Australia revokes Mizanur Rahman Azhari’s visa for praising Hitler
Azhari rejected the report, calling them a “misleading and inaccurate interpretation” of a foreign media outlet
Australia has cancelled the visa of Islamic scholar Mizanur Rahman Azhari, who praised Adolf Hitler as a 'divine punishment' against Jews, midway through his national speaking tour, according to a report by Daily Mail.
Azhari, who has a large online following, was touring several Australian cities over Easter as part of his "Legacy of Faith" lecture series, with scheduled events in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.
His visa was cancelled on 31 March, and he is currently awaiting deportation, the report said.
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The controversy surrounding his visit was raised in parliament by Australian Liberal Senator Jonathan Duniam, who said community organisations had expressed concerns over Azhari's presence.
He added, "Several lawmakers, including the relevant minister, were contacted by advocacy groups warning about the preacher's presence."
The report also cited a 2023 sermon delivered in the United States in which Azhari allegedly promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories and made dehumanising remarks about Jewish people.
According to the report, Azhari has previously faced restrictions in multiple countries. He was barred from entering the United Kingdom and had also been prohibited from delivering public sermons in Bangladesh over allegations of extremist hate speech.
However, in a Facebook post today (1 April), Azhari rejected the reports, calling them a "misleading and inaccurate interpretation" of a foreign media outlet.
He said he had been in Australia for five days at the invitation of the Muslim community and had not delivered any speech there so far.
Azhari further alleged that "certain vested groups and atheist factions" had deliberately revived old, isolated remarks out of context to influence administrative decisions, adding that similar efforts had been made to block his engagements in the United Kingdom in the past.
He added that he believes in communal harmony and peaceful coexistence, saying his public discussions reflect those values.
