Imams and the Grand Mufti travel to Gaza and meet with Hamas
In December 2012, the Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, led a delegation of Australian Muslim scholars to the Gaza Strip. The ABC reported: "Local television has shown pictures of Dr Mohammed meeting with Hamas's political leader, Gaza's prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, on December 26." The ABC also quoted his remarks as translated by MEMRI TV: "We came here in order to learn from Gaza... to learn steadfastness, sacrifice, and the defence of one's rights from them."
Islamic Relief Australia's own documentary, uploaded to its official YouTube channel in July 2013, says: "Islamic Relief took an Australian Delegation of 22 Australian Muslim Imams & Community Leaders on a trip to Gaza, Egypt and the Syrian Camps in Jordan". The description lists the delegates. Sydney: "Grand Mufti of Australia: Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed", plus Yahya Safi, Abdul Salam Zod, Abdel Moez Nafti, Mohamed Khamis, Omar El Banna, Shady Al Suleiman, Khaled Taleb, Hassan El Setohy, Khodr Saleh, Walid Ali, Keysar Trad, Rafique Kirsten, Walid Ibrahim, Tamer Kahil and Mohamed Al-Zoubi. Melbourne: Abdel Aziem Afifi, Faisal Shehata and Fawaz Chawk. Adelaide: Riad El Rifai and Amin Abou-Samaha. Brisbane: Mabrouk Houadchia. These names appear only in the organiser's material, not in the ABC report.
The ABC noted: "The military wing of Hamas is listed as a proscribed terrorist organisation by the Australian Government." It also reported: "The Department of Foreign Affairs says it is up to the individuals in the delegation to make sure they do not breach Australian laws." A parliamentary committee report records that Hamas' Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades were first listed under the Criminal Code on 9 November 2003 and re-listed on 18 August 2012, so that listing was in force at the time of the trip.
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