Sydney Hezbollah memorial service condemned
"This is a time when the country needs to come together – not be further divided," Federal MP Allegra Spender.
Federal MPs Josh Burns and Allegra Spender have lashed a memorial service for three Hezbollah terrorists that went ahead at a mosque in Sydney on Saturday night despite the concerns of the Jewish community.
The Al Rahman Mosque in the southwest suburb of Kingsgrove paid tribute to Taha Abbas Abbas, Ali Marmar and Hussam Ibrahim, who were killed while battling Israeli forces.
According to The Australian, who obtained a translation of the service from an attendee, Imam Sheikh Youssef Nabha described the three terrorists as “martyrs”.
Spender, the Member for Wentworth, told The AJN, “It is deeply distressing that people have gathered together in Australia to honour Hezbollah terrorists.
“This is a time when the country needs to come together – not be further divided.
“We must call out those who glorify violent extremism and are trying to incite hatred and destabilise our society.”
Burns, the Member for Macnamara, said many in the community are still grieving and remain concerned for loved ones, “And there is no place in Australia for events that glorify the actions of Hamas or Hezbollah.”
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said the service was a “celebration of terrorism” and it should not have gone ahead.
“Put simply, there is something wrong if you can publicly celebrate in a memorial service the members of the Iranian-backed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, which is a proscribed terrorist organisation in Australia, killed while carrying out aggressive armed violence,” he said.
“If state and federal laws were inadequate to prevent disgusting commemorations of terrorists and their like going ahead, then it is time to examine their effectiveness.”
Burns said that in June, the federal government introduced the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Bill to criminalise public displays of hate symbols.
“In addition to the important measures that seek to protect the community from symbols of hate, the bill will ensure that glorifying and praising acts of terrorism are criminal offences under Commonwealth law. The bill will also increase the penalties for those seeking to glorify these atrocities,” he said.
Hezbollah is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in Australia, and media reports say counter-terrorism police were aware of the service in advance.
Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said last Friday, “Honouring the memory of terrorists killed while carrying out a terrorist act is likely a breach of Australian law.
“I hope the Australian Federal Police will be having a careful look at this event.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said, “We are seeing increasing threats to our social cohesion and glorifying terrorists to an Australian audience risks inciting further hatred and destabilising our society.
“It plays into the hands of violent extremists who want to deepen fault lines and rip our nation apart.”
Asked how the event was allowed to go ahead given that Hezbollah is a proscribed terrorist organisation in Australia, a NSW Police spokesperson said, “The commemoration was held in conjunction with scheduled prayers at the mosque.
“There is no specific requirement for a place of worship to notify the NSW Police Force of a commemoration. The conduct of commemorations is otherwise subject to the relevant laws applicable in NSW.”
An online flyer for the memorial service was picked up late last week by Israeli organisation the Alma Centre, which specialises in analysing security issues along the country’s northern border, specifically the Hezbollah threat.
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