Dozens of women mourning the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah have sat outside an Australian mosque after the women’s section was full.
Hundreds attended a prayer session at the All Rahman Mosque in Kingsgrove, Sydney’s south, on Tuesday to pay their respects to the terrorist organization’s leader for a second consecutive night.
Hezbollah, a recognized terrorist organization, confirmed on Saturday that Nasrallah was killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Lebanese capital Beirut last week.
The women were given chairs to sit outside the mosque as Nasrallah, one of Hezbollah’s founders, was celebrated as a martyr.
Men could also be seen walking in and out of the mosque to pay their respects, while others, wearing safety vests, stood at nearby tables to provide food and water to attendees.
It marked the second night of a three-day vigil for the leader, which began the day after protesters took to the streets in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday.
Just hours before Tuesday’s prayer session, Israel announced it has launched a “local and targeted” invasion of Lebanon to drive Hezbollah from the border.
Further protests are planned for two days in Sydney over the upcoming bank holiday weekend, prompting a request from NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb to ban them, citing security fears.
Dozens of women mourned outside a Sydney mosque on Tuesday evening (pictured) after the women’s wing signed up for a prayer session in honor of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
Australian, indigenous, Lebanese and Palestinian flags flew outside the mosque as hundreds of people turned out (pictured) for the second of a three-day vigil for Nasrallah
Footage from Tuesday’s rally showed Australian, indigenous, Lebanese and Palestinian flags flying outside the mosque.
Participants of all ages, including young children and teenagers, were able to solemnly and silently listen to prayers and speeches from community leaders.
Leaders of the mosque in Al Rahman told hundreds of attendees on Monday that Nasrallah had been a “supporter of the oppressed.”
“When martyrs depart, they leave behind a timeless legacy of good deeds and reputation that forges a path for future generations who will continue the ideology and movement and shake the thrones of injustice everywhere,” a leader said in Arabic and translated by the Australian.
Mosque leaders told hundreds of attendees on Monday that Nasrallah had been a “supporter of the oppressed” and celebrated him as a “martyr.” Pictured is Tuesday evening’s prayer session
Men in high-vis jackets manned tables outside the mosque as they provided food and water to attendees (pictured)
“This is what our martyrs would have wanted, so that their blood would not be shed in vain.”
The celebration of Nasrallah’s life continues to stir controversy after Hezbollah flags were raised at protests in Sydney, prompting an Australian Federal Police investigation.
A NSW Police statement on Tuesday announced plans to block upcoming protests after organizers submitted the required public meeting forms.
“Operation Shelter officers have held negotiations with protest organizers… but are not convinced that the protest can be conducted safely,” it said.
“Accordingly, the Commissioner has decided to apply to the NSW Supreme Court to ban the two meetings.
The second day of vigils came after NSW Police announced their plans to block protests in Sydney this Sunday and Monday over security fears
Nasrallah was a founding member of Hezbollah, a recognized terrorist organization, which confirmed his death on Saturday and sparked protests in Sydney and Melbourne.
The prayer session came just hours after Israel announced it had launched a ‘limited’ ground invasion of Lebanon on Tuesday (photo, aftermath of Israeli attacks in Beirut)
“The NSW Police recognizes and supports the rights of individuals and groups to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
“However, the first priority for NSW Police is the safety of participants and the wider community.”
The statement was released just hours after Israel and Hezbollah launched artillery salvos across the border, almost a year after the October 7 attacks.
Israeli officials announced on Monday (local time) that they had launched ground attacks based on “precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”
“These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel,” read a statement from Israeli officials.
Australians in Lebanon have been urged by Foreign Minister Penny Wong to leave the country as quickly as possible after Israel attacked Hezbollah targets using hundreds of exploding pagers and walkie-talkies in September.
The two waves of explosions on the same days killed 37 people and injured around 3,000 others, according to Lebanese officials.