Australian Visa Review After Controversial Remarks by American Law Professor.
Khaled Beydoun, an American law professor, is facing a review of his visa status after making controversial comments at a pro-Palestine rally on October 7. During the rally, Beydoun stated that the anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel should be seen as a day of “considerable celebration.”
Beydoun, an associate professor at Arizona State University, spoke at an event organized by Stand 4 Palestine outside the Lakemba Mosque in Sydney. His remarks coincided with the anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, with 251 others taken hostage. Around 100 hostages are still unaccounted for.
In a recording of the speech broadcast by ABC, Beydoun stated, “In many respects, today is also a day that marks considerable celebration, considerable progress, and in some respects, considerable privilege. The level of global literacy around what’s taking place in Palestine has exponentially risen.”
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has since confirmed that Beydoun’s visa is under review. He stated, “As soon as I heard about these comments, I asked my department to conduct a visa check.” Burke reported that at 8:30 PM, it was confirmed that Beydoun was traveling on a visa. He requested a briefing to further evaluate Beydoun’s visa status.
Attempts by Guardian Australia to contact Beydoun through LinkedIn did not receive a response before publication.
Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson criticized the approval of Beydoun’s visa, stating, “He did prove the point that many of us are making in the lead-up to the rallies on Monday, which is that the only reason you would organize a pro-Palestinian protest on Monday is if you thought it was worthy of celebration.”
Beydoun is recognized by his university as a leading expert on Islamophobia and has authored or co-edited three books on the subject.
Since Israel’s military response to the October 7 attacks, Palestinian health authorities report that nearly 42,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 97,000 wounded in Gaza.
The remarks regarding the anniversary have sparked division within the Australian Parliament. Opposition leader Peter Dutton declined to support a parliamentary motion proposed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that sought to acknowledge the first anniversary of the attacks. Dutton objected to the motion, which included calls for regional de-escalation and a ceasefire, saying, “It’s not the time for a wide-ranging motion.” The motion also aimed to mourn the deaths of all innocent civilians, acknowledging the number of Palestinian casualties and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
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