Islamic Council condemns Australian authorities for calling the stabbing of Bishop a "terror attack"
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Sydney, April 18: In a shocking development, the Islamic Council of New South Wales released a statement regarding the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church at Sydney’s Wakeley. The organisation condemned the authorities for terming the crime as a “terror attack” despite the accused shouting "Allahu Akbar" while stabbing the bishop.
The 16-year-old attacker had converted to Islam recently. Moreover, he even made religious remarks including a reference to the Islamic Prophet Mohammad as he attacked the bishop. He had also recently converted to Islam.
However, the Islamic Council of New South Wales chose to ignore these facts and claimed that the minor suffered from “behavioural and mental health issues.”
"The Islamic Council of NSW (ICNSW) is deeply shocked and saddened by the events that occurred on Saturday in Bondi Junction and last night at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in the suburb of Wakeley. We pass on our condolences and prayers to all of those affected. We are thankful to God that nobody has died as a result of last night’s attack perpetrated by a 16-year-old individual who is known to have behavioural and mental health issues."
Also Read: Priest attacked in mass stabbing in Australia church: "He kept saying 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar'"
Interestingly, it also compared it with the shopping mall mas stabbing in which 5 were killed. “We find it bewildering that the weekend’s devastating incident at Bondi Junction where 6 victims were tragically killed in a targeted attack has been attributed by authorities to be exclusively motivated by the mental health issues of the perpetrator.”
The Islamic outfit were thankful that nobody got killed in the church incident. “Yet in stunning contrast, the incident at Christ The Good Shepherd Church, where thankfully nobody was killed, was designated as a terrorist act within hours of the incident, despite the fact the perpetrator is known to have a history of behavioural and mental health issues.”
It added, “Mental health issues, like terrorism, are not exclusive to any community. The NSW government’s decision to label this as a terrorist act is irresponsible and we believe will only increase the likelihood of further tensions within the Australian community by fuelling social division and disharmony.”
Islamic Council of New South Wales demanded that the 16-year-old minor’s forensic mental health evaluation be done immediately and that the authorities carefully weigh all potential social repercussions of their choices.
Bishop gets stabbed in the church
The accused stabbed the bishop at least eight times in the face, neck and torso and shouted “Allahu Akbar.” Immediately after this crimes, Australian authorities termed it as a "terror attack". Apart from the bishop, four people were also injured during the mass.