Albanese, Burke shouted at as anger erupts at Eid prayers at mosque

Anger at the government has spilled over at an Eid prayer event attended by the prime minister and home affairs minister, with a couple of attendees calling for the politicians to be removed from the Western Sydney mosque.

Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke — whose electorate includes Lakemba, where the event was held this morning — sat quietly as a small number of people began yelling during a speech to the congregation following the prayers. 

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Hecklers could be heard shouting “boo Tony Burke, boo Albanese”, “genocide supporters”, and “get them out of here”. Other attendees appeared to give the prime minister and local member a warm welcome. 

The speaker urged calm from the crowd, many of whom remained seated, before continuing his address.

“You called him honourable, he’s responsible for the deaths of 1 billion people, 1 billion of our brothers and sisters,” another attendee shouted.

“You don’t represent us anymore.”

Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke sat quietly while anger erupted in the crowd. (ABC News)

The prime minister downplayed the incident on Friday, telling reporters that there were more than 30,000 people in attendance and “overwhelmingly the reception was incredibly positive”. 

“I walked through the crowd to the mosque, and not a single person heckled. There were a couple of hecklers inside; they were dealt with,” he said.

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

Both Mr Albanese and Mr Burke remained until the end of the speech, which was held to mark the end of Ramadan, before being led out of the mosque run by the Lebanese Muslim Association.

The organisation’s secretary, Gamel Kheir, defended the decision to invite the two politicians to the event while acknowledging he knew it would upset some community members who felt frustrated and alienated over a rise in Islamophobia.

Gamel Kheir defended the decision to invite the prime minister to the prayers. (ABC News: Timothy Ailwood)

“This is controversial in trying to get the prime minister to a sacred place like a mosque, I appreciate that,” he told the ABC.

“But there has to be a way where you have access to government in order to express the anger.”

The event was not a photo opportunity for the prime minister, he said, but a chance for him to hear the concerns of the community.

Lakemba Mosque has received several threats in recent weeks, including one addressing Mr Kheir by name.

“I believe he saw first hand the fact that there is a very much divided and angry community over what’s happening,” he said.

Albanese Albanese posted photos from the event to his social media a short time later. (Facebook: Anthony Albanese)

In a separate statement, the Lebanese Muslim Association wrote that Mr Albanese was welcome at the prayers and that they would “continue to open” their doors.

“We understand emotions are high, particularly given the ongoing suffering in Gaza and the devastation in Lebanon. These are not distant issues for our community,” it read.

“But we also need to be clear. Choosing to engage with the elected leadership of this country is not a betrayal of those concerns. It is how we give them a voice.”

Community split over politicians at mosques

Mukhlis Mah, a member of the Stand for Palestine group, was among the protesters.

In a video posted to social media a short time after the disruption, he said: “The question we need to ask ourselves is why are they there in our sacred places in our sacred times, put up the front smiling for photos?”

The group has repeatedly called for politicians to be banned from Ramadan and Eid events and, in the past, has shared statements by Hizb ut-Tahrir, which was recently listed as a hate group under new legislation passed in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.

Muslim community split over politicians at prayers

It’s not unusual for a federal election campaign to overlap with Eid al-Fitr, one of the most important days in the Muslim calendar. It is the absence of many senior politicians at traditional community events that raises eyebrows. 

Mr Albanese linked his government’s legislative response to the protest, alleging that “some people don’t like that we’ve outlawed extremist organisations like Hizb ut-Tahrir and that brought a response from a couple of people.” 

Politicians faced similar protests during Eid last year, when the religious holiday coincided with the federal election campaign.

Former Coalition frontbencher Jason Wood had to be escorted out of an event on the outskirts of Melbourne after he was loudly heckled and physical altercations broke out.

Mr Burke also abandoned a scheduled appearance at a Ramadan prayer event in Lakemba last year after plans for a protest were circulated.

Members of the Muslim community are split on the issue of whether politicians should be invited into places of worship, as has happened for years. Some see their presence as a sign of progress, while others believe it is inappropriate.

Mr Burke and Mr Albanese have been contacted for comment.