By Cam Lucadou-Wells
AN Islamic group’s south-east based leader has claimed “no terror attacks have occurred in Australia” in the wake of a man recently allegedly setting alight a Springvale bank in front of terrified staff and customers.
Kuranda Seyit, executive director of Forum on Australia’s Islamic Relations (FAIR), also labelled two high-profile examples of plotted attacks on police in the area as “misguided youth” rather than terrorists under the conventional definition.
Notable examples are Numan Haider – who allegedly attacked police with a knife and was shot in Endeavour Hills in 2014 – and the alleged plotters of a thwarted attack on an Anzac Day service in Dandenong in 2015.
“They were criminal acts, violent in a way, planned to a certain degree, but carried out by young people who had no idea what they were doing.
“They didn’t have a political agenda. One was mentally unstable and the other was manipulated by older people.”
Mr Seyit said the latter youths – including Sevdet Besim of Hallam who pleaded guilty to plotting an act of terrorism – were “silly and naive”, though arguably “radicalised”.
“Someone put some ideas in their head. They have said that they totally regret doing something silly and they’ve paid a heavy price for that.
“They were only kids.”
The 18-year-old Haider was afflicted with serious emotional issues, home pressures and the close gaze of counter-terrorist police, Mr Seyit said.
“The (ongoing coronial) inquest shows the actions of police aggravated the situation.”
In a statement, Mr Seyit said the traditional definition of terrorism was a violent criminal act carried out by a group to invoke fear.
It had morphed in the public’s thinking to any violent acts carried out by a Muslim in public to instill fear.
“The problem is that even if a Muslim sneezes in the wrong direction it can be made to look like an act of terror.”
Under the conventional definition, there had been no terrorist attacks in Australia, Mr Seyit said.
“While we believe that terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda and IS do have some influence in Australia, there are no known cells or operatives in Australia.
“There is no evidence to support a presence of Al-Qaeda or IS in Australia.”
He made the comments out of concern that some media coverage of the Springvale fire on 18 September focused on the alleged perpetrator’s Muslim faith.
Twenty-seven people were injured in the blaze, some critically – including the man allegedly responsible for it.
“These crimes are nothing new – like the Port Arthur massacre. They’re usually people with a mental disability or mental health issue who take a different pathway.”
Mr Seyit said there needed to be a public debate on terrorism, and a re-think on the approach towards “random acts of violence” by individuals, whether Muslim or not.
“It is time that we take a responsible approach to the issue and reduce the risk of feeding into the right-wing and racist elements in society, which has seen a sudden increase in supporters in the past two years in Australia.”
