Melbourne Islamic leader rejects centre’s alleged Flydubai hijacker links after Facebook video
✓The leader of a Melbourne Islamic centre allegedly linked to the accused Flydubai hijacker has rejected any connection with the radicalised pilot, saying he never met the suspect, and condemned “violence in all its forms”.
The UAE government has alleged that investigators had traced the ideological and professional background of the 29-year-old suspect, Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, and that his “drift towards extremism and terrorism” began while a student at RMIT University in Melbourne in 2017.
The UAE’s attorney-general stated al-Hammami, had said that while studying in Melbourne he regularly attended a mosque affiliated with RMIT, and through those visits had become acquainted with people associated with a centre known as “MyCentre”.
He allegedly said that the centre was managed by a man known as “Abu Hamza” but it was not stated whether the suspect had ever met Abu Hamza. There was no allegation that anyone at the centre was involved in radicalising al-Hammami or had kept in contact with him or had any knowledge of his intentions before the 30 September flight.
In a statement issued late on Monday, Samir Mohtadi – who also goes by Abu Hamza – said al-Hammami was unknown to the Multicultural Youth Centre (MyCentre).
“I have never met Al-Hammami, who has been referred to in recent media reports, and we have no record of him ever attending our centre.
“I strongly reject any attempt to associate me or Multicultural Youth Centre with Al-Hammami.
“Such claims are unfounded, misleading and risk unfairly damaging the reputation of an organisation that has served the wider Australian community for decades.”
Mohtadi said MyCentre had provided community services, including education, gyms, sporting facilities, aquatic and medical centres, and spiritual support for the wider Melbourne community over decades.
“Our doors are open to everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, with hundreds of people visiting our facilities every day,” Mohtadi said.
“Throughout my life, I have consistently preached peace, and both my work and the work of the centre have always focused on promoting peace, harmony, mutual respect and community wellbeing. We unequivocally reject violence in all its forms.”
On Sunday night, Mohtadi appeared in a four-minute video released on the centre’s Facebook page.
He referred to Islamic texts on the virtues of staying silent when being attacked by others but makes no reference in the video to the alleged Flydubai hijack attempt, the UAE attorney general’s statement or to al-Hammami
“You’ll find those who are righteous you’ll always find have been attacked, abused, accused, killed, imprisoned, and this is the way it is,” Mohtadi said in the video.
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“The best thing, sometimes, is not to say anything.”
RMIT has confirmed al-Hammami had studied engineering at the university, but left Australia before completing the qualification. He subsequently underwent flight training in New Zealand and became a qualified commercial pilot.
Passengers and crew on the 30 September flight, which had 182 people onboard, intervened to stop the alleged attempt to hijack the plane and crash it into Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv in a “premeditated terrorist plot”, according to the UAE attorney general’s statement.
According to the statement, al-Hammami allegedly told prosecutors he adopted ideas advocating violence and terrorism and drew inspiration from the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001.
“The idea of carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft became firmly established in his thinking,” the statement said.
Al-Hammami allegedly prepared himself psychologically and physically to carry out the alleged terror plot by intensifying his exposure to material promoting terrorism and training in boxing under a private coach.
Australian security agencies launched an investigation after it emerged al-Hammami spent about two years in the country, with New Zealand authorities also examining his time there between November 2018 and May 2019.
On Sunday, Australia’s home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said the co-pilot was allegedly radicalised online. He also said the government wanted to properly screen people at the border and in online settings.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
MyCentre leader Samir Mohtadi, who also goes by Abu Hamza, says claims associating him with flyDubai pilot are unfounded. Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news…
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
The leader of a Melbourne Islamic centre allegedly linked to the accused Flydubai hijacker has rejected any connection with the radicalised pilot, saying he never met the suspect, and condemned “violence in all its forms”.
The UAE government has alleged that investigators had traced the ideological and professional background of the 29-year-old suspect, Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, and that his “drift towards extremism and terrorism” began while a student at RMIT University in Melbourne in 2017.
The UAE’s attorney-general stated al-Hammami, had said that while studying in Melbourne he regularly attended a mosque affiliated with RMIT, and through those visits had become acquainted with people associated with a centre known as “MyCentre”.
He allegedly said that the centre was managed by a man known as “Abu Hamza” but it was not stated whether the suspect had ever met Abu Hamza. There was no allegation that anyone at the centre was involved in radicalising al-Hammami or had kept in contact with him or had any knowledge of his intentions before the 30 September flight.
In a statement issued late on Monday, Samir Mohtadi – who also goes by Abu Hamza – said al-Hammami was unknown to the Multicultural Youth Centre (MyCentre).
“I have never met Al-Hammami, who has been referred to in recent media reports, and we have no record of him ever attending our centre.
“I strongly reject any attempt to associate me or Multicultural Youth Centre with Al-Hammami.
“Such claims are unfounded, misleading and risk unfairly damaging the reputation of an organisation that has served the wider Australian community for decades.”
Mohtadi said MyCentre had provided community services, including education, gyms, sporting facilities, aquatic and medical centres, and spiritual support for the wider Melbourne community over decades.
“Our doors are open to everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, with hundreds of people visiting our facilities every day,” Mohtadi said.
“Throughout my life, I have consistently preached peace, and both my work and the work of the centre have always focused on promoting peace, harmony, mutual respect and community wellbeing. We unequivocally reject violence in all its forms.”
On Sunday night, Mohtadi appeared in a four-minute video released on the centre’s Facebook page.
He referred to Islamic texts on the virtues of staying silent when being attacked by others but makes no reference in the video to the alleged Flydubai hijack attempt, the UAE attorney general’s statement or to al-Hammami
“You’ll find those who are righteous you’ll always find have been attacked, abused, accused, killed, imprisoned, and this is the way it is,” Mohtadi said in the video.
after newsletter promotion
“The best thing, sometimes, is not to say anything.”
RMIT has confirmed al-Hammami had studied engineering at the university, but left Australia before completing the qualification. He subsequently underwent flight training in New Zealand and became a qualified commercial pilot.
Passengers and crew on the 30 September flight, which had 182 people onboard, intervened to stop the alleged attempt to hijack the plane and crash it into Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv in a “premeditated terrorist plot”, according to the UAE attorney general’s statement.
According to the statement, al-Hammami allegedly told prosecutors he adopted ideas advocating violence and terrorism and drew inspiration from the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001.
“The idea of carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft became firmly established in his thinking,” the statement said.
Al-Hammami allegedly prepared himself psychologically and physically to carry out the alleged terror plot by intensifying his exposure to material promoting terrorism and training in boxing under a private coach.
Australian security agencies launched an investigation after it emerged al-Hammami spent about two years in the country, with New Zealand authorities also examining his time there between November 2018 and May 2019.
On Sunday, Australia’s home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said the co-pilot was allegedly radicalised online. He also said the government wanted to properly screen people at the border and in online settings.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
The leader of a Melbourne Islamic centre allegedly linked to the accused Flydubai hijacker has rejected any connection with the radicalised pilot, saying he never met the suspect, and condemned “violence in all its forms”.
The UAE government has alleged that investigators had traced the ideological and professional background of the 29-year-old suspect, Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, and that his “drift towards extremism and terrorism” began while a student at RMIT University in Melbourne in 2017.
The UAE’s attorney-general stated al-Hammami, had said that while studying in Melbourne he regularly attended a mosque affiliated with RMIT, and through those visits had become acquainted with people associated with a centre known as “MyCentre”.
He allegedly said that the centre was managed by a man known as “Abu Hamza” but it was not stated whether the suspect had ever met Abu Hamza. There was no allegation that anyone at the centre was involved in radicalising al-Hammami or had kept in contact with him or had any knowledge of his intentions before the 30 September flight.
In a statement issued late on Monday, Samir Mohtadi – who also goes by Abu Hamza – said al-Hammami was unknown to the Multicultural Youth Centre (MyCentre).
“I have never met Al-Hammami, who has been referred to in recent media reports, and we have no record of him ever attending our centre.
“I strongly reject any attempt to associate me or Multicultural Youth Centre with Al-Hammami.
“Such claims are unfounded, misleading and risk unfairly damaging the reputation of an organisation that has served the wider Australian community for decades.”
Mohtadi said MyCentre had provided community services, including education, gyms, sporting facilities, aquatic and medical centres, and spiritual support for the wider Melbourne community over decades.
“Our doors are open to everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, with hundreds of people visiting our facilities every day,” Mohtadi said.
“Throughout my life, I have consistently preached peace, and both my work and the work of the centre have always focused on promoting peace, harmony, mutual respect and community wellbeing. We unequivocally reject violence in all its forms.”
On Sunday night, Mohtadi appeared in a four-minute video released on the centre’s Facebook page.
He referred to Islamic texts on the virtues of staying silent when being attacked by others but makes no reference in the video to the alleged Flydubai hijack attempt, the UAE attorney general’s statement or to al-Hammami
“You’ll find those who are righteous you’ll always find have been attacked, abused, accused, killed, imprisoned, and this is the way it is,” Mohtadi said in the video.
after newsletter promotion
“The best thing, sometimes, is not to say anything.”
RMIT has confirmed al-Hammami had studied engineering at the university, but left Australia before completing the qualification. He subsequently underwent flight training in New Zealand and became a qualified commercial pilot.
Passengers and crew on the 30 September flight, which had 182 people onboard, intervened to stop the alleged attempt to hijack the plane and crash it into Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv in a “premeditated terrorist plot”, according to the UAE attorney general’s statement.
According to the statement, al-Hammami allegedly told prosecutors he adopted ideas advocating violence and terrorism and drew inspiration from the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001.
“The idea of carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft became firmly established in his thinking,” the statement said.
Al-Hammami allegedly prepared himself psychologically and physically to carry out the alleged terror plot by intensifying his exposure to material promoting terrorism and training in boxing under a private coach.
Australian security agencies launched an investigation after it emerged al-Hammami spent about two years in the country, with New Zealand authorities also examining his time there between November 2018 and May 2019.
On Sunday, Australia’s home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said the co-pilot was allegedly radicalised online. He also said the government wanted to properly screen people at the border and in online settings.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
- MyCentre leader Samir Mohtadi, who also goes by Abu Hamza, says claims associating him with flyDubai pilot are unfounded.
- Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news…