Australia’s Lakemba Mosque Shifts Friday Prayer to Public Park for Peace in Palestine

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In a significant diversion from convention, Lakemba Mosque, the most prominent Islamic center in Australia, has announced that it will relocate its customary Friday Jummah prayer from its usual location to nearby Parry Park. The decision is motivated by a desire to pray for peace in Palestine, as the volatile situation in the region continues to escalate.

On 20th October 2023, the mosque will remain closed solely for the Jummah prayers, the main weekly worship service in Islam, akin to a Christian Sunday service tradition. Rather than answering the call to prayer within the mosque’s walls, the attendees will congregate in the park, marking an unusual step in their expression of faith in the name of peace.


Simultaneously, the Greater Sydney area is bracing for a wave of activism, with more than a dozen public demonstrations planned for the succeeding week. Foremost among them is the anticipated pro-Palestinian march which is projected to draw an impressive crowd, possibly exceeding 5000 participants.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb acknowledged the challenge of managing the extensive protest activities sprawling not only in the city and CBD but also in the outer metropolitan and rural spaces of Sydney. She confirmed the dynamic nature of the situation and affirmed the police’s commitment to address the evolving circumstances.

She further assured that the public’s right to peaceful protest would be respected. The law enforcement agencies are collaborative with community organizers to prevent any untoward incidents by miscreants intending to disrupt these otherwise peaceful protests.

A notable participant in these proposed rallies, the Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) based in Lakemba, expressed its disagreement with PM Anthony Albanese over his recent assertions about Israel’s right to self-defense. The organization cast a critical eye on the Palestinian situation likening it to the struggles of Australia’s First Nations people enduring persecution since the British settlement’s inception 235 years ago. The LMA argued that the Palestinian people have suffered similarly for over 75 years at Israel’s hands.