ECAJ considers contempt action over extremist Islamic preacher’s video

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) is exploring contempt of court proceedings against Islamic preacher Wisam Haddad. This follows allegations that he violated a federal injunction regarding antisemitic statements in a recent online video.

Lawyers are currently reviewing the six-minute clip to determine if legal charges are appropriate. The video was released on Thursday and has drawn the attention of legal representatives.

In the footage, Haddad criticised the government and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns. Minns has remained firm on the closure of the preacher’s prayer hall, stating that “anyone who is found to have preached hate or put hate in the hearts of anyone in our community should have their prayer halls shut down as soon as possible.” Haddad was previously issued a Federal Court order in 2025 by Justice Angus Stewart. That ruling found that his earlier lectures at the Al Madina Dawah Centre violated the Racial Discrimination Act.

The original court case focused on lectures delivered in late 2023. Those speeches used derogatory language to describe Jewish people following the 7 October attacks on Israel. The court previously clarified that while political criticism of a nation is permissible, vilifying an entire ethnic or religious group is a breach of the law. This led to a permanent injunction against the preacher.

The speeches, delivered at Bankstown’s Al Madina Dawah Centre and shared online, described Jews as “filthy”, “murderous”, “wicked”, and “descendants of apes and pigs”, antisemitic tropes linked to the Gaza conflict following the Hamas attack on Israel in October 7, 2023.

Haddad has drawn renewed attention from counter-terrorism authorities due to his alleged influence on Naveed Akram, one of two terrorists responsible for the 14 December 2025 shooting at a Bondi Beach Chanukah celebration.

The Al Madina Dawah Centre in Bankstown closed permanently on Wednesday following pressure from federal and local authorities. Canterbury-Bankstown Council had issued a cease-use notice citing the unauthorised operation of the premises as a prayer room.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has linked the closure to impending hate speech legislation, noting that certain organisations have “played a game for a long time in keeping themselves just below the legal threshold.” He warned that the new bill would “lower that threshold” to prevent groups from exploiting legal loopholes.

Parliament is currently debating the 2026 Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill. ECAJ co-CEO Peter Wertheim has urged the government to remove a proposed carve-out for those quoting directly from religious texts, labelling it “totally misconceived and outdated”.

Wertheim argued that “religion shouldn’t be used as a cloak to promote hatred” and noted that “the entire concept of a religious exemption for racial hatred is a relic of outdated thinking.” He has called on all parties to support the bill while seeking to amend its “significant shortcomings.”

Coalition and Greens politicians have also expressed reservations about the bill. Both groups have questioned whether the proposed laws will effectively address antisemitism and broader community bigotry.