Australian Islamic Preacher Urges Followers to Take Up Arms Against Jews and Christians

A young Islamic preacher in Melbourne, known as Abu Ahmed, who is associated with the Al-Bayan Islamic Center and Sydney preacher Wissam Haddad, called on his followers in a sermon last July not to take Jews and Christians as friends, but to "take up arms against his enemies in practice." In his sermon, he argued that spiritual resistance alone is insufficient and used expressions calling for anger towards the enemies of Islam, which he identified as Jews, Christians, atheists, and Zionists.

This incident refocuses attention on enforcement gaps against hate preachers in Australia. This comes after a parliamentary crisis in January when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forced to shelk parts of anti-incitement laws due to opposition from the Labor Party and the Greens. Security officials express frustration over the inability to deal with extremist elements due to a lack of expanded powers, even as the head of ASIO, Mike Burgess, warned that the terror threat is higher than officially assessed.

Abu Ahmed's center in Melbourne works closely with the Al-Madina Center in Sydney. This center was previously visited by Numan Haider, who, along with his father, carried out the deadly terrorist attack that killed 15 people at a Bondi Junction event. Experts on extremism, such as Professor Josh Ross, warn that authorities must take a firm stance against extremist centers spreading in the suburbs before they become breeding grounds for jihad.