Hilali’s ‘September 11 is God’s work’ sermon
Sheik Taj el-Din al-Hilaly was based at the Lakemba mosque in Sydney. During a Middle East lecture tour he gave a sermon at the Sidon mosque in Lebanon, and the Sun-Herald obtained a translation of it which quoted him as saying: "September 11 is God's work against oppressors." The same translation quoted him referring to "a civilian airplane whose secrets cannot be explained" and asking "the giant that fell: 'Who humiliated you?'" The report added that "A week ago, the Australian Federal Police decided against investigating the Mufti's overseas activities."
On 29 February 2004 Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told Channel Nine that he had read a transcript of the speech. The ABC reported that he said the speech supported suicide bombings and described the September 11 attacks as God's work against oppressors. Downer said: "For an Australian to go overseas and make these sorts of comments is appalling, it's provocative." He also said: "it doesn't reflect the views of Muslims here in Australia".
Hilaly's spokesman Keysar Trad (spelled Kayser Trad by the ABC) said the Mufti had taken bits from poems. Trad said the reference meant "evil can reach everywhere and everything". The ABC quoted him saying: "He has always condemned and continues to condemn any attacks against civilians." In March 2004 Hilaly wrote to Prime Minister John Howard and other leaders. He said: "As for the claim that I referred to the tragic events of September 11 as 'God's work against oppressors', this is a terrible mistranslation." The same month he issued a statement saying any attack on Australia would be "an act of stupidity, recklessness and madness".
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