Melbourne Islamic leader silent on alleged hijacker links

UAE attorney general Dr. Hamad Saif al-Shamsi stated that investigators traced the background of the 29-year-old suspect, Hammam al-Hammami, and found his "drift towards extremism and terrorism" began while he was studying at RMIT University in Melbourne in 2017. Al-Shamsi alleged that al-Hammami told investigators he regularly attended a mosque affiliated with RMIT and met people associated with "MyCentre," which is managed by Mohtadi. However, the UAE attorney general did not allege that anyone at the center was involved in radicalizing al-Hammami or had prior knowledge of his intentions.

In a four-minute video posted on the center's Facebook page, Mohtadi spoke about Islamic texts concerning silence when facing criticism, drawing parallels to the biblical story of Mary. He stated, "There are circumstances... regardless how much you explain yourself to people, that’s it, they’re fixated with their ideas... So the best thing, sometimes, is not to say anything." He made no specific reference to the alleged hijacking attempt, the UAE attorney general's statement, or al-Hammami.

RMIT University confirmed that al-Hammami had studied engineering there but left before completing his qualification. He later underwent flight training in New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand security agencies have launched investigations into al-Hammami's time in their respective countries. Australia's home affairs minister, Tony Burke, commented that the co-pilot was allegedly radicalized online and that the government is working to improve border and online screening processes.