Prosecutors said a group of five Muslim men had stockpiled dangerous chemicals, firearms and ammunition as part of a plan to wage an Islamist jihad against the Australian people. Why? Because Australia is one of the countries taking part in the assaullt on terror and the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. They hold the government responsible for this invasion of their lands and the deaths of hundreds of civilians in both countries. The arrests in 2005 followed tip-offs from gun shop owners and hardware stores, they became suspicious when the men ordered unusually high amounts of chemicals and guns. This week they were sentenced.
Convict No 5 was born in Australia and from the age of 16, the young Muslim boy went fishing most Friday and Saturday nights down at the ferry wharf at Abbotsford with his friend, local shopkeeper Tony. Tony described himself as a Catholic Chinese from Papua New Guinea. Abbotsford isn't a Muslim suburb, more multi-cultural. Tony said he was a good kid from a large family of eight boys and four girls and he genuinely liked him. The second last time saw him as a free man, he hardly recognised him. He was wearing a long robe and trying to grow a beard. Tony laughed and told him he was wearing a dress and he laughed too, not the least offended. Apart from his outward appearance, Tony told the court he saw nothing that would indicate his sudden turn to extremism and he went on to give him a good character reference. Fast forward five years, he's now 21 and unaware that his phone is tapped when he's recorded as saying "I will kill John Howard".
Convict No 1 is married with 6 children. He was born in Lebanon 44 years ago and came to Australia when he was 11. He completed year 10 at Bankstown High and has 11 siblings, all living in Australia. He was a metal fabrication apprentice with the Water Board, then did mechanical engineering and completed a rigging and crane driver course. He went into a family business working on structural steel sites. He started reading extremist material and believed what they said - if Muslim lands were attacked (Iraq and Afghanistan) it was his duty to respond. He got 28 years with a minimum of 21.
Convict No 2 was born in Lebanon in March 1973 and came to Australia when he was 3. He's on record as saying "Your democracy is full of hyprocrisy, we worship Allah, sharia law is going to rule the land, go and learn it because you are going to be ruled by it". He got 27 years with a minimum of 20. Two years after his arrest, his wife and son moved to Jordan.
Convict No 3 was also born in Australia and is the nephew of Convict No 2 and I think it's fairly obvious that he was influenced by his uncle. He was born in Australia on February 23 1977. His parents were divorced when he was 12 and his mother was left to bring up the children. When he was 18 he developed a strong interest in the Koran and by 1999 he was attending the Mussalah prayer hall in Lakemba twice a day. In October 2001, he attended a Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and returned in 2002. His wife and child visit him every week in gaol. He got 26 years with a minimum of 19 years and six months.
Convict No 4 was born in Bangladesh on 24 August 1969, the youngest of 12 children. He was 20 when he arrived in Australia. His English was poor and he went to Bondi Junction for lessons. He was bothered by the alcohol and drug culture he became exposed to and the discipline of Islam appealed to him. He worked as a cleaner at the InterContinental Hotel and learned fish-filleting and opened a business in Lakemba which failed. He married a woman who converted to Islam and they have 4 children. He named his eldest son "Jihad" meaning "struggle" and his last job was working in a butcher's shop in Lakemba and he worked hard to make ends meet. By 2004 he had met Convicts 1, 2 and 3 and was praying regularly at the Mussalah prayer room. The only defendant to take the stand he said that when the west invaded Afghanistan he regarded Australia as "the enemy" and expressed admiration for Osama bin Laden. He got 26 years with a minimum of 19.
Convict No 5 - the young fisherman from Abbotsford. He was born in Australia on 22nd July 1984, one of 12 children. He did not do well at school and developed a drug habit and was expelled in year 9. He completed the equivalent of the School Certificate at TAFE. He set up his own business of building and repairing computers. He got into bad company and his family encouraged him to break away from his friends who were using drugs and alcohol. An elder brother, who had been in jail, took him to the mosque and insisted he pray five times a day. He met his brother's friends who became his co-offenders. Unaware that his phone was tapped, he was speaking to Convict No 2 when he said "I will kill John Howard". During a police search of his home he said "Youse are going to be put into a fire by Allah" and that "Allah will put a curse on the wives and children of unbelievers and send diseases. Youse can all rot slowly" he said. Justice Whealy said Convict No 5 willingly joined the conspiracy, although at a later stage he left a few weeks before the arrests were made. The judge gave him 23 years with a non-parole period of seventeen years and three months, the lightest sentence of the group.
Keysar Trad, founding chairman of the Islamic Friendship Association said "We see a lot of anger out there, anger at the violence against Muslim countries, anger that Muslims are blamed for troubles". He's also concerned that this week's severe sentences will drive that anger underground.
The names of the offenders have been suppressed, presumably to protect the wives and children left behind. Familes of the men have received death threats and eggs have been thrown at houses. One relative said "People drive by screaming at us and swearing, they beep their horn and tell us to back to our country. But this is my home" she said.
Justice Anthony Whealy said the men remained dangerous and unrepentant, appearing to "wear their imprisonment like a badge of honour". They waved to the cameras as they were escorted back to gaol after the sentencing.
Thursday's court ruling brings an end to the longest terrorism trial in Australia's history - a period of 181 days.
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