Emirati officials have identified a 29-year-old suspect in an alleged hijacking attempt on a flydubai flight, claiming he was radicalized during his time at RMIT University in Melbourne. The suspect is accused of attacking the co-pilot and attempting to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. According to authorities, the man associated with individuals linked to a Melbourne mosque led by Samir Mohtadi while studying. In response, Mohtadi has used social media to suggest that "the righteous will always be attacked" without addressing specific allegations directly.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In September, United Arab Emirates officials interrogated a suspect named Hammam Al-Hammami, who is accused of attempting to hijack a flydubai flight with over 170 passengers aboard. The authorities claim that during his studies in Melbourne, Australia, the 29-year-old suspect was radicalized and became acquainted with individuals linked to a mosque led by Samir Mohtadi. Emirati Attorney-General Mr Al Shamsi stated that Al-Hammami prepared himself psychologically and physically for terrorist activities, including studying extremist material and training in boxing under a private coach.
In response to the allegations, Imam Samir Mohtadi has posted on social media, stating "the righteous will always be attacked," without directly addressing the specific charges against his mosque or Al-Hammami. The suspect is alleged to have attacked the co-pilot mid-flight over Saudi Arabia and was reportedly aiming to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Written for “Emirates Flydubai Terror Probe” on 2026-10-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
In short:
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have said the 29-year-old suspect in the alleged hijacking of a flydubai flight was radicalised while studying in Melbourne.
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suspect → say → Melbourne
The Emirati attorney-general said the man became acquainted with people linked to a Melbourne mosque led by Samir Mohtadi.
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man → say → Mohtadi
Referring to "false allegations", Mr Mohtadi said: "The righteous will always be attacked".
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righteous → refer → allegations
The imam of a Melbourne mosque allegedly linked to the suspect in the attempted hijacking of a flydubai plane has taken to social media to claim "the righteous will always be attacked" and referred to "false allegations", while not directly addressing the allegations.
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righteous → link → allegations
In a statement released via state media last week, the United Arab Emirates attorney-general said the 29-year-old terror suspect, widely reported as Omani national Hammam Al-Hammami, started to "drift towards extremism and terrorism" while studying in Melbourne.
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suspect → release → Melbourne
Mr Al-Hammami is accused of attacking his co-pilot with an axe in the skies over Saudi Arabia as they were flying a flydubai plane carrying more than 170 passengers.
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they → accuse → passengers
Emirati authorities allege he was trying to take control of the plane to crash it into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, in a "suicide attack".
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he → allege → attack
The Emirati attorney-general said that during Mr Al-Hammami's time in Melbourne, the suspect began "reading extremist literature and following online content glorifying terrorist organisations and suicide attacks".
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suspect → say → organisations
According to the statement, the man met individuals associated with the My Centre mosque in Broadmeadows in 2017 while studying at RMIT and that "the centre was managed by a Lebanese man known as Abu Hamza".
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centre → accord → Hamza
The mosque's leader, Samir Mohtadi, known as Abu Hamza, invoked Jesus and Mary in a social media video in which he concluded: "The best thing sometimes is not to say anything."
"Right through the ages … those who're righteous, they've always been attacked, abused, accused, killed, imprisoned — and this is the way it is," Mr Mohtadi said.
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Mohtadi → know → ages
He recounted a story of Mary, known in Islam as Maryam, being accused of wrongdoing, to which he said she responded: "I swear by Allah, I'm not going to speak to anyone."
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I → recount → anyone
"There are circumstances, my beloved brothers and respected sisters, regardless how much you explain yourself to people, they're fixated with their ideas and that's it; you can't change them," Mr Mohtadi said.
"
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Mohtadi → be → them
So the best thing sometimes is not to say anything.
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thing → say → anything
"They're going to continue accusing you … making false accusations."
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They → go → accusations
He also said worshipping God, rather than defending oneself, was a better use of one's time.
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worshipping → say → time
The ABC does not suggest that Mr Mohtadi or My Centre radicalised Mr Al-Hammami or were otherwise connected to the flydubai incident; simply that the authorities in the UAE have raised the connection.
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authorities → suggest → connection
Mr Mohtadi and My Centre, which is run by the Islamic Information & Services Network of Australasia (IISNA), were contacted for comment.
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which → run → comment
RMIT University has confirmed Al-Hammami studied engineering there but did not successfully complete his degree.
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Hammami → confirm → degree
Mr Al Shamsi, the Emirati attorney-general, said during the interrogation of Al-Hammami it emerged he had been inspired by the September 11 terror attacks.
"[He] also said that he had prepared himself both psychologically and physically to carry out the plot by intensifying his exposure to material promoting terrorism and training in boxing under a private coach," the news agency reported.
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agency → say → coach
Last week, the Australian Federal Police confirmed it had launched an investigation into Mr Al-Hammami's time in Australia.
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it → confirm → Australia
Islamic Council of Victoria president Mohamed Mohideen told the ABC he condemned "all forms of extremism".
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he → tell → extremism
The Aporia
