The Daily Mail reports on an Irish convert to Islam and Israel-hater who prayed in front of the Bondi massacre memorial.
A Muslim tradesman who sparked an online storm when he was pictured praying in front of a memorial to the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre has given his account of what he was doing.
On Sunday, Séamus Ó Cruadhlaoich knelt down in front of a memorial in the shape of a menorah in Bondi’s Archer Park – a temporary tribute to the 15 killed last December – after completing the City2Surf fun run.
Mr Ó Cruadhlaoich, an Irishman who recently converted to Islam, was wearing a race bib that said ‘free Palestine’, while wearing a running top emblazoned with the Palestinian, Irish and Aboriginal flags.
Photographs of Mr Ó Cruadhlaoich’s prayer were spread on social media platform X by Daniel Lewkovitz, the former Liberal Democrat political candidate for the federal seat of Wentworth, who questioned his motives, and noted his prayer was performed outside of typical Islamic prayer times for that day.
Mr Lewkovitz’s post sparked a barrage of abuse about Mr Ó Cruadhlaoich – including him being branded a ‘disgusting scumbag’, accusations he was performing a ‘fake Muslim prayer’ and calls for his deportation.
Last night, Mr Ó Cruadhlaoich said he was horrified by the posts and stressed that he chose to pray in front of the memorial for ‘peace and harmony’.
‘It was just after I ran the race and I walked up to the monument and it felt right at the time,’ he said.
‘I talked to Allah and prayed for peace and harmony within all communities and all society all over the world, but especially hoping for peace for these people who were taken in this horrific event.
‘It was my first time at the monument and I just wanted to pay my respects.’
Mr Ó Cruadhlaoich said critics were painting ‘all (Muslims) with one brush… I don’t even want to humour it’.
Of Mr Lewkovitz he said: ‘Who is he to tell me when I can pray?’
Mr Ó Cruadhlaoich said he felt comfortable praying in front of the menorah and claimed that he was greeted by a Jewish man who thanked him for paying his respects.
‘He waited till I was finished and when I turned around he put out his hand, shook mine and said, “Big respect, brother”,’ he said.
‘And I said, “Thank you and respect to you too,” and I walked away with my friend and that was it.’
I call BS on Cruadhlaoich’s claim that he “just wanted to pay his respects.” And I have the receipts.
A look at Cruadhlaoich’s social media history – which he has stupidly left up online – indicates how his claim of “just wanting to pay his respects” is codswallop.
In this video, he refers to Bondi (as in the massacre) as “a real false flag”:
Here he is bashing and mischaracterizing (and mispronouncing) Chabad, the movement within Orthodox Hasidic Judaism who organized and hosted the Chanukah event at which the Bondi massacre was perpetrated:
Here he is bashing the Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA) – a purely Jewish group that has acted as the central organizer of community crisis recovery, fundraising, and preservation efforts following the Bondi massacre – as well as the Jewish Community Security Group (CSG), whose role is anticipating, experiencing, and managing the security response to the massacre:
What’s more, he has a whole Instagram highlight called “Hero”, which is dedicated to dead Hamas arch terrorist Yahya Sinwar.
if that wasn’t enough, he released an “apology” video after the controversy surrounding his “prayer” at the Bondi memorial. But guess to whom he apologized to and to whom he didn’t:
A law school graduate, David Lange transitioned from work in the oil and hi-tech industries into fulltime Israel advocacy. He is a respected commentator and Middle East analyst who has often been cited by the mainstream media
A law school graduate, David Lange transitioned from work in the oil and hi-tech industries into fulltime Israel advocacy. He is a respected commentator and Middle East analyst who has often been cited by the mainstream media
