A small number of Shia mosques and Islamic centres in Melbourne and Sydney held vigils for Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after his death in US missile strikes on Sunday, sparking outrage among Iranian Australian community members and political leaders.
The Iranian Australian community expressed distress over the memorials, with Dr Rana Dadpour, founder of advocacy group AusIran, stating that seeing a vigil for a terrorist brought back trauma, as Khamenei was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands, including her own family and friends. Nos Hosseini from the Iranian Women's Association described the vigils as 'a huge slap in the face' to the Iranian community, many of whom fled the regime he led.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the vigils were not appropriate, while New South Wales Premier Chris Minns labelled them 'atrocious', noting that Khamenei's regime killed tens of thousands of protesters. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said it would be 'inappropriate and insulting' for such events to go ahead.
The Shia Muslim Council of Australia defended the memorials, stating that Khamenei was regarded as a senior religious authority by millions, and that mourning is a religious obligation, not a political endorsement. Meanwhile, thousands of Iranian Australians attended celebratory events marking Khamenei's death on Sunday.
