Overview

• Wissam Haddad, also known as Abu Ousayd, is facing a lawsuit from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executives Peter Wertheim and Robert Goot over five sermons delivered at Bankstown’s Al Madina Dawah Centre in November 2023 that labelled Jews “treacherous,” “vile,” and likened them to apes and pigs.
• Haddad testified on June 11 that he never intended to insult Jews and that his descriptions were drawn from Islamic texts and targeted the actions of the Israeli government rather than Jewish people as a race.
• He acknowledged knowing his speeches would be recorded and published online but insisted he was not responsible for uploading them and argued section 18C only governs public acts.
• The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to remove the sermons from social media, a court order barring Haddad from issuing similar statements, publication of a corrective notice on the centre’s accounts and legal costs.
• Justice Angus Stewart’s decision, expected later this week, could set a precedent on the limits of religious expression versus hate speech under Australia’s racial discrimination law.