Sydney’s Al Madina Dawah Centre has announced its permanent closure just weeks after assuring congregants that it would remain open.
The controversial Islamic prayer hall led by preacher Wissam Haddad posted a statement on Jan. 13 but did not explain why it was closing.
In the wake of the Bondi terror attack that targeted a Jewish celebration and killed 15 people and injured 40, the Al Madina Dawah Centre was forced to close temporarily after the City of Canterbury-Bankstown Council found it was not approved for use as a prayer hall.
In that statement, a spokesperson for the Centre said it had only been required to submit a change of use application and would return to operations once it had.
Some media reports alleged that alleged Bondi shooter Naveed Akram had been a follower of Haddad’s, while Haddad has denied any link to the Bondi massacre on Dec. 14.
In 2025, a federal court ruled that a series of lectures delivered by Hadad contained “fundamentally racist and antisemitic material” directed at Jews, shortly after a Four Corners documentary claimed Haddad was radicalising young Australians.
When contacted by The Epoch Times, the City of Canterbury Bankstown council directed attention back to its statement released on Dec. 23, 2025, where it revealed the centre never had approval to operate as a prayer hall.
It is understood the building is approved as a medical centre.
The Council said it had conducted surveillance of the building and found it had not been used for its intended purpose.
The Council’s spokesperson said it was not the first time Haddah had been issued a directive to shut down a prayer centre in a non-approved building.
In 2023, the Council issued a “cease use” directive for a building on Eldon Street at Georges Hall that had only been approved for use as a gym.
“Wissam continued to operate and after further enquiries and surveillance by council, he was issued with another notice and shut down,” the Council statement said.
The Council said there were then reports Haddad continued to preach from the Al Madina Dawah Centre.
“Despite no complaints from nearby residents, we continued to conduct ongoing surveillance of the premises, and we now have the photographic evidence to suspect the centre is being used contrary to what it has been approved for,” the Council said.
The spokesperson said they were working with police and the government, but would not be making further comment on the issue.
It comes as the New South Wales government puts forth fresh reforms giving councils the ability to issue fines up to $220,000 for illegal prayer centres and the power to cut their utilities.
The new laws are expected to be in place within the next 12 months, with state Premier Chris Minns saying hate speech needs to be confronted.
“I’m just sick of a situation where we can’t even close down an illegally operating prayer hall where you should be seeking approval (from council) as does every other business, organisation and corporation,” he told reporters.
