Terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika an ‘outlier’ among Muslims, says leader

Many Muslims are opposed to convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika and the now freed criminal was an outlier, according to a community leader.

Abdul Nacer Benbrika leaves Victoria’s Barwon Prison on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika is seen as an outlier by many Muslims because of his radical views, according to the Islamic Council of Victoria.

ICV president Adel Salman said many in the community opposed Benbrika’s world view, ­adding the Middle-East conflict was causing deep angst among Muslims.

He said 63-year-old Benbrika’s radicalism was not shared by many in the faith who had rejected the push for violence that led to his 18-year incarceration.

“Amongst many people he is seen as an outlier,’’ he said.

“People see Benbrika as someone with views that many people don’t share.’’

Benbrika, considered one of the nation’s most notorious terrorists, was holed up in a suburban house on Wednesday after being released from maximum security Barwon Prison, about 60km west of Melbourne.

His release has sparked a passionate political debate, with federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus leaving open the option of taking action against the terror boss if he fails to live up to the court’s expectations.

On Tuesday night, family gathered at the home where Benbrika is required to be from 10pm to 6am, with one of his sons leaving the property about 10.30pm with his wife and a small child.

People went in and out, including police, and a man who appeared to resemble Benbrika peered through a gap in the fence.

His lawyer Isabelle Skaburskis arrived at the property about midday on Wednesday, carrying what appeared to be a plate of biscuits. She left after three hours.

Benbrika was involved in two terrorist cells that were linked with ambitions to damage high-profile targets.

The prisoners, including Benbrika, were sentenced on the basis they were members of a terror organisation where no target or targets had been selected.

Mr Salman said the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza was having an acute impact on some people.

“There are people (in Australia) who have been directly impacted,’’ he said.

Victorian Supreme Court judge Elizabeth Hollingworth granted Benbrika his release on an extended supervision order for 12 months. He had spent nearly two decades in prison for acting as the spiritual leader for the Melbourne-Sydney terror cells.

Benbrika was released to live with his wife and four of his children, three of whom are over 18 and one who is 17.

Mr Dreyfus attacked the opposition commentary on Benbrika, arguing that the full weight of the law had been used on him.

He also left open the option of further action against the cleric if it is shown that he has broken the law during the next year.

“There are always options available to the commonwealth but it’ll be in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Code, which provide appropriate circumstances for post-sentence orders to be made,’’ he said.

Mr Dreyfus accused acting Liberal leader Sussan Ley of playing politics with crucial issues of law.

The commonwealth applied for a three-year extended supervision order, claiming the law did not afford keeping Benbrika in jail any longer. Instead, he was given a one-year ESO but with onerous conditions designed to restrict movement and communication.

Ms Ley said the government should have applied for a preventative detention order to keep Benbrika locked up, also drawing on the recent immigration detention fiasco.

‘’Now, today, I’m calling on Prime Minister Albanese to reshuffle his ministry before Christmas,’’ she said.

“He’s got three days at least to do this. We have had a disastrous response when it comes to community safety and keeping Australians safe from terrorists and those who would threaten to harm us,’’ the acting Liberal leader said.