An Islamic cleric in Sydney named Wissam Haddad, who is also known as William and Abu Ousayd, is currently being sued for allegedly discriminating against Jews based on race. The lawsuit, filed by two senior members of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), stems from a series of lectures Haddad gave in Bankstown in November 2023, which were later shared online. In these lectures, Haddad reportedly described Jews in the seventh century as being “mischievous,” “treacherous,” and “vile,” arguing that these depictions weren’t meant to offend because they were given to a private Muslim audience.
Haddad’s defense asserts that the lectures took place in a private setting and thus should be exempt from Australia’s Racial Discrimination Act’s Section 18C, which prohibits public acts that are likely to offend, humiliate, or intimidate based on race. The court submissions indicate that four of the five speeches happened at Haddad’s prayer center, a private location with clear no trespassing signs, and the remaining speech occurred in a private group meeting.
In response to scrutiny, Haddad stated that he wasn’t responsible for uploading his speeches to social media, although he was aware that they would be posted online by someone in the community. The plaintiff, Peter Wertheim from the ECAJ, contends that Haddad’s speeches used “overtly dehumanizing” language and should be removed from the internet. Wertheim, along with his fellow applicant Robert Goot, is requesting a court order to prevent similar content from being shared in the future without seeking monetary damages.
Haddad’s barrister argues that the speeches were meant for a private audience and that there’s no evidence they would have been found and taken offense by Jews without media coverage. The lawyer also posits that there should be a space for “confronting,” “challenging,” and “even shocking” content in a democratic society. The court hearing, presided over by Justice Angus Stewart, is ongoing and is expected to conclude by the end of the week.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/11/wissam-haddad-abu-ousayd-alleged-racial-discrimination-case-ntwnfb
