Premier Chris Minns has thanked faith leaders for projecting a united call for calm following the alleged church terror attack on Monday night.
Mr Minns and Multiculturalism Minister Steve Kamper met with faith leaders and top bureaucrats on Tuesday.
Church leaders from a multitude of faiths called for peace among their communities in the wake of Monday’s alleged stabbing and violent riot.
Mr Minns said it was a “big-hearted gesture” that “had an impact” in de-escalating further violence. Faith leaders called for everyone to stay calm and to not take the law into their own hands.
“It was made clear that any action someone was about to take in breach of the law was being done in defiance of the institutional and religious leaders of the state,” he said in the meeting.
“It showed those who were waking up this morning that notwithstanding the distressing scenes both inside and outside the church, the spiritual leaders of this state were still united and committed to peace and unity,” Mr Minns said.
The faith group included representatives from an array of communities, including the Assyrian Church of the East (Reverend Ramen Youkhanis), the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (CEO Kamalle Dabboussy), the Grand Mufti (Sheikh Riad Al-Rifai), and the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (Dr Rateb Jneid).
Wakeley church stabbing: Live coverage
The stabbing of a bishop in Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Western Sydney has been declared a terror attack by NSW Police. It comes as specialist police search a home in Sydney's west as part of the investigation.
A 15-year-old allegedly stabbed a religious leader in Sydney’s west on Monday evening, with an angry mob of thousands injuring police and destroying police cars two days after the city was rocked by a knife massacre at Bondi Junction.
Assyrian religious leader Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and another clergyman were stabbed as he delivered a live-streamed mass at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm on Monday.
Police arrested the teen at the scene but were forced to barricade themselves inside the church for several hours “for his safety” after an estimated 2000 people descended on the church demanding retribution.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb on Tuesday morning declared the stabbing a terror attack that was religiously motivated.
Authorities and religious leaders across Sydney convened a late-night meeting to call for calm as the 59-year-old bishop lay in hospital in a stable condition.
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Catch up on how the day unfolded below
Updates
Minns thanks faith leaders for united front
New police powers - what they mean
Police have been given extraordinary powers to investigate the Western Sydney terror attack.
In investigating the attack, police now have the power to stop and search people and vehicles, enter and search premises and vehicles, demand people disclose their identities, and cordon off target areas – all without a warrant.
The powers can last up to two weeks.
The powers were automatically triggered when Police Commissioner Karen Webb declared the alleged church stabbing as a “terrorist incident” at 1.35am on Tuesday.
The declaration was validated by Police Minister Yasmin Catley nine minutes later, at 1.44am, and communicated to Premier Chris Minns just before 2am.
Police also have the power to use “reasonably necessary” force to exercise their powers.
Cops search property
Specialist police are searching a property in Western Sydney believed to be linked to the Wakeley church terror attack on Monday night.
Multiple police officers and a sniffer dog have been forensically examining the home since about 7am on Tuesday morning, according to neighbours.
The police officers – wearing black gloves, have been entering and exiting the front door of the property and searching through grass.
It is understood the property is linked to the stabbing attack at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church overnight.
Two people wearing face-masks and covering their eyes with their hands were escorted out of the home by detectives.
The couple, a man and woman, declined to speak to media standing outside the property on Tuesday afternoon and swiftly drove off in a white car.
'Build up of mayhem': Witness reacts to church stabbing
A witness of the riot that erupted outside a church in Sydney’s southwest after a Bishop was stabbed said it was a “build-up of mayhem” and people were “calling for blood.”
Dominic Cammareri said hundreds flooded the streets in the moments after Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed several times in a terrorist attack.
“There was a great build-up of mayhem, it was crazy, total chaos,” he said on Tuesday morning.
“There was no crescendo, it just built up, people running and screaming, calling for blood.
“Unfortunately the assailant, who was apparently under house arrest inside the church, wasn't released.”
Mr Cammareri lashed out at the police for “protecting” the alleged stabber and also criticised their response time to the scene.
“The authorities seemed to think that his safety was more important than the safety of the community,” he said.
“And the police force at large because apparently they'd been hurt, and I'm pretty sure at least half of dozen incidents of damage to police property.
“It was totally uncalled for and should've been culled from the beginning.”
He said residents were able to swarm the church well before the arrival of police.
“Thanks to social media the response time was lopsided, if it wasn't for social media and the police arrived at the scene they could have secreted and removed the assailant from the area people wouldn't have been arriving from all over Sydney.”
'Worship without fear': Catholic leader condemns attack
Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher said people should be free to worship in peace regardless of their faith.
"The stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Father Isaac Royel is shocking and has caused distress to many in the community," he said.
"Houses of prayer have traditionally been places of peace and solace, refuge and sanctuary and so the video footage of the attack upon a religious leader during a religious service inside a church has been especially confronting.
"The images of the violence that subsequently occurred outside the church are also confronting.
"We have seen these types of events in other countries but, up until now, Australia has been largely free from this type of blatant violence in and around places of woship.
"Every person in this country, be they bishop or priest, rabbi or imam, minister or congregant, should be able to worship in safety, without fear that they might be subject to acts of violence while gathering in prayer.
"I urge the faithful to not respond to these events with fear, avoiding places of worship because they are worried about further attacks, nor with anger, engaging in acts of reprisal or revenge. The best response to violence and fear is prayer and peace.
"On behalf of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, and in solidarity with other religious leaders, I offer prayerful support to Bishop Emmanuel, Father Royel and all others affected. May the God of peace reign in our land."
MP doorknocks to quell concerns
A former Australian Federal Police agent turned state MP has been door-knocking homes surrounding the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley since the early hours of the morning, in an effort to quell community concerns.
Fairfield state Labor MP Dave Saliba, who previously worked as a counter-terrorism cop, said he only had two hours of sleep after attending the church around 7.30pm to provide assistance after being notified of the attack online.
“Police are conducting their inquiries and at the same time I'm working with the community to help us get through this,” he said.
"I'm doorknocking the area to ensure they are safe and supported."
Mr Salbia said his focus was to work with the community to “promote peace and harmony because everyone has the right to be safe”.
“Everyone is very positive in engaging and working together to work through the events of last night,” he said.
One of the victims of the attack, Parish Priest Father Isaac Royel, has received treatment for injuries sustained after being hospitalised.
Fr. Isaac Royel is a senior parish priest who was ordained in 2016 and serves in the Assyrian ministry at St Shimun Bar Sabbae and St Mary Cathedral.
Fr. Royel had previously hosted an Assyrian bible preaching sermon on March 25, according to the church's social media.
"Blessed are the fathers that teach us love and compassion by their goings and coming," one parishioner commented.
Police search for evidence linked to stabbing
A major investigation into the stabbing attack of a Bishop in Sydney’s southwest is underway, as police officers struggle to clean up the mess that was left in the wake of angry rioters who turned on officers outside the Good Shepherd Church.
Dozens of officers including detectives and tactical police are at the scene on Box Rd in Wakeley after Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed several times during a live service overnight.
Tactical police were seen intently searching the church’s carpark for any evidence linked to the stabbing attack and the assaults on police officers including cars, alley ways, garden beds and even nearby rubbish bins.
Police tape has cordoned off the gates to the church as forensics comb the area for clues.
Remnants of broken glass from smashed police cars have flooded Box Rd.
Bricks, pavers, bottles and fragments of metal are littered across the street as nearby homeowners come to terms with what happened in their neighbourhood overnight.
Residents have also been spotted helping officers clean up the mess.
ASIO warned of lone-wolf attack
The director general of Australia’s intelligence agency said it was sadly predicted that any terrorist attack was “most likely” to be an individual who acted with little or no warning.
Speaking after the alleged stabbing of a high-profile bishop and priest at a southwest Sydney church on Monday night was declared a “terrorist act”, Mike Burgess – the director-general of ASIO – said when his agency lowered the terrorism threat level to “possible” in November 2022, that had come with a warning.
“I said at the time possible does not mean negligible, and the most likely attack is an individual that goes to violence with little or no warning with a knife, car or gun,” Mr Burgess said.
“And sadly we’ve seen that in this case.”
He confirmed the terrorist incident appeared to be “religiously motivated”, and that the alleged terrorists suspected comments about “the prophet” were being investigated.
He said the terrorism threat level would remain at “possible”, but was constantly under review.
Muslim leaders call for calm
United Muslims of Australia has released a statement condemning the attack, and said its members were praying for Bishop Emmanuel and the other victim's recovery.
“The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) and the Australian Muslim community unequivocally condemn tonight’s attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel while delivering a mass at Wakeley’s Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s west,” the statement reads.
“These attacks are horrifying and have no place in Australia, particularly at places of worship and toward religious leaders.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Bishop Emmanuel and the victims and we pray for their speedy recovery.
“We urge the community to stay calm and work together towards the safety and the security of all Australians.”
Cops shut down claims of knife attack at Penrith
Police have shut down claims of a man with a knife roaming through a western Sydney shopping centre.
It came just hours after the alleged terror attack, in which a well-known bishop was stabbed during a sermon.
Penrith police responded to reports of a “man with a knife” and a “stabbing” at Kmart Penrith late on April 15, with several claims made on social media.
“Kmart at Penrith – another stabbing tonight,” one social media user claimed.
“A guy at Penrith Kmart with a knife tonight,” another said.
However, a NSW Police spokeswoman told the Penrith Press, “there was no knife or stabbing”.
“A couple of homeless men were reportedly involved in a dispute in which one of them had a set of pliers,” the police media representative said. “It has been dealt with by police.”
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