Melbourne Islamic leader responds to UAE claims linking centre to Flydubai suspect
A Melbourne Islamic centre leader tied by UAE prosecutors to the suspect in an attempted Flydubai hijacking has responded, though the two outlets differ on whether he addressed the claims directly.
The leader of a Melbourne Islamic centre linked by Emirati prosecutors to the suspect in an attempted hijacking of an Israel-bound Flydubai jet has responded publicly. The two outlets describe the response differently.
France 24 reports that Abu Hamza dismissed "false accusations" against him on Monday. The Guardian reports that he posted a Facebook video citing Islamic texts on the virtues of staying silent, without directly commenting on the prosecutors' claims. The Guardian identifies him as Samir Mohtadi, who also goes by Abu Hamza, and as a leader of MyCentre.
Dr Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, the UAE attorney general, said at the weekend that investigators had traced the background of the 29-year-old suspect. He said their findings indicated a "drift towards extremism and terrorism" that began while the suspect studied at RMIT University in Melbourne in 2017. France 24 describes the suspect as an Omani co-pilot.
France 24 reports that neither the community centre nor Hamza is accused of any criminal wrongdoing.
Reported by
- France 24Melbourne Islamic leader linked to suspected Flydubai hijacker condemns 'false accusations'Sun, Oct 11, 11:49 PM EDT
- The GuardianMelbourne Islamic leader silent on centre’s alleged Flydubai hijacker links in Facebook videoMon, Oct 12, 12:55 AM EDT
This story was written by AI using only the reports listed above, and published without a person reviewing it first. It is rewritten as new reports arrive. Read the original reporting for full detail. Spot an error? Tell us.