Coalition of Muslim groups that includes Hizb ut-­Tahrir claim hypocrisy over nurses’ ‘kill’ Israelis scandal

Leaders and peak bodies from Australia’s Muslim community have joined forces with extremist Islamist group Hizb ut-­Tahrir to condemn what they say is “hypocrisy” and “selective outrage” over the treatment of the Bankstown nurses caught on video vowing to “kill” Israeli patients.

In a communique pulled together by Stand 4 Palestine on behalf of dozens of signatories, the coalition of Muslim groups says labelling the video as anti-Semitic was “gaslighting”, arguing that anger directed at Israel is “a direct response to its violent and inhumane policies — not an expression of hatred toward Jewish people.”

And, rather than posing a real threat, the nurses’ comments in the video about killing Israeli patients were instead “emotional and hyperbolic”.

Global outrage — including furious responses from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns — erupted last week when Israeli influencer Max Veifer posted a now-viral video of Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital nurses Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh in a sickening exchange telling him how they would kill Israeli patients and “send them to Jahannam”.

Both nurses are now under investigation by police and have had their registrations suspended by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of NSW.

Last week, Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of Executive Council of Australian Jewry, blasted the video, saying it was “just the tip of the iceberg”.

“For a long time now, for months, I’ve been hearing from members of the community, from medical practitioners in the community, who have been warning about extreme content posted by other doctors and nurses online, about extreme content in social media chats.

“This is clearly the first time it’s gone to such a public, brazen level.

“But I think we’d be kidding ourselves if we thought that these were isolated individuals. I think that this is merely the tip of the iceberg.”

The Muslim coalition says its communique was not intended to defend the nurses’ inappropriate remarks but rather to push back against the “double standards and moral manipulation at play while the mass killing of our brothers and sisters in Gaza is met with silence, dismissal, or complicity.”

“The most revealing aspect of the reaction to the nurses’ video is not the (footage) itself – but the speed, intensity and uniformity of response from certain political leaders and media outlets,” the statement read.

One of the signatories to the statement is Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia, whose British arm was banned and designated as a terrorist organisation in the UK last year after it made statements the Government claimed incited terrorism and anti-Semitism.

A number of other countries have also imposed restrictions on the group, including Germany, Russia.

The Al Madina Dawah Centre, where radical Sydney cleric Wissam Haddad preaches, is also on the list of signatories.

The centre is currently being sued by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry for allegedly vilifying the Jewish community in a number of sermons, including statements where Jewish people were called “descendants of pigs and monkeys” and people were urged people to “spit” on Israel so Israelis “would drown”.

Mr Haddad has previously boasted about being friends with Islamic State jihadis Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar and has called notorious British extremist Anjem Choudary “dear brother”.

Other signatories to the statement include political group The Muslim Vote, Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, the Islamic Councils of Victoria and Western Australia and various legal and student groups and prominent sheikhs.

Controversial Senator Fatima Payman has also weighed into the debate over the two NSW nurses saying no one should ever be denied healthcare while accusing politicians of double standards.

In her own social media post she said there was a double standard among politicians and media, saying the “elephant in the room” was the enormity of the response to the video.

“We never see the same level of anger and vitriol when the roles are reversed,” she wrote.

Meanwhile, the Australian National Imams Council, which did not sign the Stand 4 Palestine communique, released its own separate statement on Monday condemning “heinous and barbaric” attacks on two Muslim women at Epping Shopping Centre in Victoria.

“These attacks represent a horrifying escalation of Islamophobic violence targeted at innocent people in our communities simply because of their faith,” they wrote.

It is alleged that on February 13, two visibly Muslim women were assaulted in separate incidents within minutes of each other.

“Both victims, one of whom is pregnant, were taken to Northern Hospital by ambulance for treatment after being left with bruises, scratches, and potentially long-term physical injuries.

“Despite the prompt response of police and ambulance officers at the scene, the aftermath of this incident has left the victims feeling ignored and fearing for their safety.”

The Imams said that one of the victims had been subjected to online threats after she posted about the incident on Facebook and that police had minimised her concerns, actions they say endangers lives and emboldens perpetrators.

”We insist on an overhaul of current protocols to ensure that all Islamophobic attacks are taken seriously, and that those affected receive the necessary follow-up and referrals to victim support services,” they wrote.

“We demand justice for the victims and assert that no act of hate should be minimised or ignored. It is imperative to ensure the safety and dignity of every individual, regardless of faith.”

Victoria Police said detectives had engaged with the victims on Tuesday and both were being provided with support from multicultural liaison officers.

“Police are also investigating a report of online threats being made against one of the victims,” a police statement read.