Latest news with #PalestinianAustralians
ABC News
06-08-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Australian-Palestinians feel impact of Gaza War
Sabra Lane: Palestinian Australians say their community here is struggling with what's happening in Gaza and they're asking the rest of us to be understanding about the emotional toll some are enduring. A Brisbane principal who's lost more than 130 members of his family in Gaza is among them. He's reluctantly stood aside from his job in his warning of deteriorating mental health. National Education reporter Connor Duffy has the story. Conor Duffy: As he strums a mournful tune on his lute, Principal Sami Muammar is trying to escape survivor's guilt and recurring images of his family in Gaza begging for help. Sami Muamar : I am standing up in a step and under me is a lot of hellfire and I've seen a lot of people putting their hands up and pick me up, pick me up. Sami Muamar : Sami Muammar left Gaza in 2002. His comfortable suburban Gold Coast home is no longer a refuge. Technology brings constant news of death and hunger. Sami Muammar says he stopped counting when the number of family members killed reached 130. He provided a list of 112 names. AM was able to verify 103 of them using a database of war dead from the Gaza Ministry of Health. Sami Muammar fears the list will continue to grow. Sami Muamar : When I look at the group chat, I'm thinking of my sisters and I can show you her photos. I talked to her the other day. She's a skin and a bone from hunger. There's no food. And I told her, what do you eat? And she started crying. Conor Duffy: The constant stress and worry has meant Sami Muammar has had to step down as principal of Islamic College of Brisbane, a busy private school. Sami Muamar : The school means a lot to me. The school is my community, my friends, my colleagues. The students are like my kids, really. I love them so much. Conor Duffy: The school's CEO, Ali Qadri, who is also a leader in the Islamic community, supports the decision but warns others are suffering too. Ali Kadri : The challenges are immense. I mean, people think that this is happening far away, but it's not really happening far away. It's happening on our mobile screens, it's happening on our TV screens, and it's human beings suffering. Conor Duffy: Dr Mohamed Mostafa is one of the few Australians who's visited Gaza since the war. The trainee doctor describes brutal scenes. Mohamed Mustafa : Children are coming in dismembered. We don't even have proper sutures, painkillers. You know, it's like being a butcher. It's not being a doctor, it's being a butcher. Conor Duffy: Dr Mostafa says the wider community is struggling and needs empathy. Mohamed Mustafa : Do you know, there's so many emotions. They're watching either, you know, the destruction of Gaza and what's happening there. They're watching family members being killed. It makes it very, very hard to be a Palestinian. Conor Duffy: Back on the Gold Coast, Sami Muamar is retreating to his garden and hopes the time away will lead to new growth. Ali Kadri : When you plant a seed and you see it coming back, it gives you hope of life. When I've seen that Gaza is really destructed, I have hope which I could plant a seed and make a new generation come. It makes you that there is hope for a co-existence. Conor Duffy: School Principal Sami Muamar endingthat report from Conor Duffy.
The Advertiser
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Double standards claim over synagogue attack response
Political leaders have been accused of double standards on Palestinian Australians as action is taken over a spate of incidents involving Jewish institutions. Worshippers were forced to flee the East Melbourne Synagogue after it was firebombed on the same night Israeli restaurant Miznon in the CBD was targeted by pro-Palestine protesters. Sydney man Angelo Loras, 34, has been charged over Friday night's synagogue firebombing. A state task force has been announced to tackle hate and examine police powers after the incidents, as federal leaders promise more action to protect Jewish Australians. Palestinian Australians have accused leaders of political silence, suspicion, hostility or surveillance when it comes to their plight and say they are met with protest crackdowns and threatened with repressive laws. "There have been no task forces, no public statements of care for Palestinians as they watch their loved ones massacred by the genocidal state of Israel, or are targeted by anti-Palestinian racism here in Australia," Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said. Mr Mashni demanded political leaders stop criminalising Palestinian resistance, grief and political expression and engage in meaningful consultation and inclusion in decisions that affect their lives and rights. "The longer political leaders ignore and avoid us, the more obvious their double standards become," he said. Miznon's owners have spoken of the "profound impact" of the incident on Friday. The demonstration outside the Hardware Lane restaurant ended with protesters smashing a glass door, up-ending tables and throwing chairs. About 20 protesters converged on the restaurant, some chanting "death to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defence Force. Police on Tuesday charged a 50-year-old Richmond man, a 48-year-old Footscray woman and a 28-year-old Essendon woman with assault, affray, riotous behaviour and criminal damage after another person was arrested and then released for hindering police that night. The restaurant said the actions of a few had caused much distress to customers, patrons and staff in neighbouring restaurants. "We respect everyone's right to their own nationality and religion. We ask for the same," the owners said in an Instagram post. Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance has taken responsibility for the protest. Victoria Police has rejected claims its officers were told not to confront protesters at the restaurant. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley spoke to community members and inspected the damage during a visit to the synagogue on Tuesday. She urged the prime minister to convene a national cabinet meeting and wants the government to reveal its plans to protect Jewish Australians. Anthony Albanese has flagged more action from his government as it works with a special envoy on anti-Semitism, but he pushed back against hosting a national cabinet, saying people want action instead of more meetings. Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion urged Victorian authorities to disallow weekly pro-Palestine protests in their current form and bring in protest zones. Premier Jacinta Allan labelled the weekly rally "odious" but said protesting was part of democracy. Protest organisers stressed they were opposed to the Israeli occupation of Gaza and leaders needed to distinguish between the IDF and Australia's Jewish community. The Jewish Council of Australia denounced the synagogue attack but said it was "irresponsible and inflammatory" to link the anti-Semitic act with legitimate protests. Separate offenders on Saturday spray-painted cars with anti-Semitic "inferences" then set them alight in the city's northeast, while a fourth incident involved offensive images spray-painted on pillars and walls near a Holocaust museum in Elsternwick. Political leaders have been accused of double standards on Palestinian Australians as action is taken over a spate of incidents involving Jewish institutions. Worshippers were forced to flee the East Melbourne Synagogue after it was firebombed on the same night Israeli restaurant Miznon in the CBD was targeted by pro-Palestine protesters. Sydney man Angelo Loras, 34, has been charged over Friday night's synagogue firebombing. A state task force has been announced to tackle hate and examine police powers after the incidents, as federal leaders promise more action to protect Jewish Australians. Palestinian Australians have accused leaders of political silence, suspicion, hostility or surveillance when it comes to their plight and say they are met with protest crackdowns and threatened with repressive laws. "There have been no task forces, no public statements of care for Palestinians as they watch their loved ones massacred by the genocidal state of Israel, or are targeted by anti-Palestinian racism here in Australia," Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said. Mr Mashni demanded political leaders stop criminalising Palestinian resistance, grief and political expression and engage in meaningful consultation and inclusion in decisions that affect their lives and rights. "The longer political leaders ignore and avoid us, the more obvious their double standards become," he said. Miznon's owners have spoken of the "profound impact" of the incident on Friday. The demonstration outside the Hardware Lane restaurant ended with protesters smashing a glass door, up-ending tables and throwing chairs. About 20 protesters converged on the restaurant, some chanting "death to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defence Force. Police on Tuesday charged a 50-year-old Richmond man, a 48-year-old Footscray woman and a 28-year-old Essendon woman with assault, affray, riotous behaviour and criminal damage after another person was arrested and then released for hindering police that night. The restaurant said the actions of a few had caused much distress to customers, patrons and staff in neighbouring restaurants. "We respect everyone's right to their own nationality and religion. We ask for the same," the owners said in an Instagram post. Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance has taken responsibility for the protest. Victoria Police has rejected claims its officers were told not to confront protesters at the restaurant. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley spoke to community members and inspected the damage during a visit to the synagogue on Tuesday. She urged the prime minister to convene a national cabinet meeting and wants the government to reveal its plans to protect Jewish Australians. Anthony Albanese has flagged more action from his government as it works with a special envoy on anti-Semitism, but he pushed back against hosting a national cabinet, saying people want action instead of more meetings. Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion urged Victorian authorities to disallow weekly pro-Palestine protests in their current form and bring in protest zones. Premier Jacinta Allan labelled the weekly rally "odious" but said protesting was part of democracy. Protest organisers stressed they were opposed to the Israeli occupation of Gaza and leaders needed to distinguish between the IDF and Australia's Jewish community. The Jewish Council of Australia denounced the synagogue attack but said it was "irresponsible and inflammatory" to link the anti-Semitic act with legitimate protests. Separate offenders on Saturday spray-painted cars with anti-Semitic "inferences" then set them alight in the city's northeast, while a fourth incident involved offensive images spray-painted on pillars and walls near a Holocaust museum in Elsternwick. Political leaders have been accused of double standards on Palestinian Australians as action is taken over a spate of incidents involving Jewish institutions. Worshippers were forced to flee the East Melbourne Synagogue after it was firebombed on the same night Israeli restaurant Miznon in the CBD was targeted by pro-Palestine protesters. Sydney man Angelo Loras, 34, has been charged over Friday night's synagogue firebombing. A state task force has been announced to tackle hate and examine police powers after the incidents, as federal leaders promise more action to protect Jewish Australians. Palestinian Australians have accused leaders of political silence, suspicion, hostility or surveillance when it comes to their plight and say they are met with protest crackdowns and threatened with repressive laws. "There have been no task forces, no public statements of care for Palestinians as they watch their loved ones massacred by the genocidal state of Israel, or are targeted by anti-Palestinian racism here in Australia," Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said. Mr Mashni demanded political leaders stop criminalising Palestinian resistance, grief and political expression and engage in meaningful consultation and inclusion in decisions that affect their lives and rights. "The longer political leaders ignore and avoid us, the more obvious their double standards become," he said. Miznon's owners have spoken of the "profound impact" of the incident on Friday. The demonstration outside the Hardware Lane restaurant ended with protesters smashing a glass door, up-ending tables and throwing chairs. About 20 protesters converged on the restaurant, some chanting "death to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defence Force. Police on Tuesday charged a 50-year-old Richmond man, a 48-year-old Footscray woman and a 28-year-old Essendon woman with assault, affray, riotous behaviour and criminal damage after another person was arrested and then released for hindering police that night. The restaurant said the actions of a few had caused much distress to customers, patrons and staff in neighbouring restaurants. "We respect everyone's right to their own nationality and religion. We ask for the same," the owners said in an Instagram post. Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance has taken responsibility for the protest. Victoria Police has rejected claims its officers were told not to confront protesters at the restaurant. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley spoke to community members and inspected the damage during a visit to the synagogue on Tuesday. She urged the prime minister to convene a national cabinet meeting and wants the government to reveal its plans to protect Jewish Australians. Anthony Albanese has flagged more action from his government as it works with a special envoy on anti-Semitism, but he pushed back against hosting a national cabinet, saying people want action instead of more meetings. Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion urged Victorian authorities to disallow weekly pro-Palestine protests in their current form and bring in protest zones. Premier Jacinta Allan labelled the weekly rally "odious" but said protesting was part of democracy. Protest organisers stressed they were opposed to the Israeli occupation of Gaza and leaders needed to distinguish between the IDF and Australia's Jewish community. The Jewish Council of Australia denounced the synagogue attack but said it was "irresponsible and inflammatory" to link the anti-Semitic act with legitimate protests. Separate offenders on Saturday spray-painted cars with anti-Semitic "inferences" then set them alight in the city's northeast, while a fourth incident involved offensive images spray-painted on pillars and walls near a Holocaust museum in Elsternwick. Political leaders have been accused of double standards on Palestinian Australians as action is taken over a spate of incidents involving Jewish institutions. Worshippers were forced to flee the East Melbourne Synagogue after it was firebombed on the same night Israeli restaurant Miznon in the CBD was targeted by pro-Palestine protesters. Sydney man Angelo Loras, 34, has been charged over Friday night's synagogue firebombing. A state task force has been announced to tackle hate and examine police powers after the incidents, as federal leaders promise more action to protect Jewish Australians. Palestinian Australians have accused leaders of political silence, suspicion, hostility or surveillance when it comes to their plight and say they are met with protest crackdowns and threatened with repressive laws. "There have been no task forces, no public statements of care for Palestinians as they watch their loved ones massacred by the genocidal state of Israel, or are targeted by anti-Palestinian racism here in Australia," Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said. Mr Mashni demanded political leaders stop criminalising Palestinian resistance, grief and political expression and engage in meaningful consultation and inclusion in decisions that affect their lives and rights. "The longer political leaders ignore and avoid us, the more obvious their double standards become," he said. Miznon's owners have spoken of the "profound impact" of the incident on Friday. The demonstration outside the Hardware Lane restaurant ended with protesters smashing a glass door, up-ending tables and throwing chairs. About 20 protesters converged on the restaurant, some chanting "death to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defence Force. Police on Tuesday charged a 50-year-old Richmond man, a 48-year-old Footscray woman and a 28-year-old Essendon woman with assault, affray, riotous behaviour and criminal damage after another person was arrested and then released for hindering police that night. The restaurant said the actions of a few had caused much distress to customers, patrons and staff in neighbouring restaurants. "We respect everyone's right to their own nationality and religion. We ask for the same," the owners said in an Instagram post. Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance has taken responsibility for the protest. Victoria Police has rejected claims its officers were told not to confront protesters at the restaurant. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley spoke to community members and inspected the damage during a visit to the synagogue on Tuesday. She urged the prime minister to convene a national cabinet meeting and wants the government to reveal its plans to protect Jewish Australians. Anthony Albanese has flagged more action from his government as it works with a special envoy on anti-Semitism, but he pushed back against hosting a national cabinet, saying people want action instead of more meetings. Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion urged Victorian authorities to disallow weekly pro-Palestine protests in their current form and bring in protest zones. Premier Jacinta Allan labelled the weekly rally "odious" but said protesting was part of democracy. Protest organisers stressed they were opposed to the Israeli occupation of Gaza and leaders needed to distinguish between the IDF and Australia's Jewish community. The Jewish Council of Australia denounced the synagogue attack but said it was "irresponsible and inflammatory" to link the anti-Semitic act with legitimate protests. Separate offenders on Saturday spray-painted cars with anti-Semitic "inferences" then set them alight in the city's northeast, while a fourth incident involved offensive images spray-painted on pillars and walls near a Holocaust museum in Elsternwick.
