Taj El-Din Hilaly
Sheikh
Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly (sometimes spelled
Tajeddin Hilaly or
Hilali or
Al-Hilaly) (
Arabic: تاج الدين الهلالي) (born c.
1941),
Australian Islamic leader, is the
Imam of the
Lakemba Mosque in
Sydney. He styles himself
Grand Mufti of Australia, but his right to use this title is disputed by other Australian Islamic leaders.
Hilaly was born in
Egypt and educated at the
Al-Azhar University in
Cairo, and was a member of the illegal
Islamist political body the
Muslim Brotherhood. He came to Australia
1982 on a tourist visa. He overstayed his visa, but efforts to deport him failed when he was able to mobilise support among the large Sydney Islamic community and from Sydney politicians, including
Paul Keating, then Treasurer in the
Hawke government. He now holds joint Australian and Egyptian citizenship.
In February
1999 Hilaly was arrested in Egypt, after allegedly paying $A192,000 to buy pharaonic antiquities from a smuggling ring. He was charged with
smuggling antiquities. The prosecution alleged that Hilaly had conspired with an Egyptian priest, Nassid Elias Michael and his son Bassem Michael to purchase archaeological artefacts. The court sentenced Hilaly to twelve months hard labour, but a subsequent appeal found the judgement invalid. An appeal was lodged by prosecutors in Egypt, but by then Hilaly had returned to Australia.
Hilaly claims to be the leader of Australia's Muslim population and uses the title
Mufti. Other Islamic leaders say he has no right to use these titles, and some oppose his political and theological views. Imams in
Victoria do not recognise his claims to national leadership. This partly reflects ethnic differences. Most Sydney Muslims are of Arab, chiefly Lebanese, background, while most Muslims in Victoria are of Turkish or Albanian background and dislike what they see as the extremism of Islam in the Arab world, of which Hilaly is a representative.
Hilaly has been outspoken in his criticism of the Australian government's policies, such as taking part in the US-led invasion of
Iraq, and is also a vocal opponent of
Israel. When travelling outside Australia he has made statements in support of those who carried out the
September 11 terrorist attacks, although when asked about this by the Australian media he denies he supports
terrorism.
In media interviews Hilaly normally speaks through a translator, his minder
Keysar Trad (head of the
Lebanese Muslim Association). Hilaly says this is because his English is poor, although some critics claim he can speak English well, and pretends to have poor command of English to avoid having to talk to the media directly.
In early May
2005, in an effort to secure the release of Australian citizen and California resident
Douglas Wood who had been taken hostage by members of the
insurgency while working in
Iraq, Hilaly travelled to
Baghdad to mediate between kidnappers and Wood's family.
On June 5, Hilaly announced that he had been able to see Wood, that he had been given vital medication, and that he was still working toward obtaining Wood's release. Wood maintains he never met Hilaly and was unaware of his activities.
On
June 15, Wood was freed following a raid by Iraqi and US troops. Taj El-Din Hilaly's spokesperson, however, said that Wood was voluntarily released due to a co-operative effort that included Hilaly's negotiating. The spokesperson also said that Hilaly's trip to Iraq in May had prevented Wood's captors executing him. These claims have yet to be verified.
In February
2004 Hilaly gave a sermon at a mosque in
Sidon,
Lebanon, the text of which was translated by the Australian Embassy in
Beirut. In his sermon Hilaly said:
"Sons of Islam, there is a war of infidels taking place everywhere. The true man is the boy who opposes Israeli tanks with strength and faith. The boy who, despite his mother's objections, goes out to war to become a martyr like his elder brother. The boy who tells his mother: 'Oh mother, don't cry for me if I die. Oh mother,
Jihad has been imposed on me and I want to become a martyr'."
"September 11 is God's work against oppressors. Some of the things that happen in the world cannot be explained; a civilian airplane whose secrets cannot be explained if we ask its pilot who reached his objective without error, who led your steps? Or if we ask the giant that fell, who humiliated you? Or if we ask the President, who made you cry? God is the answer."
On his return to Australia, Hilaly was asked by a journalist: "I'm quoting from the transcript. 'September 11th is God's work against oppressors,' with the direct implication that this is a punishment for the United States. Why would that not offend Australians?"
Hilaly replied: "I want to emphasize thing. Any person who is rejoice or supporting or in favour of the 9/11 event knows nothing about the Islam teachings. If we say that the damage resulting wars, say hundred parts, I would say that America suffered 10 per cent of the damage and 90 per cent has came upon us as masses as people as countries in the Middle East. How could you imagine that our support such a thing?"
In September
2004 Hilaly issued a statement warning that a terrorist attack on Australia during the
2004 election campaign would be "stupid and reckless" and would only harm the Islamic faith. "We assert on religious authority to any person on the face of this earth who may entertain any notion of Australia as a military target, that such a notion is contrary to the teachings of Islam and the natural laws of human behaviour," Hilaly said.
Australian organisations have regularly accused Hilaly of
anti-Semitism, a charge he denies. The charges began in
1988 when Hilaly delivered a lecture to a group of Muslim students at
Sydney University on the topic "The Disposition of Jews in the light of the
Qur'an." He was quoted as saying:
"The Jews struggle with humanity is as old as history itself; the present continuing struggle with the Islam nation is a natural continuation of the Jews enmity towards the human race as a whole. Judaism controls the world by…secret movements as the destructive doctrines and groups, such as
communism, libertinism,
Free Masons,
Baha'ism, the
Rotary clubs, the nationalistic and racist doctrines. The Jews try to control the world through sex, then sexual perversion, then the promotion of espionage, treason, and economic hoarding."
*
The text of Hilaly's Sidon sermon*
Purported text of Hilaly's 1988 speech to students at Sydney University*
Australia's anti-semitic multicultural Mufti with many masks (anti-Hilaly site)
*
Gerard Henderson commentary on Hilaly*
Piers Akerman commentary on Hilaly and Douglas Wood*
Hilaly Claims to have seen Douglas Wood*
Douglas Wood denies he saw Hilaly while in captivity
