Friday, 22 July 2011
Tolga Cifci leaving Burwood Local Court after facing charges relating to whipping Christian Martinez with electrical wire. (File Photo)
An Australian man charged over the lashing of a recent Islamic convert for drinking alcohol as a sharia law punishment once praised Osama Bin Laden as a “soldier of god,” reports said Thursday.
Wassim Fayad, 43, is alleged to be among four men who broke into the home of new Muslim Christian Martinez as he slept early Sunday, pinned him down and whipped him 40 times for drinking with friends.
Mr. Fayad was charged with aggravated breaking and entering, detaining a person in company with intent to obtain an advantage and two counts of stealing.
Wassim Fayad, 43, is alleged to be among four men who broke into the home of new Muslim Christian Martinez as he slept early Sunday, pinned him down and whipped him 40 times for drinking with friends.
Mr. Fayad was charged with aggravated breaking and entering, detaining a person in company with intent to obtain an advantage and two counts of stealing.
Police told a Sydney court Mr. Fayad had planned the attack on Mr. Martinez as a “punishment in accordance with his religious beliefs and the continuation of his standing with his community.”
He stole beer and a hard drive containing CCTV footage from Mr. Martinez’s home during the break-in, police said.
Mr. Fayad followed the preaching of an outspoken cleric and said Al Qaeda leader Bin Laden was a “solider of God” who “died a martyr and... is now in paradise” after being killed by US forces in May, the Sydney Morning Herald said.
Mr. Martinez said he converted to Islam three years ago and one of the men allegedly involved in the attack had helped in his conversion, also telling the online Muslim Village news site that he was battling a drinking problem.
“I have a problem with drinking that I have been trying to overcome,” Mr. Martinez said.
“I had been drinking at home with a friend that morning. I am not sure how, but I know that somehow somebody must have seen me drinking.”
Mr. Martinez, 31, said he went to bed in the early evening and woke to find his friend with three other men warning him “that basically I would be getting 40 lashes as punishment for drinking alcohol.”
“At first I thought he was joking. But once they grabbed me and put me on the bed, I knew they were serious. They started whipping me. I was crying, screaming. In a lot, a lot of pain.”
He said words could not describe his anger, but stressed that Islam was a “beautiful religion” and the broader Muslim community had been very supportive.
Another man, Tolga Cifci, 20, has been charged over the break-in and police are still hunting the other two suspects.
The case has sparked outcry in Australia, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard condemning the attack.
“There’s only one law in this country, the law of Australia. That’s what binds us together and everybody’s got to abide by Australian law,” she said.
He stole beer and a hard drive containing CCTV footage from Mr. Martinez’s home during the break-in, police said.
Mr. Fayad followed the preaching of an outspoken cleric and said Al Qaeda leader Bin Laden was a “solider of God” who “died a martyr and... is now in paradise” after being killed by US forces in May, the Sydney Morning Herald said.
Mr. Martinez said he converted to Islam three years ago and one of the men allegedly involved in the attack had helped in his conversion, also telling the online Muslim Village news site that he was battling a drinking problem.
“I have a problem with drinking that I have been trying to overcome,” Mr. Martinez said.
“I had been drinking at home with a friend that morning. I am not sure how, but I know that somehow somebody must have seen me drinking.”
Mr. Martinez, 31, said he went to bed in the early evening and woke to find his friend with three other men warning him “that basically I would be getting 40 lashes as punishment for drinking alcohol.”
“At first I thought he was joking. But once they grabbed me and put me on the bed, I knew they were serious. They started whipping me. I was crying, screaming. In a lot, a lot of pain.”
He said words could not describe his anger, but stressed that Islam was a “beautiful religion” and the broader Muslim community had been very supportive.
Another man, Tolga Cifci, 20, has been charged over the break-in and police are still hunting the other two suspects.
The case has sparked outcry in Australia, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard condemning the attack.
“There’s only one law in this country, the law of Australia. That’s what binds us together and everybody’s got to abide by Australian law,” she said.
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