Controversial Melbourne preacher Harun Mehicevic was ‘asked to spy on ISIS’, say parents
A MELBOURNE preacher accused of sympathising with Islamic State and inciting hate against the West had been asked by Australian agents to spy for them, it has been claimed.
A MELBOURNE Islamic preacher accused of sympathising with the cause of Islamic State jihadists and inciting hate against the West had been approached by Australian intelligence agents to spy for them, it has been claimed.
And that work may well have started with ASIO exposing a network of Australian-linked Bosnians — including his own son-in-law who has reportedly left his family in Sarajevo to travel in Syria.
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Australian man Harun Mehicevic runs the controversial Al-Furqan Islamic Information Centre in Melbourne, which has been linked to slain chief ISIS recruiter Neil Prakash and others now in custody in Australia allegedly plotting domestic attacks.
In one of his hate speeches secretly recorded by the Australian Federal Police, he told followers how one of them had become a spy for ASIO and they needed to be on guard, take precautions and look for “red flags”.
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Mr Harun’s parents, speaking with News Corp Australia in their hometown of Mostar in Bosnia’s south, revealed their son had been approached by the Australian spy group to help them hunt extremists in his midst.
Enes and Semha Mehicevic vehemently defended their son against accusations he gave political support to ISIS in any way and said the claims were harming the whole family, including their 15 grandchildren — seven of whom are in Australia.
Mrs Mehicevic said Australian police had searched his house without his knowledge, but gave it away by not taking off their shoes, but he had told them he had nothing to hide.
She said how could it be he was suspected as an ISIS supporter when the Australian intelligence service had attempted to recruit him to work for them.
Mrs Mehicevic said she was on medication and had had a break down when the accusations were first made about her son who loved Australia where he had been living since immigrating in 1992.
“They (authorities) in Australia have no issue with him but someone has been trying to make trouble for our son,” Mrs Mehicevic said.
“Young guys came to his organisation and he was made guilty by association. He didn’t know all of them, there were all kinds of different people to (his group) to pray. You couldn’t know everybody’s real face to know what they think or say or do something wrong. If he knew he would have kicked them out.”
She said when he came to visit them in 2012 he went to the local police station and told them he was happy to answer any questions and he did the same in Australia.
It is understood Harun’s daughter’s husband had become a political extremist and the family split recently when she refused to join him in Syria.
Harun yesterday declined to answer questions about this or the apparent offer to work with ASIO.
“There is nothing to answer on your questions, just old cliche in order to write something that will incite either sale or emotions of readers,” he said via email exchanges.
“I will genuinely direct you towards official statements made by al-Furqan IIC regarding all events and incidents here in Melbourne, that was sufficient for anyone willing to understand our side of story, those who premeditated anything different could rejoice in closure of our centre and shout ‘long live the lies’.”
He added: “Hopefully you will understand my revulsion and mistrust towards journalists bizarrely enough in 1991 I have (sic) enthusiastically commence (sic) my studies of journalism in Sarajevo where would that take me only God knows.”
His mother said he had been top of his class in high school and had started journalism before moving to Australia where her sister lived. Other members of the family had since moved there.
Originally published as Controversial Melbourne preacher Harun Mehicevic was ‘asked to spy on ISIS’, say parents
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