Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke encountered a turbulent reception during their visit to a Sydney mosque, where they were met with cries of ‘genocide supporters’ and the phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ from protesters.

The incident unfolded at Lakemba Mosque around 7:30 a.m. on Friday. The politicians were present for prayers with the Lebanese Muslim Association, a key community group within Burke’s Watson electorate, to commemorate the conclusion of Ramadan, a significant event in the Islamic faith.

Before the disruption, Lebanese Muslim Association secretary Gamel Kheir addressed the attendees, urging the Muslim community to reconsider their political disengagement. He emphasized that this withdrawal had left them with minimal influence over critical issues such as the conflict in Gaza, increasing Islamophobia, and policies impacting their daily lives.

However, the atmosphere shifted when a small group of protesters began vocally expressing their dissent, shouting phrases like ‘get them out of here,’ ‘shame,’ and ‘disgrace’ at the Prime Minister and Minister Burke. Both leaders, having removed their shoes, were seated among hundreds of worshippers on the mosque’s prayer hall floor.

The protest was orchestrated by Stand4Palestine, a controversial activist organization. There have been allegations regarding Stand4Palestine’s ties to Hizb ut-Tahrir, a fundamentalist group, although these connections are denied by the organization. Notably, Hizb ut-Tahrir was officially banned as a hate group on March 5, following legislative changes enacted after the Bondi attack.

Questions have been raised about Stand4Palestine’s links to the fundamentalist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir, which it denies. Hizb ut-Tahrir was formally banned as a hate group on March 5 following legislative changes introduced after the Bondi attack.

‘How dare you come here,’ Mukhlis Mah, a Stand4Palestine organiser, said before he was escorted out of the mosque. ‘This is our sacred place – why are you inviting him here today? The shame is on you.’

Other hecklers shouted, ‘boo Tony Burke, boo Albanese,’ and called the Prime Minister a ‘putrid dog’.

Mr Kheir continued his speech, with one heckler shouting: ‘You called him honourable. He’s responsible for the deaths of 1 billion people, 1 billion of our brothers and sisters. You don’t represent us anymore.’

Tense scenes unfolded at Lakemba Mosque as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke were heckled during early-morning Eid prayers

Asmall number of angry protesters began shouting ‘get them out of here’, ‘shame’ and ‘disgrace’ as Albanese and Burke, who had removed their shoes, sat on the prayer hall floor in their socks among hundreds of worshippers 

Mukhlis Mah being pulled from Lakemba Mosque 

Both Albanese and Burke remained until the end of the speech, which was held to mark the end of Ramadan, before leaving via a side exit to avoid a large crowd that had gathered on the mosque’s steps.

Later, the Prime Minister posted photos from the event on social media but did not mention the heckling, before being asked about it at a press conference, where he thanked organisers for the ‘very warm reception that occurred’.

‘There were 30,000-plus people at Lakemba this morning – overwhelmingly the reception was incredibly positive. I walked through the crowd to the mosque and not a single person heckled me. There were a couple of hecklers inside. they were dealt with,’ Albanese said.

‘Contrary to what’s been suggested, no one was rushed out. We just sat there – it was dealt with. It was dealt with by the community themselves because overwhelmingly they did not want that to occur.

‘Yes, there were a couple of people who were heckling. Some people don’t like the fact that we have outlawed extremist organisations like Hizb ut-Tahrir, and that brought a response from a couple of people.

‘But if you’ve got a couple of people heckling in a crowd of 30,000, that should be put in that perspective.’

NSW Police said officers removed a 33-year-old protester from the mosque before issuing him with a move-on direction, which he complied with.

Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah slammed Albanese and Burke’s invitation as a ‘reward for supporting the genocide and destruction of our people and homelands’.

Anthony Albanese arrives at Lakemba Mosque before he was heckled by a small group of protesters 

Friday’s gathering was the first Eid event in years where federal MPs had been formally invited following a years-long boycott

‘There is no dua (Islamic prayer) strong enough against the traitors who invited them,’ she wrote.

‘The blood of Palestinians and Lebanese and Iranians is on the hands of the LMA.

‘I hope your grants and selfies are worth it

‘There should have been an uprising in that sacred place.’

In a statement, the Lebanese Muslim Association said it was aware that ’emotions are high’ but defended the politicians’ visit.

‘We also need to be clear – choosing to engage with elected leadership of this country is not a betrayal of those concerns,’ in regard to wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

‘Walking away from engagement has not advanced out community, nor has it changed outcomes overseas.

Albanese appeared tense as the protest broke out

Crowds celebrating Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan, at the Lakemba Mosque

‘It has not reduced Islamophobia here, and it has not strengthened our ability to influence decisions that affect us.’

Before the protest erupted, Mr Kheir had given a speech reflecting on the decision to cut ties with government over its stance on Gaza. 

‘In response to the positions of the state and federal governments in defending Israel’s actions, we as a collective community decided to actively disengage from any contact or communication with government, police and the wider Australian community,’ he said.

‘However, while this isolationist policy served an initial purpose, we must now ask how effective it has truly been.’ 

He warned of what he described as a growing far-right anti-immigration agenda and rising threats directed at Muslims, including incidents targeting the mosque itself. 

‘We have seen the dramatic rise of the far-right anti-immigration agenda, so proudly represented by the likes of Pauline Hanson and certain elements of the Coalition party. 

‘We have seen the extreme rise in Islamophobia and targeted attacks on the Muslim community, both in the media and in public. This very mosque has had four threats already. 

‘We have seen the withering away of our freedoms and, worse still, the Israeli genocide in Gaza, now threatening to engulf the whole Middle East, continues unabated.’

Calling for a shift in strategy, he said Muslims needed to have ‘deep, intellectual discussions’ about how best to engage with political leaders, the media and the wider public moving forward.

‘We can neither totally disengage, nor can we invite politicians to our place of worship … to make us feel good about ourselves but never genuinely have a robust and effective communication with them.’ 

Friday’s gathering was the first Eid event in years where federal MPs had been formally invited following a years-long boycott.