Islamic preacher in Australia calls to take up arms against Jews and Christians

In Australia, a July sermon by Islamic preacher Abu Ahmed from Melbourne has been made public, in which he urged his followers to "take up arms" against Jews, Christians, and other "enemies of Allah." The speech only drew media attention in late September. The publication has once again raised the issue of insufficient government powers to combat hate preachers.

In Australia, a July sermon by a young Islamic preacher from Melbourne, known as Abu Ahmed, has been made public. He urged his followers not to consider Jews and Christians as friends, and speaking about confronting the "enemies of Allah," he stated that spiritual struggle alone is not enough and that one must "take up arms." An excerpt of the speech was published on social media by the Al-Bayina Islamic center, with which the preacher is associated. This became known on Tuesday, September 29. Abu Ahmed claimed that the confrontation should be expressed "both in words and in actions." He also called for feeling anger toward the "enemies of Allah" and fighting them. The preacher included atheists, Jews, Christians, modernists, Zionists, and communists among the "enemies of Islam." Reports in Australian media about the sermon have once again raised the issue of measures against hate preachers. In January, a parliamentary crisis forced Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to split the bill on combating hate groups and incitement. Some provisions that would have expanded government powers against hate preachers and neo-Nazis had to be abandoned. The head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Mike Burgess, recently stated that the likelihood of a terrorist attack is higher than the official threat level, which is designated as "probable," suggests. The Al-Bayina center opened in 2024 in Springvale, southeast of Melbourne. It was supported by Sydney preacher Wissam Haddad, who is linked to the Al-Madina Dawah center in Bankstown. Previously, the Al-Madina Dawah center was visited by Navid Akram. Together with his father Sajid, on December 14, 2025, he carried out a terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, resulting in 15 deaths.