NSW police commissioner urged to apologise to entire Muslim community' after officers disrupted prayer at Sydney protest

"A Muslim group has urged the New South Wales police commissioner to apologise to the entire Muslim community after police disrupted a group of people praying at a protest against the visit by Israel's president in Sydney on Monday. Australian National Imams Council (Anic) confirmed it had received an apology from Mal Lanyon about the incident, but two other major Muslim groups Guardian Australia spoke to said they had not."

"On Wednesday, Lanyon said he had spoken to Muslim community leaders about the incident in which police were filmed pulling praying people out of a line. I've made contact with senior members of the Muslim community and have apologised for any offence that may have been taken for those that were in a religious prayer, Lanyon told 2GB. But the actions of the police [were] required to actually start dispersing the crowd, they were moving forward because of the actions of protesters."

"The Lebanese Muslim Association said it had also not been contacted with an apology and demanded Lanyon apologise publicly to the entire Muslim community. Spokesperson Hajj Gamel Kheir said anything less would be an insult to the Muslim community and a dangerous signal that attacking or disrupting public worship can now be done with impunity - and that Islamophobia is not only tolerated, but condoned and supported by police and government."

Police officers pulled people praying out of a line during a protest against Israel’s president in Sydney, prompting calls for an apology. The Australian National Imams Council confirmed it had received an apology from Mal Lanyon. The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (Afic) and the Lebanese Muslim Association said they had not been contacted and demanded a public apology, with Afic part of a coalition calling for the police commissioner’s resignation. Lanyon said he spoke to senior Muslim community leaders and apologised for any offence to those praying, while defending police actions as necessary to disperse the crowd. A sheikh leading the prayer described the police conduct as unhinged and aggressive.

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