The two suspects in the Sunday’s attack in Sydney, Australia, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people after gunmen opened fire at a Jewish event, were in the country from November 1 to November 28 this year, according to Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo Ano, who confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.
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According to Ano, Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram traveled to Davao City, in the southern island of Mindanao, via the Philippine capital Manila. He continued, noting that Naveed had an Australian passport while Sajid had an Indian one.
No “any form of military training” was received by the men while they were there, according to Ano, who added that there was “no evidence.”
He claimed that a simple visit would not have led to any meaningful or structured training and that their stay would not have allowed for this.
According to a report from the local news outlet MindaNews, the men primarily stayed in their hotel rooms in Davao. The pair rarely left the hotel for more than an hour at a time during their nearly monthlong stay, according to staff at the hotel, which they did on November 1.
When Naveed Akram woke from a coma, Australian authorities announced on Wednesday that he had been charged with 59 crimes related to the attack, including murder and terror. Police fatally shot Sajid Akram, his father, at the scene.
Ano argued that reports that categorize Mindanao as a “hotspot for violent extremism or Islamic State ideology” were “outdated and misleading” and that the country’s Muslim population, which is dominated by the majority of the country’s Catholics, is plagued by a decades-long secessionist conflict.
According to him, Philippine security forces have significantly degraded ISIS-affiliated organizations in the country since the 2017 Marawi Siege, referring to a five-month battle between Maute, an ISIL-inspired group, and government forces.
Ano continued, “These groups’ remnants have been dispersed, deposed of leadership, and operationally degraded.”
A 2014 peace agreement, which allowed rebels to abandon their aspirations of sectarian dissolution in favor of a stronger, better-funded Muslim autonomous region called Bangsamoro, has also brought some peace to Mindanao.
However, smaller rebel groups continue to launch sporadic, deadly attacks throughout the southern region of the restive .
Anthony Albanese: “An attack on the Australian way of life.”
In response to the Bondi Beach attack, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the promise on Thursday to pass new laws to combat hate speech as a result of the Hamas-led attacks on Israel and Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. Albanese also acknowledged that Australia has seen an increase in anti-Semitism since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.
At a press conference, Albanese announced the new laws, as well as new legal authority to revoke visas for those who “hate and divide” people. This includes religious preachers, who will also be subject to new laws.
According to Albanese, the legislation would establish a system to protect organizations whose leaders speak out against hate speech.
One of the worst mass murders that this country has ever witnessed, according to Albanese, resulted from rising anti-Semitism.
It attacked both the Australian way of life and our Jewish community. Australians are shocked and enraged. I’m furious. It is obvious that we must do much, much more, to end this evil plague.
Source: Aljazeera
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