If the same situation had occurred in the USA, I believe this man would have received a much longer jail sentence, but here in Australia, once again, our judiciary has let us down.
Justice Christine Adamson sentenced Hamdi Alqudsi, a 42 year old disability pensioner with two wives, to eight years jail with a non-parole period of six years for helping seven men go to Syria to fight with ISIS. However, he never had any intention of going himself.
He cried when his sentence was read and called out to his wives that he loved them and then held up his index finger - a salute associated with the terrorist organisation ISIS - before being lead away to the cells.
Six of the men he helped arrived in Syria and two of the men, Tyler Casey and Caner Temel died in the fighting.
Justice Adamson said Casey Tyler met Alqudsi while at court in 2011 when one of his wives, Carnita Matthews, was being prosecuted for claiming a police officer was racist and pulled off her veil. But what she didn't know was that the officer had the camera running in his patrol car which clearly showed that he had not touched her. She was later acquitted on appeal.
Alqudsi told the court he loved Australia and taught his step grandchildren to sing Waltzing Matilda. Any wonder he loves Australia, he, his wives and many children are all supported by the taxpayer.
He came to Australia from Palestine with his parents and siblings when he was 11. He worked as a security guard and then as a packer at Woolworths where in 2010, he injured his back.
He will be eligible for parole in 2022.
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