Married couple shared their home with an Islamic State terrorist

FROM the moment they welcomed the young student into their home, they knew something was wrong. They will always wonder how life might be different, or if they would still be here to tell their story, if they didn't expel the now convicted terrorist from the house.

WARNING SIGNS: Shahin Farifteh and his wife Elahe took in convicted terrorist Momena Shoma before she attacked her next homestay host. The Bangladeshi student was sentenced to 42 years in prison earlier this month.

FROM the moment a married couple welcomed young Bangladeshi student Momena Shoma into their home, something felt off.

Shahin and Elahe Farifteh will always wonder how life might be different, or if they would still be here to tell their story, if they didn't expel the now convicted terrorist from the house.

Shoma was sentenced to 42 years in prison earlier this month after she attacked her Melbourne homestay host with a kitchen knife in February last year.

She pleaded guilty to engaging in a terrorist act for the advancing of a political, religious or ideological cause and it was the first time a sentence has been handed down for that charge.

The man she tried to kill in the name of Islamic State, Roger Singaravelu, survived the attack.

She stabbed him while he was taking a nap and his young daughter witnessed the terrifying attack.

The Fariftehs, who now live in Springfield Lakes, are speaking about the experience publicly for the first time.

Having arrived in Australia from Iran in 2013 and spent significant time in detention centres, the couple took on about 20 Asian homestay students before Shoma arrived at their door in Melbourne.

She was studying at La Trobe University on a scholarship and, just like the others before her, the couple wanted to help her adjust to a new country.

But the Victorian Supreme Court heard her only intention in Australia was to carry out the act of terrorism.

Shoma lived with the Fariftehs for five days and Elahe said she stayed locked in her room during the night, only coming out at night and speaking to the pair for a total of a few minutes.

After a few days they found cuts in her pillows, mattress and blanket, which looked to be made by scissors or a knife, and which they determined could not have been made by their daughter Sadaf.

That night Shahin struggled to sleep.

From their bed he could see the door to Shoma's room.

Shahin said during the course of the night, he saw her open her door about 40 times, start to come out towards them and then go back to her room.

So first thing in the morning, they called the Australian Homestay Network to report what had happened and asked her to be removed.

They said when she found out she would be leaving, Shoma begged to stay just one more night but the pair refused.

Shahin said they left AHN to report the incident to police.

Shoma left on Wednesday and it was on the Friday night she attacked Mr Singaravelu, who said after the sentencing he was never notified about the incident and planned to take legal action against the company.

The Fariftehs were interviewed by the Australian Federal Police early on the Saturday morning.

"I was in shock for a week (after it happened)," Elahe said.

They feared people in the street in traditional Muslim garb were coming to get them.

It is not hard to draw similarities between the couple and Shoma's victim; both had taken in many foreign homestay students and had a young daughter.

"We're not very happy with what has happened to him," Elahe said.

"We worry about him because he has a little girl as well and she was there at the time and saw everything."

The Fareiftehs, who moved to Queensland in December, said the ordeal had strengthened their Christian faith.

"We got much closer to God, that's the biggest thing," Elahe said.

"We feel God is with us, it doesn't matter where we live he is going to protect us."

They went to church on the Saturday evening where Psalms 27:1-3 greeted them upon their entry, which states "the Lord if the stronghold of my life... when evildoers assail me... they shall stumble and fall."

"That night (Shoma continuously opened her door) something was pushing me and moving me saying 'you're not allowed to sleep,'" Shain said.

"(Shoma) told police she couldn't understand why she couldn't come into our room (that night)," Elahe added.