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Shiite Muslims surrounded Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral on July 7 in an apparent show of force.

The 12^th annual Ashura procession, which marks the killing of Muhammad’s grandson by Sunni Muslims in 680 AD, made a siege-like symbolic stop at the Catholic Cathedral without incident.

A video showing Muslim men encircling St Patrick’s garnered over 2.9 million views on X and originated from a small account without a clear explanation of the context.

This is absolutely insane. An entire legion of Muslim men encircled Melbourne’s Cathedral pic.twitter.com/JIFAt5jISc

— PoorSoulfromPurgatory (@Porsulfrom) July 7, 2025

Suggesting the event was scheduled through them, Victoria Police has yet to offer any concerns or clarifications in response to the now-viral video.

‘Not a Religious Gesture’: Ashura Organisers

According to the organisers of Ashura, this is the fifth time in its 12-year history that the procession has stopped at the Cathedral.

A Shiite committee spokesman defended the stopover, stating in the comments section on Facebook,

“Their brief pause near St. Patrick’s is not a religious gesture towards the church.”

The reason is “location, and the space it offers on the route.”

Despite the alarming optics, organisers asserted that “the direction or backdrop had no theological significance.”

“It’s purely a matter of route logistics and space.”

St Patrick’s offers the “crowd an area they can safely use to pause, reflect, and beat their chests (matam) as a sign of mourning” the Sunni murder of Muhammad’s grandson, Husayn ibn Ali.

The spokesman acknowledged that the march was also a political statement.

This procession marks a protest “against tyranny and oppression that resonates beyond faiths.”

Speaking about mass appeal, he said these Muslim men were marching to celebrate co-existence.

Muhammad’s grandson would have cheered on multiculturalism, and a “diverse society like Australia’s,” he argued.

Included in the committee’s 13-point etiquette guide, Ashura participants must observe hijab, not leave any rubbish behind, and avoid all confrontations.

The organisers have made no apparent attempt to publicly explain the video or why Ashura participants appear to turn and face the cathedral.

Procession Raises More Questions

Asked if the Shiite procession would have avoided a Sunni mosque – if it was on the same route – the same committee spokesman remarked,

“If you search YouTube and see other videos, you will notice that the procession went through in a similar fashion across the whole authorised route.”

“It will be the same for a mosque or any other place of worship. We respect all places of worship as mentioned above.”

When asked if they could confirm that the Shiite procession would have encircled a Sunni mosque the way they did St Patrick’s, the spokesman refused to answer.

Contradicting statements about St Patrick’s being a stopover, the Ashura spokesperson stated it was a procession, “they were passing by.”

If Melbourne’s Shiite procession wouldn’t surround a Sunni mosque to avoid the appearance of direct confrontation, why weren’t the same considerations made for St Patrick’s?

Critics Raise Concerns about Surrounding St Patrick’s Cathedral

Criticisms and concerns are not “Islamophobic” or “far-right paranoia”. They’re completely understandable.

Regardless of the original video’s lack of context and the Shiite committee’s quiet reassurances, the procession appeared to target the Christian cathedral.

The siege-like optics are bad, and appeared to show disrespect – if not express contempt – for Christians.

As such, social media responses to the video have been somewhat justifiably blunt.

Outspoken critic of Islam, Dr. Maalouf, called it a terrifying glimpse of “how Islam treats infidels, if they become a majority.”

Lawyer Katherine Deves Morgan expressed her concerns, describing the incident as a “display of dominance and intimidation.”

Co-leader of Britain First, Paul Golding, shared similar scenes from Helsinki, stating, “it must be a new trend among Islamists.”

In a thread on X, social commentator Rukshan Fernando noted that the “truth about the Ashura march is far” more confronting.

“Western countries are seeing a decline in Christian religious observance. This has led, in some instances, to centuries-old churches being converted into mosques or temples.”

“History shows us these lessons,” he added.

“Today, more than ever, it is important to not just express faith online, but also to do it in public and at places of worship on a regular basis.”

In other words, we either use it and defend it, or be prepared to lose it.

Concerned Citizen Launches Freedom of Religion Petition

A fresh Change.org petition is now calling for procession guidelines in Victoria to protect places of worship from intimidation.

Initiated by Rene Smith, the petition also seeks answers for why Shiite Muslims were allowed to set up loudspeakers outside St Patrick’s.

Had Christians “gathered and chanted over loudspeakers around a mosque,” Smith argued, “it would likely be viewed as unacceptable and investigated by police.”

So why the special treatment?

Consider signing the freedom of religion petition here.

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Image: Screenhots via PoorSoulfromPurgatory/X.