Albanese visit sparks tension at Lakemba Mosque Eid Prayer gathering

Friday 20 March saw more than 40,000 worshippers gather at Lakemba Mosque for Eid ul Fitr prayers, with the vast congregation filling the mosque and surrounding streets, in spite of heavy overnight rain.

The Eid prayer ceremony is always a powerful expression of faith, unity and gratitude marking the end of Ramadan.

Yet this year’s gathering also unfolded against a backdrop of deep and unresolved community concern, brought into sharp focus by the attendance of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, accompanied by Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Tony Burke and other political representatives.

His presence marked Mr Albanese’s first visit to Lakemba Mosque since the escalation of the Gaza conflict in early October, 2023 – the subsequent two and a half years being a period during which the Lebanese Muslim Association has declined to invite state or federal politicians to any LMA events or celebrations at the mosque.

That position reflected widespread frustration within sections of the Muslim community over government responses to Gaza, which have at times been in contrast to the community’s deeply held concerns.

The LMA has stressed that the Prime Minister’s attendance at Eid was not initiated by the organisation.

Rather, it was his office that reached out, expressing eagerness to attend and engage with the Muslim community on Eid.

There were no plans for Mr Albanese to address the community on the day.

As the Prime Minister arrived, sections of the crowd began expressing their disapproval, with intermittent heckling continuing as he entered the mosque.

During the two official speeches, an incident occurred involving a small number of hecklers, including Ustadh Mukhlis Mah, whose outburst led to his removal from the masjid.

The LMA later clarified that Ustadh Mah is not affiliated with the organisation in any official capacity and confirmed that an apology had been extended to him following the incident.

Earlier, resident Imam Sheikh Yahya Safi had set the spiritual tone of the morning, reminding worshippers that the true joy of Eid lies in sincere devotion to Allah and a life grounded in faith.

He also emphasised the sanctity of human life, stressing that Islam forbids harm to the innocent, including women, children and the vulnerable – a message that resonated deeply given current global events.

Addressing the congregation, LMA Secretary Gamel Kheir spoke to both the spiritual and civic responsibilities of the community, describing Eid as a time of reflection, gratitude and renewal.

He also addressed the organisation’s approach to political engagement, effectively explaining the logic behind his Association’s decision to allow the Prime Minister’s visit to proceed.

“We can neither totally disengage nor invite politicians for some cheap token photo opportunity,” he said, affirming that engagement must be principled, dignified and focused on advocating for the rights of Muslim Australians.

Much of Mr Kheir’s speech was drowned out by the commotion taking place while he was speaking.

In a detailed media release issued the following day, the LMA reaffirmed that the decision to allow the Prime Minister’s visit “was made deliberately” – not as an endorsement, but as an opportunity for political leadership to directly witness and hear the concerns of the community.

In the release, Gamel Kheir made the point that “those in positions of power were confronted directly with the reality of what our community is feeling,” pointing to the devastation in Gaza, the conflict in Lebanon, rising Islamophobia and broader dissatisfaction with government positions.

He described the reaction on the day as “not manufactured,” but rather “the raw and unfiltered expression of anger, frustration and pain from a community that has felt unheard for far too long,” adding that “that message was delivered clearly – and it was received.”

Mr Kheir further noted that moments such as these are not without complexity, but that leadership requires confronting difficult realities rather than avoiding them.

While reaffirming that congregants have the right to express their views, the LMA stressed that the mosque remains a sacred space where decorum and respect must always be upheld.

“The LMA admits that in hindsight, things could have been done better,” Mr Kheir said.

“The timing certainly wasn’t ideal and community consultation should have been a consideration.”

“However, we stress that we will not be shying away from or backing down from future engagement with politicians.”

Disclosure: The writer is Media and Communications Officer for the Lebanese Muslim Association, which hosted the Eid gathering at Lakemba Mosque.