Melbourne imam Samir Mohtadi denies radicalising accused flydubai co-pilot
The imam denies radicalising Hammam Al-Hammami, whom UAE authorities accuse of a hijack attempt.
Samir Mohtadi, imam of a Melbourne mosque linked to the accused, has denied radicalising him. Hammam Al-Hammami, 29, a flydubai co-pilot, is accused of attempting to hijack flight FZ1073 on September 30.
The flight was due to travel from Dubai to Tel Aviv. UAE's attorney-general alleges he tried to seize the plane and launch a suicide attack at Ben Gurion Airport.
UAE's Public Prosecution also alleges he drifted towards extremism while studying in Melbourne in 2017. Mohtadi wrote on Facebook that people fixated on their ideas cannot be changed.
The Melbourne centre was awarded a $68,136 community language schools grant by Home Affairs in 2024. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke must explain these grants.
- Hammam Al-Hammami, 29
- Accused co-pilot
- FZ1073, Dubai to Tel Aviv
- Flight
- $68,136 language schools grant
- Community grant
- Broadmeadows, Melbourne's north
- Melbourne centre
Why it mattersThe accused studied in Melbourne, so the case puts a local mosque and its links in the spotlight.
AustraliaTaxpayer money from a federal grant is now being questioned, so Home Affairs may have to explain its funding choices.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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