Muslims drove Thorne from WA
WA Muslims have revealed the extraordinary steps taken by their community to drive hate preacher Junaid Thorne out of Perth — including banning him from mosques — as fears grew about his influence over their children.
The revelations came yesterday after 26-year-old Thorne was jailed by a Sydney magistrate for nine months, only to be released again on bail after his lawyers appealed against the sentence imposed for flying across Australia under false names.
WA Islamic Council president Rateb Jneid said the self-proclaimed “sheikh” was identified as a threat about the middle of last year when worried parents began contacting him with concerns their children were becoming radicalised.
ASIO and State and Federal police had also started visiting their homes and some parents feared their sons may have been preparing to go to fight in Syria and Iraq.
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Mr Jneid said with the help of local imams and other community leaders, a plan was quietly hatched to shut out Thorne by denying him access to the community facilities which he had been using to preach his brand of radical Islam.
“There was a lot of worry in the community...especially from those who had been interviewed by ASIO,” Mr Jneid said.
“They wanted us to do something. They were worried their children could be going overseas.”
After being kicked out of Saudi Arabia in 2013, Thorne quickly attracted a small band of followers in Perth with his outspoken views and would organise meetings at community facilities.
Pictures posted by Thorne on Facebook last year also show him dressed in combat fatigues while attending paintball excursions designed to attract new followers.
Mr Jneid said once Thorne’s access to the venues was cut off, he had difficulty finding places to hold his meetings.
As part of the plan to break his influence, respected mentors were then sent in to engage with his followers and provide alternative narratives. A frustrated Thorne moved to Sydney last year and would later lament on Facebook about how so many of his Perth “brothers” had deserted him.
Mr Jneid said though some had criticised his organisation in the past for not publicly condemning extremists such as Thorne, the community had been working hard behind the scenes to ensure Muslims and non-Muslims alike were kept safe.
He also vowed he would not hesitate to report to the authorities anyone he suspected of becoming radicalised.
“Trust me, I would do that straight away,” he said.
“I would not allow anyone to harm our kids or make trouble for the 50,000 Muslims in WA.”
Thorne will face court again in August when his appeal will be heard.
He was charged with two other Perth men — Omer Issak, 22, and Mostafa Shiddiquzzuman, 19 — who both pleaded guilty.
Shiddiquzzuman was jailed yesterday for four months.
Issak was given a community-based order in a Perth court earlier this year.
