Jamal Rifi (born 16 June 1959) is a Lebanese-born Australian
general practitioner
A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a Consultant (medicine), consultant in general practice.
GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk ass ...
in Sydney. He is known for his ardent support of the Australian Labor Party candidate, Tony Burke, during the 2025 Australian Federal Election.
Biography
Born in Lebanon, Rifi moved to Australia at the age of 24 to study medicine. Rifi has been acknowledged for his work in trying to prevent the radicalisation of young Muslims in Sydney and has been praised for his community work;
however, he has also been criticised and received death threats, including from terrorist Mohamed Elomar, who once tweeted that he would give money to people who helped intimidate Rifi, whom he described as a "
Habashi dog", and his family.
[
He has strongly criticised the content some of the material sold in Islamic bookshops, saying that it is better to discuss these issues rather than banning books.
In 2010, he was a national finalist as '''' for the ]Australian of the Year
The Australian of the Year is a national award conferred on an Australian citizen by the National Australia Day Council, a not-for-profit Australian Government-owned social enterprise. Similar awards are also conferred at the state and territor ...
. Subsequently in January 2015 he was chosen by ''The Australian
''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet daily newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964. As the only Australian daily newspaper distributed nationally, its readership of b ...
'' newspaper as its alternate Australian of the Year.Scott Morrison
Scott John Morrison (born 13 May 1968) is an Australian former politician who served as the 30th prime minister of Australia from 2018 to 2022. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party and was ...
who said that Rifi is a "great Australian".University of Canberra
The University of Canberra (UC) is a public university, public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is from Belconnen Town Centre, and from Canberra's Civic, Australian ...
.
In 2017, Rifi was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
.
In 2021, Rifi was sentenced in absentia to 10 years imprisonment by the Lebanese military tribunal for "collaborating with Israel" through his work with Project Rozana, which helps provide medical training for Palestinian medical workers and helps organise the transfer of Palestinian patients to hospitals in Israel. Rifi blamed this on the "corrupt" Lebanese government, and more specifically, Hezbollah
Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
.
He is the brother of Lebanese politician Ashraf Rifi
Ashraf Rifi (; also spelled Achraf Rifi) (born 1 April 1954) is a Lebanese politician and former police chief. He was the general director of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF; the national police) from 2005 to 2013 and served as mini ...
.
See also
*Islam in Australia
Islam is the second-largest Religion in Australia, religion in Australia. According to the 2021 Census in Australia, the combined number of people who Self-concept, self-identified as Australian Muslims, from all forms of Islam, constituted 8 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rifi, Jamal
1959 births
Australian general practitioners
Australian Sunni Muslims
Lebanese emigrants to Australia
Lebanese Sunni Muslims
Living people
Medical doctors from Sydney