A preacher previously found to have breached racial discrimination laws with antisemitic sermons has accused Australia of applying double standards in its treatment of returned ISIS brides compared to Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Return of ISIS-Linked Women
Four women formerly linked to Islamic State fighters arrived in Australia from Syria on Thursday, May 7, accompanied by nine children. The women had spent the past seven years in the al-Roj refugee camp in northeastern Syria. Three of the four were charged shortly after landing.
Janai Safar landed in Sydney and was taken to Mascot Police Station, where she faced charges of entering or remaining in declared areas and being a member of a terrorist organisation. Each offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment. In Melbourne, Kawsar Abbas was charged with enslavement, using a slave, and engaging in slave trading. Her daughter, Zeinab Ahmed, faces charges of enslavement and using a slave.
Preacher's Criticism
Islamic preacher Wissam Haddad, also known as Abu Ousayd, shared images of the three arrested women on Monday alongside a photograph of Israeli President Isaac Herzog and NSW Premier Chris Minns. The photo depicted Minns holding an umbrella over Herzog during his February visit to Sydney, which followed the Bondi Beach mass shooting targeting a Jewish event.
Haddad commented on alleged war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza. "Depending on who you are, 'crime against humanity' will either get you umbrella treatment or jail treatment," he wrote online. He noted that Herzog has been publicly accused by legal groups, human rights advocates, and UN-linked investigators of involvement in or incitement related to alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide connected to the Gaza conflict. "But of course, the 'law' is only ever applied against the weak, and who better to apply it to than women who have spent years in a prison camp, and of course the bonus is that they are Muslim! Double standards again," Haddad added.
Previous Legal Issues
While this comment was relatively measured, Haddad became the subject of an Australian Federal Police investigation in April following reports that he had spread hatred towards Jews and Christians in his sermons. A 30-minute video of the sermon was removed from YouTube under its Hate Speech guidelines. In July 2025, the Federal Court found Haddad had breached the Racial Discrimination Act, ordering several of his sermons to be removed from social media and warning him against sharing similar content.
Kurdish Authorities React
The arrests also drew criticism from Kurdish authorities overseeing the al-Roj camp. Security administrator Jafri Afrin told The Australian on Monday that the seven remaining Australian women and their 11 children are now afraid to return. The remaining women, considered more radical than those who landed last week, had expected all Australian refugees to be repatriated together, not in separate groups. However, the four women and their children flew to Australia without contacting those still in the camp.
Kurdish authorities had classified at least two of the Australian women as extremists based on their behaviour, interactions, clothing, and limited social engagement. One of these women arrived in Australia last week, while the other remains in a separate section of the camp. Kawsar Abbas's remaining relatives in the camp are particularly fearful of facing enslavement charges upon arrival in Australia. "Probably they will face the same charges because this family was together with them in Syria," Ms Afrin said.
Camp director Hakmiyeh Ibrahim stated that the remaining Australians would likely campaign to explore "what opportunities remain for them to return to Australia, and whether this process could be delayed." She added, "As the Autonomous Administration and camp administration, we have no objection to any country coming to take back its families. All the Australian families in al-Roj camp, all the women and children, have passports and we have copies and passport numbers for all of them."
