Australian Mosques Pay Tribute to Iran's Supreme Leader Following Airstrike Death
Mosques across Australia have held overnight vigils to honour Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israel airstrike on his compound on February 28. Preachers at these services described his death as an inspiration and urged followers to maintain their fight, sparking a complex national response.
Vigils and Tributes in Major Cities
Services were conducted at mosques in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, mourning Khamenei's death after over three decades of rule. Ali Safdari, a preacher at the Al Zahra Mosque in Arncliffe, Sydney, praised Khamenei as a noble man and the embodiment of everything we wanted in a leader. In a Sunday night service, he told worshippers, We lost someone very special, but we cannot lose our vision, we cannot lose our fight. The mosque is holding a three-day service to commemorate the leader.
Other venues included the Flagbearer Foundation in Sydney, the El Zahra Centre in Melbourne, and the Zainabia Islamic Centre in Brisbane. One preacher noted, He didn't shout, Yazid held his hands. Congrats on your martyrdom dear leader, highlighting the emotional tone of the gatherings.
Khamenei's Controversial Legacy
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who came to power in 1989, was responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths through state-sponsored terrorism domestically and abroad. As commander-in-chief, he led Iran's axis of resistance, an anti-Western alliance involving groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, Shia militias in Iraq, and Houthi rebels in Yemen. Internally, his regime crushed opposition, with over 30,000 protesters killed by security forces in January alone—the largest death toll in modern Iranian history.
Divergent Reactions Across Australia
In contrast to the mosque tributes, thousands of Iranian-Australians gathered in Sydney's Hyde Park on Sunday to celebrate Khamenei's death. Minoo Ghamari, who fled Iran 19 years ago, called it Iran's Berlin Wall moment, referencing the 1989 collapse of the Iron Curtain in Europe.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held a snap press conference, expressing support for the brave people of Iran. He stated, Ayatollah Khamenei was responsible for the regime's nuclear program, support for armed proxies, and its brutal violence against its own people. His passing will not be mourned. However, the left-wing Socialist Alliance condemned the airstrike as illegal and violating international human rights, with dozens of supporters protesting outside Town Hall to call for an end to the conflict.
Expert and Survivor Perspectives
Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, imprisoned in Iran for over 800 days, urged those mourning to consider Khamenei's victims. She noted, I would urge such people to think about what the Iranian people are telling them, who would absolutely not want to be mourning such a mass-murdering tyrant. He has the blood of hundreds of thousands on his hands. Her comments underscore the deep divisions within Australia's response to the event.
