Sydney: A Melbourne-based Islamic community centre head has denounced what he termed as ‘false accusations’ after authorities in the United Arab Emirates linked the centre to an Omani co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack a Flydubai aircraft.
The man, identified by local media as Samir Mohtadi, also known as Abu Hamza, runs My Centre in Melbourne. UAE prosecutors believe that the co-pilot got radicalised while studying in Australia, noting his exposure to extremist literature and online content glorifying terrorist organisations.
In a video broadcast on social media, Mohtadi noted that people he considered virtuous have previously experienced insults, harassment and false claims. However, he did not explicitly respond to the particular claims made by UAE authorities.
Neither Mohtadi nor My Centre has been accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with the incident. Australian police and intelligence agencies are investigating the suspect's ties to the country, and New Zealand authorities are looking into his previous flight training there.
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Sydney: A Melbourne-based Islamic community centre head has denounced what he termed as ‘false accusations’ after authorities in the United Arab Emirates linked the centre to an Omani co-pilot accu...