(Transcript from World News Radio)
The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies wants two members of Muslim political group Hizb-ut-Tahrir to be prosecuted under anti-discrimination laws for allegedly inciting hatred against the Jewish community.
The calls for prosecution come after the emergence of a video showing a spokesman for the group calling for Jihad against Jews.
Peggy Giakoumelos reports.
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"The ember of Jihad against the Jews will continue to burn. The struggle and the Jihad will continue until the worlds of Allah come true: "Judgment Day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews, you to the East of it you to the West of it, that day is coming. We and they both see it. We and they both know it."
That's part of a speech given by the spiritual head of Hizb-ut-Tahrir Ismail al-Wahwah on July 25 last year at a rally in Lakemba in Sydney.
The speech was published and translated by Memri TV.
The speech is filled with references to Israelis and Jews, with Mr al-Wahwah calling for the world to be set free from Jews.
He's also referred to a 7th-century massacre of Jews in what is now Saudi Arabia.
Quoting the Koran, Mr al-Wahwah adds Jews would no longer be safe.
"The Jews will not thrive and will not live in safety because they are the slayers of the prophets. The Koran says "Then your hearts became hardened after that, and became like stones or even harder." They are people with hearts of stone. Wherever the Jews thrive corruption abounds."
The speech has been condemned by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies which has written to the state's Anti Discrimination Board.
The Jewish Board of Deputies is calling for Mr al-Wahwah and a spokesman for the group, Wassim Dourehi who made similar comments in another speech, to be prosecuted for allegedly inciting racial hatred.
Vic Alhadeff is the Chief Executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.
He would like to see the two men prosecuted under Section 20D of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act.
"We are calling for these specific leaders of Hizb-ut-Tahrir to be prosecuted under anti discrimination laws for publicly calling for violence against Jews. We're calling for it under these hate race laws which prevents publicly threatening physical harm against a group of people or inciting others to threaten physical harm."
Mr Alhadeff says while free speech is important, it's also important for people to speak out and oppose platforms that he says promote bigotry and hatred.
"We live in a society comprises 200 cultures living overwhelmingly in peace in an environment where civility, respect and diversity are the norm. But we dare not take those values for granted. To do so is to put our entire way of life at risk. What we see he is crude Jew hatred and it threatens all of us in Australia who cherish our democratic way of life."
Section 20D of the NSW Anti-discrimination Act prevents publicly threatening physical harm towards any property person or group of persons on the ground of the race of the person or members of the group.
Hizb ut-Tahrir could not be reached for comment.
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