Summary
In November 2023, Wissam Haddad delivered three lectures titled "The Jews of Al Madina" at the Al Madina Dawah Centre in Bankstown, NSW, along with an interview and a Friday sermon. The lectures, interview and sermon were video-recorded and uploaded to Rumble and Facebook. Peter Wertheim AM and Robert Goot AO SC, leaders in the Jewish community associated with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, brought proceedings alleging the speeches constituted unlawful offensive behaviour based on race or ethnic origin under s 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.
On 1 July 2025, Justice Stewart found that the three lectures conveyed 25 disparaging imputations against Jewish people that were reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate and intimidate Jews in Australia, and that the imputations were conveyed because of the race or ethnic origin of that group. The Court found these imputations included age-old tropes that are fundamentally racist and antisemitic, making perverse generalisations against Jewish people as a group. The Court rejected Haddad's defence under s 18D, finding the lectures were not delivered reasonably and in good faith.
Key Facts
Haddad was born in Australia in 1980 to Lebanese parents. He is a carpet layer by trade. Known in the Islamic community as Abu Ousayd. Al Madina Dawah Centre is an incorporated association running a Muslim religious centre on Kitchener Parade, Bankstown, established by Haddad and others in April 2021. Haddad is the public officer of the association and accepted in cross-examination that he is "in charge" of AMDC.
In October 2023, after the 7 October Hamas attack and Israel's response in Gaza, members of the Centre raised questions with Haddad. He decided to deliver a series of lectures to "provide support and spiritual comfort" and to "draw parallels between the acts that were done by the Jewish tribes at the time of Al Madina as recorded in Islamic religious texts and the individuals who have committed what the UN Special Rapporteur described as acts that violate international law."
The Court identified 25 antisemitic imputations in the three lectures. Seven categories: (1) Jews are mischievous, arrogant, shifty, slanderous, troublemakers, cowards, constantly break agreements, conspiratorial, wicked, schemers, treacherous and vile; (2) Jews are murderous and rebellious; (3) there is an eternal conflict between Jews and Muslims for which Jews are responsible; (4) Jews deliberately sow conflict amongst Muslims; (5) Jews pursue and love money and power to control the weak, media, banks and governments; (6) Jews are racist; (7) Jews are descendants of apes and pigs.
Both parties adduced expert evidence on Islamic theology. Professor Reynolds testified for the applicants. Sheikh Ibrahim for the respondents. The experts agreed that neither the Qur'an nor the Hadith teach that Jews have any inherent negative qualities as a people, but rather that criticism in these texts is against Jews in one particular historical context—Muhammad's community in seventh century Medina. Sheikh Ibrahim explained that "Islam does not encourage hatred towards Jews or any other religion" and that Islamic teachings condemn collective punishment or unfair blame.
The Court found that Haddad's imputations were fundamentally racist and antisemitic. Devastatingly offensive and insulting. They would be experienced by Jewish people in Australia as harassing and intimidating, particularly because they were made at a time of heightened vulnerability following the 7 October 2023 attack. The Court found the effects on Jews would be profound and serious.
The Court rejected Haddad's s 18D defence, finding the lectures were not delivered reasonably or in good faith. Without scholarly theological support for his views, they must be taken as idiosyncratic. The Court was not persuaded that Haddad did not make his disparaging statements for the purpose of stirring controversy, noting his history of courting controversy by disparaging Christians and Hindus and revelling in the publicity. In a social media post well after proceedings commenced, Haddad posted antisemitic content, providing evidence of risk of future antisemitic acts. He showed no regret or remorse and has not apologized.
Orders / Outcome
The Court declared that Haddad contravened s 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act by delivering the three lectures titled "The Jews of Al Madina Part 1" (3 November 2023), "Part 2" (10 November 2023), and "Banu Quraytha Part 3" (17 November 2023). Al Madina Dawah Centre Inc contravened s 18C by publishing these lectures on Rumble and Facebook.
The Court ordered both respondents to remove the lectures from any internet page or publication in their control, to take reasonable steps to request removal from sources over which they have no control, and not to cause words, sounds or images to be communicated otherwise than in private which attribute characteristics to Jewish people on the basis of group membership and which convey any of the 25 identified imputations. The respondents were ordered to pay the applicants' costs. Decision reserved on whether and how the respondents should be ordered to publish corrective notices.
The Court found that the interview and Friday sermon, which criticized Israel, the IDF, and Zionists, did not violate the Racial Discrimination Act. The Court held that "political criticism of Israel, however inflammatory or adversarial, is not by its nature criticism of Jews in general or based on Jewish racial or ethnic identity" and that "the conclusion that it is not antisemitic to criticise Israel is the corollary of the conclusion that to blame Jews for the actions of Israel is antisemitic."
Related Profiles
- Wissam Haddad — first respondent