Headlines
Islamic centre tied to Australian terror accused shuts down
Melbourne, April 23
Melbourne's Al-Furqan
Islamic Centre, which was attended by three men charged with terror
offences, has announced that it is shutting down, a media report said on
Thursday.
The centre, in Springvale South, has come under
renewed scrutiny after Sevdet Besim and Harun Causevic, both 18, were
charged with conspiring to commit a terrorist act over an alleged plot
to attack Anzac Day commemorations, ABC online reported.
A third 18-year-old man was charged on summons on weapons offences over the alleged plot.
In a statement issued on its web site on Thursday, the centre said it had come under a lot of pressure following the charges.
"This
statement is to announce that, effective immediately, Al-Furqan Islamic
Centre is ceasing its activities and closing its doors," the statement
said.
"We believe that given the constant harassment, pressure
and false accusations levelled against the centre - particularly by
media and politicians - this is the best course of action for the
protection of the local community, its members, and the broader Muslim
community that is often implicated in these insidious campaigns."
Police
said the three men, as well as two others who were released pending
further inquiries, had links to the controversial Melbourne Islamic
centre.
"Al-Furqan and a number of other centres around Australia
have come to our attention," Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner
Steve Fontana said.
Al-Furqan was also regularly frequented by
Neil Prakash, 23, who defected to Syria in 2013 to fight alongside the
Islamic State (IS) terror group.
He is known to authorities as
the key figurehead behind IS recruitment in Australia, and recently
released a propaganda video online, telling "brothers" that "now is the
time to wake up, you must start attacking before they attack you."