Full Breakdown
Melbourne Imam Responds to UAE Allegations Linking His Centre to Flydubai Hijack Attempt
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Imam’s Video Denouncing Accusations
On October 12, 2026, Samir Mohtadi – also known as Abu Hamza – the leader of the MyCentre Islamic community in Broadmeadows, posted a four-minute video on the centre’s Facebook page. In the video he said he would “fast from talking” and cited Islamic texts on the virtue of silence, without addressing the specific accusations made by United Arab Emirates prosecutors.
Background & Context
The alleged hijack attempt occurred on September 30 when Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, then co-pilot of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, attacked the captain with an emergency axe. Passengers and crew intervened, preventing the aircraft from being crashed into Ben Gurion Airport. The flight carried 182 people.
UAE Attorney General Dr Hamad Saif al-Shamsi alleged that al-Hammami’s “drift towards extremism and terrorism” began in 2017 while studying mechanical engineering at Melbourne’s RMIT University. The prosecutor claimed al-Hammami regularly attended a mosque affiliated with RMIT and became acquainted with MyCentre, which the statement said was managed by a Lebanese man known as Abu Hamza.
Australian authorities have not confirmed any of the UAE’s specific allegations against MyCentre or Abu Hamza.
Data & Statistics
- Flight on September 30, 2026: 182 passengers and crew.
- Al-Hammami’s age at the time: 29.
- Alleged radicalisation period: began in 2017 while at RMIT.
- Inspiration cited by UAE prosecutors: the September 11, 2001 al-Qaeda attacks.
Official Statements & Responses
- Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated the co-pilot was allegedly radicalised online and that the government seeks to improve screening of individuals at borders and in digital spaces.
- RMIT University confirmed al-Hammami studied engineering there but left Australia before completing his qualification.
- New Zealand authorities noted al-Hammami spent time in the country on a six-month student visa for flight training between November 2018 and May 2019.
Verbatim Quotes
- “You’ll find those who are righteous you’ll always find have been attacked, abused, accused, killed, imprisoned, and this is the way it is,” — Samir Mohtadi
- “There are circumstances, my beloved brothers and respected sisters, regardless how much you explain yourself to people, that’s it, they’re fixated with their ideas and that’s it, you can’t change them,” — Samir Mohtadi
What’s Next
- The Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team continues to investigate al-Hammami’s activities in Australia, including his time at RMIT.
- Australian and New Zealand police remain engaged in inquiries into al-Hammami’s links to the UAE and his period of flight training abroad.