Elham Asaad Buaras
Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia has called for an investigation into the conduct of New South Wales (NSW) Police after officers forcibly intervened while Muslim demonstrators were praying during a protest in Sydney against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Footage widely circulated on social media showed around eight Muslim men kneeling in prayer outside Sydney Town Hall on February 9 during a large demonstration. Several NSW Police officers were seen physically moving two of the men away and attempting to drag another to his feet while others continued praying. The prayer, which lasts only a few minutes and must be performed at a prescribed time under Islamic practice, cannot be delayed.
Aftab Malik, appointed Islamophobia envoy in September 2024, issued one of his strongest rebukes to date, urging NSW Premier Chris Minns to deliver a public apology to the Muslim community.
“There was absolutely nothing on the face of the earth that could warrant police to break up people who are praying in a quiet, non-threatening, peaceful manner, and to punch and to grab and to throw individuals onto the concrete,” Malik told SBS News.
“The police have to acknowledge that what happened was unprovoked, unnecessary and disproportionate, and if they do not come out with that recognition, it will irreparably damage relations between Muslims and the NSW Police.”
His intervention came as more than 100 Muslim organisations, including the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC), the Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA), and the Islamophobia Register Australia, issued a joint statement condemning the incident as “completely unacceptable”. They rejected suggestions that public order and move-on powers justified the disruption of a religious act.
“Police officers knowingly intervened in a moment of religious observance, forcibly interrupted prayer and used physical force against individuals who posed no threat to public safety,” the statement read. “Some worshippers were dragged away and thrown to the ground.”
The organisations warned that, if left unchallenged, the episode would set a “dangerous precedent” for the policing of lawful Muslim religious expression and raise serious concerns about the role of Islamophobia in operational decision-making. At a joint press conference with the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) and the LMA, Imam Shadi Alsuleiman, President of ANIC, delivered a strongly worded response.
“We are appalled and outraged by footage from last night showing a group of peaceful worshippers being pushed and treated in a heavy-handed manner by the NSW Police while in a state of peaceful prayer. This conduct represents a serious breach of religious sanctity. It is deeply distressing, unacceptable, and not reflective of the Australia we know or the values we claim to uphold. This outrage and deep concern are shared by more than one million Australian Muslims and many more faith leaders across Australia.
The Australian Jewish community is hurting after the terror attacks at Bondi. We hurt with them and stand with them in grief and mourning. At the same time, we are also deeply hurt by the ongoing atrocities and genocide committed against Palestinians in Gaza. Human suffering must never be selective, and compassion must never be conditional.
Israel’s President Herzog, a man implicated in war crimes and genocide, should not be welcomed in Australia. Allowing his visit undermines social cohesion and Australia’s commitment to international law, accountability, and human dignity, and causes deep hurt and outrage within the Australian community. We demand clear answers from the NSW Government, the Premier of NSW, Chris Minns, and the NSW Police, and we demand immediate action.”
AFIC later rejected suggestions that the matter could be resolved behind closed doors, stating that the NSW Police Commissioner had not issued a meaningful public apology and that nearly 200 Muslim organisations who signed the joint statement had not been contacted. Dr Rateb Jneid, President of AFIC, said, “We are done with private apologies whispered in the shadows.
Our prayers were disrupted in full public view. Our community was vilified in the media the next morning. If the government and police leadership want to show leadership, let them do so out loud and in the light. Anything less is an insult to our intelligence and our integrity.”
The organisations have called for a public apology from the Premier, the Police Minister and police leadership; the resignation of the Police Commissioner; the establishment of an independent inquiry; and criminal accountability where evidence supports it.
Before Malik’s comments, Premier Minns broadly defended police actions, describing the situation as “incredibly difficult” and saying officers were operating “in the middle of a riot”.
“Context is important,” Minns told reporters. “The circumstances facing New South Wales Police was incredibly difficult. Police have to make critical early decisions in those circumstances.”
He insisted the response “wasn’t designed to pick on or target a particular community” and said it did not reflect the “strong and co-operative” relationship between police and Sydney’s Islamic community.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the incident occurred “long after the violent aggressive crowd had started to be moved on police”, while Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna suggested that circulating footage had been taken out of context, citing hours of earlier confrontations.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who established the Islamophobia envoy role in 2024 alongside a special envoy to combat antisemitism, described the scenes as “devastating” and “deeply confronting”. He said people should be able to express their views peacefully, while noting that police had issued directions regarding protest routes.
The confrontation unfolded during a demonstration at Sydney Town Hall against Herzog’s visit, which has drawn controversy amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Organisers estimated that 30,000 people attended the rally, while NSW Police said “thousands” were present. Twenty-seven people were arrested after clashes later in the evening.
Protesters had sought to march towards NSW Parliament, but police issued move-on orders after speeches concluded. Several Greens MPs, including Jenny Leong, Abigail Boyd and Sue Higginson, criticised the police response, with Boyd alleging she witnessed worshippers being forcibly lifted and thrown to the ground.
The Lebanese Muslim Association described the disruption of prayer as “un-Australian” and “abhorrent”, warning that it had undone years of work to build trust between Muslim communities and law enforcement.
The incident has reignited debate over freedom of assembly, religious rights and public order policing in Australia, with Muslim leaders cautioning that the force used against worshippers risks eroding social cohesion and further straining already fragile community–police relations.
Feature photo: NSW Police officers are seen forcibly moving Muslim worshippers during prayer at a Sydney protest opposing Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit on February 9, 2026. The footage circulated widely on social media. (Credit: Instagram/beastfromthe_middleeast)
