An Islamist preacher has denied calling Jewish people "vile and treacherous" in controversial sermons to boost his online profile after attracting the ire of Hindus and Christians.
Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre cleric Wissam Haddad has been accused of racial discrimination during a series of fiery sermons from November 2023, which have racked up thousands of views online.
He was quizzed in the Federal Court on Wednesday about a 2022 lecture in which he said Christmas greetings were worse than congratulating someone for murder.
The preacher denied suggestions the speech was "highly offensive" and he delighted in the controversy by repeating it on his social media page.
Peter Braham SC, acting for two Jewish plaintiffs, made those accusations and suggested it was one example of how Mr Haddad previously sought to amplify his views.
He pointed to Mr Haddad's 2023 description of Jewish people as "descendants of pigs and monkeys" and Hindus as "worshippers of cows and monkeys".
In a post on social media in response to the backlash from the Hindu community, the preacher ate a beef burger and announced he "didn't want to have a beef with anyone".
Mr Haddad, who is also known as Abu Ousayd, told the Federal Court he knew his initial comments caused offence but was demonstrating resilience in the face of threats.
He rejected Mr Braham's suggestions he revelled in the attention or that he was trying to become an online personality by making offensive remarks about other religious groups.
"You were trying to attract attention by posting racist content online, weren't you?" Mr Braham asked.
"No," the preacher responded.
Mr Haddad denies breaching anti-discrimination laws and claims he was delivering historical and religious lectures on events from the Koran to contextualise the war in Gaza.
He said he was speaking about "Jews of faith" rather than ethnicity while trying to explain "what the Israeli government is doing to the people of Gaza" is "not something new".
The preacher said his description of Jews as a "vile people" was aimed at the actions of the Israeli government and the use of "treacherous" was a reference to events in the Koran.
He likewise attributed his characterisations of Jewish people as "mischievous", "murderous" and "rebellious" to Islamic texts.
"I never set out to insult Jews," Mr Haddad said.
He told the court his speeches were intended for a small private Muslim audience rather than the broader community.
The preacher admitted he knew the allegedly anti-Semitic lectures were being recorded and they would be published online but said he was not responsible for uploading them.
His lawyer argued the allegedly racist lectures had been selectively edited and would not have been seen by Jewish people if not reported on by the media.
Yet Mr Braham said he would argue that "everything that happens at the Al Madina Dawah Centre is designed and calculated for public consumption and to create or attract controversy".
His clients, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim and deputy president Robert Goot, are suing Mr Haddad over the allegedly racist speeches.
They want the published lectures - which they say are offensive and could incite violence towards Jews - taken down and Mr Haddad banned from making similar comments.
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