A Melbourne Muslim cleric once accused of having terrorist links has been drawn into a bitter struggle in the Muslim community over his groupâs growing influence. Jordanian-born Sheikh Mohammed Omran last week dismissed criticism of the $2.65 million purchase by his organisation of a Sydney mosque to accommodate its increasing following. Sheikh Taj al-Din al-Hilali, imam of Sydneyâs Lakemba Mosque, told the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that despite claims by a group associated with Sheikh Omran that the mosque could be bought by Jews or Buddhists, "no Jewish group is trying to buy the property and they are spreading the rumour just to stir emotions and blackmail the faithful into giving support".
| You mean there's something the ev-v-v-v-il Zionists didn't buy? |
Sheikh Omran heads the Brunswick-based Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah group. He was one of two Australians cited by Australian Federal Police late last year over alleged connections with an al-Qaeda cell in Spain. He has strongly denied that he was an al-Qaeda operative and said there was no evidence it functioned in Australia. The other man named by federal police at the time, Bilal Khazal, was last week charged with inciting terrorism through a book and website that allegedly encourages war against non-believers. Sheikh Omran said he could not confirm whether Khazal and other alleged terrorists Willie Brigitte, Saleh Jamal, Faheem Khalid Lodhi and Izhar-ul-Haque, had attended his organisationâs Haldon Street prayer hall, in the west Sydney suburb of Lakemba. But he said the hall, which has reportedly been under surveillance by security services, was a public building and it would have been unlawful to bar anyone from it. Sheikh Omran warned authorities against exaggerating the threat of terrorism in Australia and called for increased national security without creating a "threatened and scared" Australian community.
| Better to have them fat and complacent. The element of surprise, y'know... |
He said it was hard to believe that authorities had been unaware at the time that Jordanian-born Saleh Jamal, 29, - recently charged in Lebanon with belonging to a terrorist organisation and planning terrorist attacks - had fled on a false passport after skipping bail over a shooting at a Sydney police station. Sheikh Omran defended Bilal Khazal. "On the internet there are people to teach you how to make TNT or to make viruses for the computer; how to make every evil thing. Why donât we stop them and take them as terrorists?"
| We do, right about the time they connect the blue wire to the post. |
He disputed allegations about Pakistani Izhar-ul-Haque, the University of NSW student who allegedly trained for three weeks with Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah was founded in the late 1980s. Sheikh Omran attributed its popularity to "saying the truth". "God created us to love the truth," said the cleric, who claimed it represented 70 per cent of Australiaâs nearly 300,000-strong Muslim community. Sheikh Omran said the group struggled to accommodate increasing numbers at the Haldon Street hall. He said his was the most influential Islamic organisation in Australia, had international links with 12 nationalities represented on its council and the following of Melbourneâs biggest mosques. "We have followers, believers, worldwide, not (just) Australia-wide... We are a drop in the ocean of the Islamic movement."
| That's precisely the problem. |
The groupâs 2170-square-metre al-Azhar Mosque in Belmore is close to the largest mosque in Sydney at Lakemba, run by Sheikh Hilali. But Sheikh Omran said it was not a threat to that congregation and his organisation was not seeking to replace Sheikh Hilali. "Well, if we want to do that, we donât buy a mosque," Sheikh Omran said. "We take their mosque. So itâs more easy for us to spend half that amount to move them out and take the mosque. We donât have that intention in our heart at all."
| "We don't buy it, we take it." I have no trouble believing him. |
A group called the Belmore Islamic Centre, part of his organisation, has allegedly tried to raise millions of dollars in Saudi Arabia to expand its operations in Sydney after paying the deposit on the $2.65 million property deal. Sheikh Omran said the money was being raised in Australia and was not a lot. "What is $2 million or $3 million for a community like a Sydney or a Lakemba community or the Islamic community?" He was not directly involved in the purchase, he said. "I have nothing to do with these matters except supporting and aiding as much as I can." He confirmed that contracts were due to be exchanged at the end of next month and said the mosque could reopen soon after. He was unaware of claims that the Belmore group had told rich Saudis if they could not raise the money by the end of June the mosque could be bought by Jews or Buddhists, he said.
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