Melbourne Islamic centre leader rejects false accusations linking him to Flydubai co‑pilot

The centre’s head says prosecutors’ claims about his ties to the suspect are unfounded.

By Felo News Desk · Published Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:16:28 GMT

Samir Mohtadi, head of a Melbourne Islamic community centre, said he "strongly rejects" attempts to associate him or his centre with the Omani co‑pilot suspected of the Flydubai cockpit axe attack, according to Al Jazeera and France 24.

What happened

The Omani co‑pilot, identified by UAE prosecutors as Hamam al‑Hammami, attacked the captain of Flydubai flight FZ1073 on 30 September 2026, using a crash axe. Passengers subdued him and the aircraft diverted safely to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The UAE Attorney‑General later alleged the co‑pilot was radicalised while studying in Australia and had connections to an organisation called “MyCentre” managed by a Lebanese man named Abu Hamza.

What the reports add

Al Jazeera reported the prosecutor said al‑Hammami first became radicalised “through reading extremist literature and following online content glorifying terrorist organisations and suicide attacks” while in Australia.
France 24 specified that the radicalisation occurred while he was a student at RMIT University.
Both outlets note that neither “MyCentre” (spelled “My Centre” by France 24) nor Abu Hamza have been charged with any wrongdoing.

What was said

“Right through the ages, those who’re righteous, they’ve always been attacked, abused, accused, killed, imprisoned – and this is the way it is.”

“The best thing sometimes is not to say anything.”

These remarks were made by Mohtadi – also identified by local media as Abu Hamza – in a video posted on MyCentre’s Facebook page (Al Jazeera; France 24).

In a separate statement cited by Australia’s ABC, Mohtadi said:

“I strongly reject any attempt to associate me or the Multicultural Youth Centre with Al‑Hammami. Such claims are unfounded, misleading and risk unfairly damaging the reputation of an organisation that has served the wider Australian community for decades.”

“The relevant authorities should have verified these claims with me before releasing or publishing such information.”

“Throughout my life, I have consistently preached peace. Both in my work and the work of the centre we have always focused on promoting peace, harmony, mutual respect and community wellbeing. We unequivocally reject violence in all its forms.”

How it came about

The link between Mohtadi’s centre and the suspect emerged after the UAE prosecutor’s findings were published in state media last week. Earlier Felo News coverage detailed the attack itself (flydubai-cockpit-axe-attack-omanian-co-pilot) and the alleged suicide‑crash plot against Ben Gurion Airport (omani-co-pilot-suicide-plot-ben-gurion). Mohtadi’s denial follows those earlier reports and adds a direct response from the Melbourne community leader.

Key facts

Samir Mohtadi publicly rejected any link to the Flydubai co‑pilot suspect. (aljazeera.com)
UAE prosecutors identified the co‑pilot as Omani national Hamam al‑Hammami. (france24.com)
Prosecutors allege al‑Hammami was radicalised while studying in Australia and knew an organisation called “MyCentre”. (aljazeera.com)
Neither “MyCentre” nor its manager Abu Hamza have been accused of criminal wrongdoing. (france24.com)

Where accounts differ

Spelling of the Australian organisation linked to the suspect: “MyCentre” (aljazeera.com); “My Centre” (france24.com)
Identity of the person speaking in the video: Samir Mohtadi is the speaker (aljazeera.com); Abu Hamza, also named Samir Mohtadi, is the speaker (france24.com)

Timeline

2026-09-30 — Flydubai co‑pilot attacks captain with an axe on flight FZ1073
2026-10-03 — UAE prosecutor publicly identifies Hamam al‑Hammami as the suspect
2026-10-10 — UAE prosecutor says al‑Hammami planned a suicide crash into Ben Gurion Airport
2026-10-12 — Melbourne Islamic centre leader Samir Mohtadi rejects false accusations