Islamic Center Leader Rejects Allegations Linking to Flydubai Hijacker

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A leader of an Islamic community center in Melbourne, Australia, has rejected allegations linking the center to the co-pilot behind an attempted hijacking of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 on September 30. The UAE Attorney-General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, announced that investigators uncovered a premeditated terrorist plot aimed at crashing the plane and killing as many people as possible.

Hijacking Attempt and Radicalization

The incident occurred when 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, one of the plane’s co-pilots, stabbed the other in an attempted hijacking. The plane, carrying over 170 Israeli passengers, was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv at the time. Al Shamsi stated that the suspect intended to seize control of the aircraft and use it as a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport, aiming to cause the greatest possible loss of life.

Radicalization and Links to Local Mosque

Investigators traced the suspect’s radicalization to 2017, when he was studying at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia. It is believed that al-Hammami regularly attended a Melbourne mosque and became acquainted with members of an Islamic organization known as ‘My Centre,’ led by Abu Hamza, a Lebanese national who also goes by Samir Mohtadi. Neither ‘My Centre’ nor Abu Hamza are accused of any criminal wrongdoing.

Abu Hamza’s Response

Abu Hamza, who is from Lebanon, published a four-minute video on Facebook on Sunday, dismissing what he called ‘false accusations.’ He stated that the righteous are always attacked and that it is futile to comment on such matters, as people are ‘fixated with their ideas.’ He chose not to comment further, emphasizing the importance of not engaging in futile explanations.

Community Response and Ongoing Investigations

Rateb Jneid, president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, stated that the federation stands firmly with ‘My Centre’ and its leadership, condemning any damage to their reputations through speculation or guilt by association. The Australian Federal Police and the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team are currently investigating any links between al-Hammami and Australia. RMIT confirmed that al-Hammami studied engineering but did not complete his degree.