, she has 'concerns that a judicial inquiry would increase social division and lead to more protests that make campuses even more unsafe for Jewish Australians'. Ms Boele says in the survey she would advocate the next government make it a condition of receiving Federal funding each university bans encampments, but is against tying funding to banning the disruption of lectures and tutorials by protesters and preventing external organisations or individuals from orchestrating protest activities on campus. "We have to balance (the) right to peaceful protest with the right to be free from discrimination,' she answered in response to questions on the letter two points." Ms Boele confirms she would not lobby the next government to demand literary and cultural festival boards have a balance of political representation as a condition of receiving federal grants. She was also hesitant on whether federal grants come with a condition the recipient does not promote racism. '(I'm) open to it but don't want the measure to be so broad as to risk undue government interference with cultural institutions,' Ms Boele says. Both Ms Boele and her Liberal rival Gisele Kapterian are due to front the Bradfield Election Forum being hosted by ECAJ and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies on Tuesday night to answer questions from Jewish voters. Bradfield has been held by the Liberals for 75 years, but became a key Teal target following the abolishment of the neighboring seat of North Sydney, held by fellow independent Kylea Tink, and the retirement of sitting MP Paul Fletcher. In the last election, Ms Boele scored 21 per cent of the primary vote and a 12.3 per cent swing away from the Liberals on a two-party preferred basis. She rebranded herself the 'Shadow Representative for Bradfield', even cutting the ribbon for her new 'shadow' electorate office alongside her backer, Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes à Court. The revelation of the antisemitic posts are the latest scandal to beset Ms Boele. The independent candidate was earlier this month banned from her local hairdresser Envy Room Salon in Gordon after making a sexualised joke to a teenage hairdressing apprentice. Ms Boele told the 19-year-old her hair wash was 'amazing and I didn't even have sex with you'. The candidate apologised, saying it was 'a poor attempt at humour… Everyone deserves to feel respected in their workplace and I'll do better". It has also emerged the candidate's campaign accepted donations from a funds management company founder who invested heavily in fossil fuel businesses. The managing director at Samuel Terry Asset Management, Fred Woollard, was listed on Ms Boele's website under donors whose gifts had totaled more than $1,500 during the 2024-25 financial year. Mr Woollard told the Daily Telegraph while his firm invested in assets including oil and gas companies, 'in my private life I like to encourage climate change action'.
