Visa cancelled, Mizanur Rahman Azhari to return from Australia

Bangladeshi Islamic speaker Mizanur Rahman Azhari is being forced to leave Australia after the country’s government canceled his visa.

According to sources within the Australian government, his visa was cancelled over a past speech in which he praised Adolf Hitler. Azhari, however, claims that certain groups influenced the decision.

Azhari had travelled to Australia five days ago to attend several events. He was scheduled to speak in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra.

Last Tuesday, Australian authorities suddenly informed him of the decision to cancel his visa. Sources say the process to send him back to Bangladesh is currently underway.

According to those sources, the decision was made after videos of several of his previous controversial remarks resurfaced.

A report by the UK newspaper Daily Mail stated that a speech he delivered in the United States in 2023 led to the visa cancellation. In that speech, he allegedly made anti-Semitic remarks, praised Hitler, and described the Jewish genocide as “divine punishment.”

The report also mentions that he promoted anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and encouraged followers to sever all ties with a specific religious community. After these issues came to the attention of Australia’s Home Ministry, his visa was immediately canceled on security grounds.

Australian Senator Jonathon Duniam told the Senate that community groups had alerted authorities about Azhari’s presence in the country.

According to media reports, Azhari is currently under monitoring through a specific process and will be put on a flight out of Australia as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Azhari acknowledged the cancellation of his visa but claimed that misleading information is being spread in the media.

He wrote, “I have been in Australia for the past five days at the invitation of the Muslim community. The news circulating about my visit is a misinterpretation of a foreign report.”

He added, “It is completely false to blame any recent speech for the visa cancellation, as I have not delivered any speech here yet.”

Regarding the reason behind the cancellation, Azhari said, “It is not unusual for pressure or influence to surround speakers’ international visits; something similar has happened in my case. Certain interest groups and atheist groups have deliberately taken old, isolated statements out of context and influenced the administrative decision.”

Referring to the same video, he mentioned that he had faced obstacles in the United Kingdom a few years ago as well.

Azhari also claimed that he believes in communal harmony and peaceful coexistence.