Controversial prayer centre fined for defying shutdown order

The controversial Bankstown prayer hall linked to radical preacher Wissam Haddad has been fined for defying a shutdown order.

The City of Canterbury-Bankstown has issued a $3000 penalty infringement notice to the Al Madina Dawah Centre for allegedly continuing to operate despite being handed a “cease use” directive in December.

In a statement on Friday morning, the council said an investigation by its compliance team found the centre “blatantly ignored” the directive.

“Council has been conducting surveillance of the premises, and it is quite clear there is still unauthorised use,” a spokesperson said.

“Despite the front gates being closed, we observed several people using the back door, and a stream of people were coming and going.”

The council said it had notified the centre that it was in breach of the directive by remaining open, and gave the centre seven days to explain why it should not be fined. The council issued the fine when that week lapsed.

The cease use directive was issued after the council found the centre was approved to operate only as a medical centre, not a prayer hall.

The fine comes after the centre announced it was permanently closing its doors in a Facebook post on Wednesday, with no further explanation. Its Facebook page has since been deleted.

Haddad, who once ran and preached at the centre, has been in the spotlight after links with one of the Bondi shooters, Naveed Akram, emerged last month. Fifteen people were killed and dozens were injured in the December 14 attack, which targeted a Jewish event on the first night of Hanukkah.

Convicted terror offenders have attended events hosted by Haddad, who is also known as Abu Ousayd. Haddad has not faced serious charges or been directly linked to terrorist acts, and there is no suggestion he was involved in the Bondi attack.

The centre has previously sought to distance itself from Haddad, saying it was under new management and no longer associated with the preacher.

Al Madina Group, the centre’s new organisational committee, said Haddad holds “no management role, has no operational authority and is not involved in the administration or decision-making of the current organisation”.

Despite that, in the days after the Bondi attack, the centre shared a statement from Haddad in which he attempted to distance himself from the attack and denied any involvement.

Haddad said in the statement that there was “no verified photos” of him and Akram together, but he did not address whether he knew the alleged shooter. He added it was “misleading” to call Akram one of his followers and denied any prior knowledge of the attack.

A post from December 23, when the council announced it was seeking to shut down the centre, said that the managers behind the centre were working through the requisite Change of Use application process to be able to return to normal operations.

At the time, they emphasised that the centre was “not closing” but was pausing operations “purely to ensure full compliance with council requirements and to obtain the necessary approvals”.

Al Madina Dawah Centre was used for Friday prayers, as well as Islamic classes and children’s programs.

The council had previously attempted to shut down a previous centre operated by Haddad in Georges Hall, issuing a warning because it was only approved to operate as a gym.

After further inquiries and surveillance by the council, a second notice on the Georges Hall property was issued and complied with.

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