Proactive not reactive.
Via Brisbane Times
The 31-year-old brother of Australia’s first suicide bomber is among two men arrested following an Australian Federal Police raid on an Islamic book store south of Brisbane.
Omar Succarieh of Kuraby, and an as-yet unnamed 21-year-old man from Boronia Heights were taken into custody after police raided iQraa Islamic Centre at Underwood on Wednesday morning, along with eight other addresses.
Mr Succarieh’s brother Ahmed was investigated over an incident in Syria in September 2013 when a truck laden with explosives was driven into a military checkpoint.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan, the national manager for counter terrorism, said 180 AFP and Queensland police officer executed nine search warrants in Logan and southern Brisbane on Wednesday following a 12-month investigation.
AdvertisementMr Succarieh was charged with providing funds to Syrian terrorist organisation Jabhat al-Nusra. He was also charged over plans to enter Syria to “engage in hostile activity”.
The 21-year-old was charged over “preparations for incursions into Syria, with the intentions of engaging in hostile activities”.[…]
Calls to the iQraa Islamic Centre went unanswered. Outside the store, iQraa Islamic Centre customer Abu Amaan came to the centre’s defence.
“It’s just a simple bookstore selling perfumes to Qu’arans,” he said.
“There’s nothing radical whatsoever. I just don’t understand all the hysteria.”
“Every Tom, Dick and Harry goes in there. They’re very welcoming.”
Mr Amaan said he believed the raid was unfounded.
“I think it’s just instilling fear in the Muslim community,” he said.