Federal MP Jason Wood and Bruce Liberal candidate Zahid Safi were heckled while pledging $6.5 million funding at an Eid prayer event.
Thousands attended the prayers hosted by Afghan Islamic Centre and Omar Farooq Mosque (AICOM) at Dandenong Showgrounds on Monday 31 March.
Many rose from their chairs, unimpressed with Wood’s announced funding to help build AICOM’s proposed community centre.
Some were waving their hands and shouting comments like ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Shame’.
Safi – who is an AICOM member – reportedly was silent during the address.
Wood, who is the La Trobe MP and opposition multicultural affairs spokesperson, when asked by Star News, said there was no conflict of interest for Safi.
Safi was “one of 3000 members” of the mosque, Wood said. However Safi was without voting rights and not sitting on the mosque committee.
“I’m the one supporting this,” Wood said.
Wood and Safi were asked by the mosque committee to announce the funding and read a statement from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton at the event.
“Pro-Palestinian supporters” tried to “hijack“ the speech, he said.
“There was great cheering also at the announcement. So it’s a sad reflection of modern-day politics where people try to hijack announcements.”
Wood said the community centre in Narre Warren South would cost about $14 million. It was for community engagement – supporting people in jobs, training and education.
Meanwhile, an AICOM committee member is believed to have since resigned in opposition to inviting the politicians to the event.
Stand For Palestine Australia members were among the hecklers.
A video post on SFPA social media stated Wood and Safi were “chased out” of the event.
“They had to get out, and they had to get out quick because no one wanted any of it,” the vlogger said.
The gathering “hurled some comments – we want to pray, we don’t want to be lectured, we’re not here to support the Liberal Party, these guys support genocide, think about Palestine”.
“People didn’t want any of that dirty money. People got really riled up.”
Massi Ahmadzay, a lawyer, is helping an internal investigation into the “very disappointing” behaviour by a minority in the crowd.
“Islamic teachings teach us to be very respectful to guests invited to the mosque. Most were quiet, reserved and respectful.”
But he added that Muslim voters were “let down“ by the major parties over Palestine and Gaza. And that the issue could prove to be a “vote-changer”
“The Muslim community would prefer to support a government that was blatantly against the ‘genocide’.
“That’s not just in the mosque or the Afghan community, but widely held by Muslims around the world about the Western governments.
“Perhaps the lesson is that in the current climate, the mosque is not the right setting to speak of funding and policies.”
Isaacs Greens candidate Matthew Kirwan said the Liberal and Labor parties “can’t expect to buy off Muslim communities in the south-east“
Nor could they “ignore the pain that they have caused on the Palestine issue and also their cruel refugee and people seeking asylum policies”, he said.
“What is needed is genuine respect for our Muslim communities.”
