Radical Islamic group denies link to Haider’s stabbing of two police officers
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Version 0 of 1. A radical Islamic group based in Melbourne has denied suggestions that it is linked to Abdul Numan Haider’s stabbing of two police officers on Tuesday night. Haider, 18, is believed to have become involved with Al-Furqan after leaving school, although Islamic community leaders suggest he has distanced himself from the Springvale-based group in recent months. The group, known for its extreme anti-western views, was raided by counter-terrorism police in 2012. In a statement, the centre expressed its “deep shock” at the incident at the carpark at Endeavour Hills police station on Tuesday evening. Police say they had requested a meeting with Haider after becoming increasingly concerned with Haider’s actions and rhetoric, including recently unfurling an Islamic State (Isis) flag at a Dandenong shopping centre. Haider stabbed two police officers working with the joint terrorism task force, which had been aware of the teenager for three months. An Australian federal police officer was seriously injured with wounds to his head, abdomen and neck. The Victorian officer was stabbed in the forearm before killing Haider with a single shot. He was released from hospital on Thursday. “Al Furqan would like to emphasise that both its centre and its president, Harun Mehicevic, are in no way involved or connected to this incident,” the statement said. It had contacted lawyers about some media reporting, which it said had damaged its reputation. Victoria Police revealed on Thursday that it now believed Haider may not have acted alone. Commissioner Ken Lay told ABC radio that police had information that Haider had been talking to other people “face to face” around the time of the stabbing. “I won’t say [they were] working with him, it’s just unclear to us at the moment whether they dropped him off [at the station] or whether they were waiting for him,” he said. “Again, it is really unclear as to whether at the time or just before he had other people with him or not, it’s certainly something we’re pursuing.” There was continued anxiety on Thursday about the impact of the incident, with police and the Victorian government seeking to categorise it as a one-off criminal act with no link to religion. The Victorian premier, Denis Napthine, visited a mosque in the outer suburb of Dandenong and said the purpose of his visit was to “say from the Victorian government and the Victorian community that we welcome the Muslim community”. Lay told the ABC: “I don’t characterise what we have seen in the last day or some of the stuff we are seeing on TV and the internet as religious violence. It’s criminal behaviour, driven by hate, driven by an intention to hurt the community.” Sources within the Islamic community said that Haider’s funeral was due to be held on Friday. On social media, friends of Haider continued to express their anger at the teenager’s death and their fears of retaliation against Muslims. Mastoora Jan wrote that Haider was “an innocent little boy” frustrated at seeing Muslims attacked overseas. “He was sick of seeing people being killed, females being raped, and innocents being tortured. And to top it all off, Australia is sending troops to Afghanistan and now Iraq to add to the fire. Numen’s anger got to him and his reaction to it cost him his life.” Haider’s family – he is the youngest of three brothers – is originally from Afghanistan, has so far remained silent. A senior Muslim cleric, Sheikh Mohammed Omran, visited the family home on Thursday along with Australian federal police officers. He said the family was “devastated” by what had happened. Lay described as “outrageous” media reports that Haider had intended to behead the police officers, before covering them with an Isis flag and posting the images online. “I am not aware of any evidence that would suggestion this is correct. “I would suggest it is simple speculation. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that I am aware of that would suggest that was the intention.’’ The ABC has reported that Haider had been following the movements of the prime minister, Tony Abbott, online, and that comments originating from Haider were picked up in an intelligence sweep of chatter about potential threats to Parliament House. A media spokesman for the Australian federal police said “no specific threats” had been made by Haider. Lay also could not confirm that Haider had been monitoring Abbott. He did confirm that police had been to Haider’s house earlier on the day he was killed, but it was “a little unclear if that was the source of [Haider’s] anger”. Those who knew Haider told Guardian Australia on Wednesday he had become increasingly agitated after police cancelled his passpor. |