Australian imam denies links to FlyDubai co-pilot accused of trying to hijack flight to Tel Aviv

A Melbourne imam whose Islamic community centre has been linked to the co-pilot who allegedly attacked the captain of a FlyDubai jet aircraft has broken his silence on social media.Prosecutors in the UAE said investigators believe the 29-year-old Omani co-pilot had begun carrying out a premeditated terrorist plot to seize flight FZ1073, which had 150 Israelis among other passengers on board, on 30 September.The prosecutors alleged that the plan to crash the plane was inspired by the 9/11 attacks on the US. Their probe found the co-pilot first became radicalised while studying in Australia through "reading extremist literature and following online content glorifying terrorist organisations and suicide attacks” as early as 2017.The prosecutor alleged the co-pilot met people associated with the MyCentre mosque in Broadmeadows, which was managed by a Lebanese man named Abu Hamza.Imam Hamza, also known as Samir Mohtadi, is the leader of the mosque. Neither Hamza nor the mosque has been accused of wrongdoing by the UAE authorities.Imam Hamza, in a social media post, issued a response criticising "false accusations" but did not directly respond to the allegations.“You find those who are righteous; they’ve always been attacked, abused, accused, killed, imprisoned – and this is the way it is," he said.He recounted a story of Mary or Maryam in Islam being accused of wrongdoing, to which he said she responded: "I swear by Allah, I'm not going to speak to anyone."Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, meets Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national and flydubai pilot who is under treatment after he was stabbed by a colleague aboard a plane (Reuters)Imam Hamza added: "I’m going to fast from talking because there are circumstances, my beloved brothers and respected sisters, regardless of how much you explain yourself to people, that’s it, they’re fixated with their ideas – and that’s it. "You can’t change them. So the best thing, sometimes, is not to say anything.”Hamza is an Imam of the mosque and community leader, according to reports.The co-pilot on the Tel Aviv-bound flight used an emergency axe to attack the plane’s Indian captain, Smit Machchhar. The incident caused the airliner to plunge 16,000ft in 30 seconds before two other pilots were able to take control and guide the aircraft to safety in Saudi Arabia.The UAE authorities alleged he was trying to take control of the plane to crash it into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.UAE officials have not identified the suspect; however, media reports have identified him as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national.The Sydney Morning Herald last week unearthed tweets from the co-pilot's now-deleted X account in which he allegedly referred to his five years spent studying abroad as "the golden years of my religious commitment".RMIT University in Melbourne confirmed that the co-pilot had studied engineering, but did not complete his degree.Police have also said the man was in New Zealand between November 2018 and May 2019 on a six-month student visa to complete a portion of his flight training for a UK-based company.The president of the Sydney-based Australian Federation of Islamic Councils said that the body "stood firmly" with MyCentre and its leadership.Rateb Jneid said: "Community organisations that have spent years supporting young people and families should not have their reputations damaged through speculation or guilt by association."The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team said it was "investigating the man's links to Australia".