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SYDNEY: A Melbourne imam whose Islamic community center has been linked by prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates to the co-pilot who allegedly attacked the captain of a flydubai jet has said he \u201cnever met\u201d the man and insisted he has \u201cconsistently preached peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Omani co-pilot, now in custody in the UAE, had drawn inspiration from Al-Qaeda\u2019s September 11, 2001 suicide attacks, and carried out his attempt \u201cwith the aim of causing the greatest possible loss of life,\u201d according to the Emirati prosecutor\u2019s findings published by state media last week.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor said the co-pilot first became radicalized while studying in Australia \u201cthrough reading extremist literature and following online content glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prosecutor alleged he was acquainted there with an organization known as \u201cMy Center\u201d managed by a Lebanese man called Abu Hamza.<\/p>\n
Neither \u201cMy Center\u201d nor Abu Hamza are accused of any criminal wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
In a statement posted on social media late on Monday, Abu Hamza \u2014 also named by local media as Samir Mohtadi \u2014 said he had \u201cnever met\u201d the co-pilot identified in reports as Hamam Al-Hammami.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have no record of him ever attending our center,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe relevant authorities should have verified these claims with me before releasing or publishing such information,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He said he had \u201cconsistently preached peace\u201d throughout his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe unequivocally reject violence in all its forms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Police and intelligence services in Australia have said they are investigating the co-pilot\u2019s links to the country.<\/p>\n
And police in New Zealand said last week he had spent time in the country on a six-month student visa, where he completed a portion of his flight training, national broadcaster RNZ said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n