Australian Sheikh Linked to Extremism of Flydubai Co-Pilot

An Omani co-pilot who attempted to crash a Flydubai flight had been radicalized in Australia nearly a decade ago, according to the UAE's Attorney General. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously stated the co-pilot, Al-Hammadi, underwent "Islamic-Jihadist brainwashing." Investigations now reveal that Al-Hammadi regularly attended a mosque associated with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) while studying in Melbourne between 2015 and 2017. During these visits, he met individuals connected to a center known as "My Centre," headed by Samir Mouhtadi, also known as 'Abu Hamza.'

Abu Hamza, whose family is of Lebanese origin but who grew up in Australia, has a history of making inflammatory statements. Last year, he referred to Zionists as "carrion eaters" and "blood suckers" and accused Australia of waging war against Islam. He also planned to establish an Islamic compound called a "refuge" through his registered charity organization.

During a sermon at an Islamic center in Melbourne, which was attended by a reporter from The Australian newspaper, Abu Hamza prayed for Allah to "instill terror in the hearts of Zionists" and to grant victory to mujahideen in Palestine. He also prayed for Allah to "shake the ground beneath the feet of the Zionists" and to strip them of security and unity.

Abu Hamza preached that attendees were not obligated to adopt the values of the host country, which had granted them citizenship and rights, including religious freedom. He described the conflict as a "war for consciousness" aimed at undermining faith in God, the Day of Judgment, and the Prophet.

In comments to The Australian, Abu Hamza defended his right to express views on Zionism, stating on the official Facebook page of the Islamic Information and Services Network of Australasia (IISNA) that he did not believe in Israel's existence. He called Zionists "subhuman," "blood-sucking," and "carrion eaters," vowing that Palestine would be cleansed of "these filthy Zionist terrorists."

Despite these extremist remarks, IISNA remains a registered charity and has previously received Australian government support for community events and educational initiatives.