The imam of a Melbourne mosque allegedly linked to the suspect in the attempted hijacking of a flydubai plane has taken to social media to claim “the righteous will always be attacked” and referred to “false accusations”, while not directly addressing the allegations.
In a statement released via state media last week, the United Arab Emirates attorney-general said the 29-year-old terror suspect, widely reported as Omani national Hammam Al-Hammami, started to “drift towards extremism and terrorism” while studying in Melbourne.
Mr Al-Hammami is accused of attacking his co-pilot with an axe in the skies over Saudi Arabia as they were flying a flydubai plane carrying more than 170 passengers.
Emirati authorities allege he was trying to take control of the plane to crash it into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, in a “suicide attack”.
Emirati Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said during Mr Al-Hammami’s time in Melbourne, the suspect began “reading extremist literature and following online content glorifying terrorist organisations and suicide attacks”.
According to the statement, the man met individuals associated with the My Centre mosque in Broadmeadows in 2017 while studying at RMIT and that “the centre was managed by a Lebanese man known as Abu Hamza”.
Samir Mohtadi, known as Abu Hamza, says: “The best thing sometimes is not to say anything.” (Facebook)
The mosque’s leader, Samir Mohtadi, known as Abu Hamza, invoked Jesus and Mary in a social media video in which he concluded: “The best thing sometimes is not to say anything.”
“Right through the ages … those who’re righteous, they’ve always been attacked, abused, accused, killed, imprisoned — and this is the way it is,” Mr Mohtadi said.
He recounted a story of Mary, known in Islam as Maryam, being accused of wrongdoing, to which he said she responded: “I swear by Allah, I’m not going to speak to anyone.”
“There are circumstances, my beloved brothers and respected sisters, regardless how much you explain yourself to people, they’re fixated with their ideas and that’s it; you can’t change them,” Mr Mohtadi said.
“So the best thing sometimes is not to say anything.
“They’re going to continue accusing you … making false accusations.”
He also said worshipping God, rather than defending oneself, was a better use of one’s time.
The ABC does not suggest that Mr Mohtadi or My Centre radicalised Mr Al-Hammami or were otherwise connected to the flydubai incident; simply that the authorities in the UAE have raised the connection.
Read more on the flydubai attempted hijacking
Mr Mohtadi and My Centre, which is run by the Islamic Information & Services Network of Australasia (IISNA), were contacted for comment.
Hammam Al-Hammami was allegedly associated with people linked to the My Centre mosque in the Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows. (ABC News: Patrick Rocca)
Rateb Jneid, president of the Sydney-based Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, said in a statement on Sunday that the federation “stood firmly” with My Centre and its leadership.
“Community organisations that have spent years supporting young people and families should not have their reputations damaged through speculation or guilt by association,” he said.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police were contacted for comment.
AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO probing pilot’s Australian links
Mr Al Shamsi, the Emirati attorney-general, said during the interrogation of Mr Al-Hammami it emerged he had been inspired by the September 11 terror attacks.
“[He] also said that he had prepared himself both psychologically and physically to carry out the plot by intensifying his exposure to material promoting terrorism and training in boxing under a private coach,” the news agency reported.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement that the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team — consisting of AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO — had been investigating “the alleged attacker’s links to Australia since they came to light”.
“We will not pre-judge the outcome of their investigation,” Mr Burke said.
The Multicultural Youth Centre charity located at the Broadmeadows mosque received $36,960 as part of a federal Community Language Schools grant in March 2024.
Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Jonno Duniam called on the federal government to “urgently review the circumstances in which taxpayer funding was awarded to this organisation, including what security checks were undertaken”.
“Australian taxpayers’ money should absolutely not be used to support organisations that promote hatred, extremism or radicalisation,” he said.
RMIT University has confirmed Mr Al-Hammami studied engineering at RMIT but said did not successfully complete his degree.
Islamic Council of Victoria president Mohamed Mohideen told the ABC he condemned “all forms of extremism”.
“The [Muslim] community should not be demonised for the actions of the two Bondi shooters,” he said.
“We also want the public to note that the Muslim community does not hold other Australians responsible for the Christchurch massacre of 52 individuals.”