AJC Expresses Sympathy and Solidarity with Australia

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Dec 15, 2014, 07:12 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC expresses its deepest sympathy to the victims of the hostage crisis in Sydney, Australia, and solidarity with the Australian government in its determination to combat Islamist terror.

After a 16-hour ordeal in which dozens of innocent people were held hostage in a café, a police raid today brought the crisis to an end. Tragically, two hostages were killed and four wounded. The Iranian-born perpetrator, Man Haron Monis, was also killed during the rescue attempt. Known to Australian authorities for his extreme Islamist views, he made a point of displaying a black flag with the Islamic Declaration of Faith, in Arabic, on it while holding the hostages. Monis also had a long record of criminal behavior, and was out on bail when he took control of the cafe.

It remains unclear whether he acted alone or as part of a broader plot. In recent weeks, Australian counter-terrorism forces, alert to extremist activity in the country, have raided Islamist hideouts and arrested a number of suspects.

AJC Executive Director David Harris said, "This horrific event is another telling reminder of the danger to all democratic societies of Islamist terror, as well as the need for constant vigilance in the face of such threats."

"We take note of those Australian Muslim leaders, as well as leaders of other faiths, who quickly and unequivocally condemned this act of terror, and who recognize the need to defend democratic and pluralistic values," Harris added.

In October, an AJC leadership delegation visited Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney, only days after the terror attack in Ottawa, Canada. During the mission, AJC met with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, as well as other top-level government officials, and the issue of Islamist terror was high on the agenda in each meeting.

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SOURCE American Jewish Committee