Melbourne, April 23 (IANS) 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.”
–Indo-Asian News Service
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