Prominent Australian horse trainer Kim Waugh, wife of cricket legend Mark Waugh, sparked controversy on X by calling Muslim protesters who heckled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a Sydney mosque ‘animals.’
The Tense Confrontation at Lakemba Mosque
On March 20, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke faced heated protests during Eid al-Fitr prayers at Lakemba Mosque in Sydney’s west. The leaders attended the event with the Lebanese Muslim Association to mark the end of Ramadan.
A small group of protesters, organized by Stand4Palestine, shouted ‘get them out of here,’ ‘shame,’ and ‘disgrace.’ They labeled the politicians ‘genocide supporters’ and chanted ‘Allahu Akbar.’ One organizer, Mukhlis Mah, declared, ‘How dare you come here. This is our sacred place – why are you inviting him here today? The shame is on you.’
Other hecklers booed the ministers and called Albanese a ‘putrid dog.’ Security escorted the protesters out as Albanese and Burke, who had removed their shoes, exited the prayer hall.
Prior to the disruption, Lebanese Muslim Association secretary Gamel Kheir urged the community to engage with government, noting disengagement limited their influence on issues like the Gaza war and rising Islamophobia.
Kim Waugh’s Fiery Social Media Response
Waugh reacted to commentary on Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, who defended the protesters in parliament. In posts on X, Waugh wrote: ‘Stop letting her have a say. She is crazy. They are a bunch of animals.’
In another post, she added: ‘Is she for real. Hello, embarrassing.’
Senator Faruqi’s Position
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, deputy leader of the Australian Greens since June 2022, accused the federal government of ‘gaslighting Muslims’ over their role in Israel’s actions in Gaza. After facing censure in parliament, she posted on Instagram: ‘The Labor party continues its record of cracking down on people who speak out against a genocide, while ignoring the perpetrator. They obviously care more about pomp and ceremony than Palestinians being starved and killed in their thousands. Labor has shown more outrage over me holding a sign than over Israel starving an entire population.’
Waugh maintains a successful training career, with horses achieving a 14 percent win rate from over 3,700 starts.
