Wakeley attack: Alleged stabber used Osama bin Laden for profile picture

The 16-year-old charged with a terrorism offence after allegedly stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel ­idolises the slain ­al-Qa’ida leader.

The smashed car of a 17-year-old arrested in the raids. Picture: Liam Mendes

The 16-year-old charged with a terrorism offence after allegedly stabbing Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel ­idolises slain ­al-Qa’ida leader Osama bin Laden, using a photograph of the terrorist as his profile picture.

And in what appears to be a major ­security breach, the names, ­addresses and other personal ­details of five teens charged as part of Wednesday’s terrorism raids are being shared across WhatsApp groups, a blunder that ­Islamic leaders say has led to an anti-Muslim retaliation attack on one of the youths.

Social media accounts associated with the 16-year-old’s ­mobile number, uncovered by The Australian, use bin Laden and other Islamic State jihadi fighters as profile pictures, including a smiling portrait of the slain 9/11 mastermind on his WhatsApp account.

On his Telegram account, he uses a picture of two jihadi ­fighters decked all in black as a cover photo, while another depicts ­Islamic State fighters holding ­rifles and brandishing the terror group’s distinctive black flag in Syria.

The “last seen” activity on that account was April 15, the day of the terror incident at Wakeley in western Sydney. The boy was ­arrested and taken into custody that night, where he was charged with committing an act of terrorism. His parents told The Australian they believed he suffered from an undiagnosed mental-health disorder.

A WhatsApp account associated with the boy.

A screengrab of one of the social media accounts held by the 16-year-old charged with terror offences. His profile pictures on the two messaging platforms are Osama bin Laden and other terror-related pics.

A final cover photo takes aim at mainstream Islamic leaders, with a “meme” cartoon depicting a Muslim religious leader surrounded by sentences appearing to criticise them.

“Makes fun of someone for living in the west but also lives in the west,” one line reads, referring to the cartoon figure.

Another says: “Pretends to care about Muslims but lives in an apartment comfortably (in the west).”

A page from Wednesday’s police warrants has started circulating, including the colour, make and licence plate of five cars, one of which has since been vandalised.

On Wednesday, after joint raids by NSW Police and its federal counterparts, a car understood to belong to one of the teens arrested was smashed near the family home, destroying the car’s front bumper. A neighbour of the teenager’s family told The Australian a man dressed in black bashed in the car late on Wednesday, corroborated by another.

The Islamic community ­believes it was an anti-Muslim ­retaliation attack linked to the sensitive operational data from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team that is circulating among Sydney’s diverse communities.

It has accelerated concerns within the Muslim community, and has the potential to widen an emerging rift between its leaders and law enforcement.

During Wednesday’s police operation about 400 officers raided 13 addresses, later charging five teenagers, which means the data’s origin could have been any one of those served with the warrant or who has since come across it.

The document lists the names and ages of some of the teens charged and the five addresses, as well as car descriptions and ­licence plate numbers. It also includes the details of some of the other people raided or questioned on Wednesday but who have not been charged.

Certain social media handles and phone numbers are listed, and also details pertaining to the 16-year-old boy who allegedly stabbed Bishop Emmanuel.

The list also includes details of Wassim Fayad, an influential former Islamic State supporter, understood to be questioned but not charged in the raids.

Fayad spent seven years in jail until 2020 and the Supreme Court placed him on a two-year ­extended supervision order in 2021, finding he was a high risk of recruiting younger or vulnerable people to commit terrorism.

While in jail, police alleged Fayad was a member of an Islamic State terrorism cell that was plotting attacks in Sydney.

Included on the list is also a WhatsApp group called “BROTHERHOOD”.

The JCTT alleged the network of teens adhered to a violent ­extremist ideology and that it ­determined there was “unacceptable risk and threats” to the public, prompting the raids.

Two of the five have been charged with possessing violent extremist material, three with conspiring to commit an act of terrorism, of which one of who was arrested by police on Monday and allegedly found with knife after assaulting an Indian man working in a drive-through bottle shop.

However, the alleged car ­attack and circulating details has rocked the Muslim community and its leaders, who are concerned that the sensitive information has now become semi-public and who believe the two were linked.

Muslim community leader Jamal Rifi said he was “absolutely shocked” at the ease and speed the teenagers’ details were identified, and the alleged retaliation.

“The tension, worry and anger in our community is palpable,” he said. “This is a total blunder.”

Dr Rifi, who has worked closely with law enforcement on radicalisation, said the community wanted to continue engaging with police, but recent developments had dented its confidence about that relationship. “They (police) need to help us, we can’t put out the fire on our own,” he said.

A youth is arrested on Wednesday.

“The rhetoric (used by ASIO) and this (alleged car attack) are making it worse for everyone. “I fear fracture lines (in society) are widening.”

Lebanese Muslim Association secretary Gamel Kheir said it was “his worst fears coming to ­fruition”.

“The approach has created anxiety, the whole community is feeling uneasy,” he said.

He said he feared more retaliation against the community if the entire society, including law enforcement, didn’t “take a step back”.

Jamal Rifi. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Gamel Kheir.

“Our position has always been that the approach and language used … (that) vigilantism would rear its head,” he said. “We need now more than ever everyone to be very proactive to spread a message of social cohesion.”

Islamic leaders told The Australian on Thursday that they feared “blanket language” thrown across the community, particularly at Sunni Muslims, would beget violence and division against it.

The alleged terrorist attack on April 15 at Wakeley’s Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church instigated the widespread raids on Wednesday, which resulted in the five teenagers being charged with extremist material or terror-related offences.

Late on Friday, NSW Police confirmed a sixth teen had been charged in relation to Wednesday’s raids, charging a 15-year-old boy with conspiring to prepare a terrorist act.

The other five faced Parramatta Local Court on Thursday. Three charged with terrorism ­offences were remanded without applying for bail, one 17-year-old charged over possessing extremist material was denied bail, and the youngest, 14, on extremist material charges, was released pending appeal.

The court heard the 14-year-old allegedly had beheading ­videos stored on an electronic ­device, while the 17-year-old on the same charge allegedly possessed videos referencing ISIS and how to make explosive devices.