Weekend Wrap for 6 July 2025
Welcome to the NSL Weekend Wrap for 6 July 2025, where you can catch up on the latest secular-related news from around the country.
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At the National Level
A series of lectures delivered by an Islamic preacher at a Sydney prayer centre must be removed from social media under orders from a Federal Court judge who found they contained "fundamentally racist and antisemitic" material. Wissam Haddad, who is also known as Abu Ousayd, gave the speeches at Bankstown's Al Madina Dawah Centre in November 2023. In the Federal Court, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) alleged he contravened the Racial Discrimination Act, including by portraying Jewish people as "wicked", "scheming", "vile", "mischievous" and "descendants of apes and pigs". Mr Haddad's lawyers argued the speeches were derived in substance from religious texts including the Koran, were delivered only to a Muslim audience in private and did not refer to Australian Jewish people. Justice Angus Stewart today found the speeches contravened the Racial Discrimination Act and rejected Mr Haddad's defences. (1 Jul 2025)
Read more at ABC News
The intrusion of scripture programs into public schools is contributing to religious-based bullying, the Rationalist Society of Australia and other groups have told an inquiry. In a submission to the federal education department’s Anti-Bullying Rapid Review last week, the RSA urged governments to examine how scripture programs – such as the Special Religious Education (SRE) program in New South Wales and the Religious Instruction (RI) program in Queensland – contribute to bullying. RSA Executive Director Si Gladman said parents had, over the years, raised a common concern that such programs resulted in non-participating children becoming the target of religious-based bullying. “Such programs segregate children based on religious lines, making it easy for children to identify who among their peers are, for example, from Christian households, from non-religious households, or from minority religious traditions. Promoting segregation based on religion is corrosive to social cohesion and is completely at odds with the values of secular public education.” (2 Jul 2025)
Read more at the Rationalist Society of Australia
Around the Country
NSW: As of 1 July 2025, people born or living in NSW can update their sex descriptor on official documents without undergoing invasive surgery or medical examination. This move brings the state in line with other parts of Australia and marks a major win for trans and gender diverse communities. The changes follow the passage of the Equality Legislation Amendment Act 2024 through NSW Parliament last October. (1 Jul 2025)
Read more at Q News
NSW: NSW’s Equality Bill came into full effect on Tuesday, eight months after it was passed by state lawmakers. The bill was championed over many years by Sydney independent MP Alex Greenwich in consultation with stakeholders, and creates new protections for LGBTQIA+ people in a range of areas. Greenwich reflected: "From today, trans people can update their sex on their birth certificate through a quick admin process, non-binary becomes a legal sex descriptor, it becomes easier for families through overseas commercial surrogacy agreement to be recognised, threats to 'out' a person becomes an offence, and a number of new legal protections for the LGBTQIA+ community and sex workers come into effect. Of course, there is still more work to be done, and at the top of this is anti-discrimination protection for LGBTQIA+ teaches and students at private schools." (3 Jul 2025)
Read more at Q News
Commentary and Analysis
Sarah Wendt and Josephine Clarke: Interpersonal violence and abuse in religious contexts — how one Anglican diocese is responding
"In Australia supporting child safety and addressing child abuse, ending violence against women and children, and ending domestic and family violence are all efforts supported by national plans and strategies. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence both identified religious institutions as playing a key role in prevention and as places to increase response capacity to interpersonal violence and abuse. Research into religious contexts and interpersonal violence and abuse has highlighted how religion and faith communities may be a source of hope and support for victims/survivors experiencing and recovering from such abuse. But there is also evidence that religious norms and concepts may be used by a perpetrator to support their violence — and furthermore, that religious leaders often feel unprepared or do not understand safety implications embedded in different forms of interpersonal violence and abuse." (30 June 2025)
Read more at ABC Religion & Ethics
Anthony Klan: Catholic Church caught in Opus Dei “cover-up”
"The Catholic Church has made misleading claims about having reported to authorities allegations of abuse against one of its most senior figures. The church’s powerful Sydney Diocese on Tuesday said Bishop Richard Umbers was the subject of a 'claim of historical abuse', that he had stood aside, and that it had 'notified the relevant authorities'. 'In accordance with its obligations, the Archdiocese has notified the relevant authorities of the complaint,' it said in an official statement Tuesday. 'The NSW Police have confirmed there is no active investigation at this time,' the church said. Yet The Klaxon can exclusively reveal the church has not notified NSW Police." (4 Jul 2025)
Read more at The Klaxon
Events and Campaigns
CURRENT
Student voices are being heard across the state, thanks to the new NSW Public Schools Survey. Learn more at the NSW Education website.
Go Gentle Australia are fundraising to support a campaign for VAD in the NT. Learn more and donate on their website.
The Victorian Legislative Assembly’s Legal and Social Issues Committee is now accepting public submissions for its inquiry into cults and organised fringe groups, examining how they recruit and control people. Submissions are due by 31 July 2025, with the committee set to report back to parliament in late September. Make a submission here.
The NSW Law Reform Commission is reviewing the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) and public submissions are being requested. The closing date for submissions is 15 August 2025. Learn more and make a submission at the LRC website.
ONGOING
The full videos of presentations and panel discussions from the 2023 Secularism Australia Conference are freely available for viewing on the Secularism Australia website and on YouTube!
The Australia Institute are calling on federal parliament to pass truth in political advertising laws that are nationally consistent, constitutional and uphold freedom of speech. View the petition at The Australia Institute
The Human Rights Law Centre are running a website for those who want to support an Australian Charter of Human Rights & Freedoms. Visit the Charter of Rights website here
The Australian Education Union is running a campaign calling for “every school, every child” to receive fair education funding. Support the campaign here.
The Human Rights for NSW alliance is running a campaign calling for NSW to pass a Human Rights Act.
That's it for another week!
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