By guest columnist Tess Lawrence

One man’s terrorist is another terrorist’s man.

Algerian-born Abdul Nacer Benbrika’s notorious name is synonymous with a foiled terrorist plot to bomb an AFL Grand Final at the MCG among other targets in Melbourne and Sydney, including government offices, Crown Casino, the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor plant.

Prosecutors also presented evidence in the Victorian Supreme Court, of plans to assassinate then Prime Minister John Howard because of the Iraq War.

Benbrika a big-noter and Osama bin Laden fan

A big noter and Osama bin Laden fan, Benbrika’s release from prison has caused outrage and debate in the wider community, including those within the Muslim community who, like many non-Muslims, view him as a divisive and corrupting figure, a trouble-maker, a skilled groomer and manipulator of vagrant minds searching for a cause, a mentor, a father figure.

He was a predator who could fill the vacuum of a seemingly aimless existence of disaffected younger men, with his perversions of religion texts and societal hatreds, mostly towards so-called ‘western civilization ’and fellow Australians.

Whether Benbrika is still all these things, one cannot say. And therein lies the rub.

Benbrika was a Jihadist cult leader and though his terrorist cell comprised relatively few in number, a single terrorist can wreak havoc upon thousands of innocents as we well know.

Moreover, his cell had tangible and ideological links with other groups and pop-up terrorist cells that even contrived to carry out terrorist acts in retaliation for Benbrika’s imprisonment, all in the name of Jihad.

Actually, Jihad is the Arabic word for ‘Struggle’

Here I ought point out that the Arabic word ‘jihad’ simply means ‘struggle’.

In contemporary parlance we are more used to the term referring not only to religious struggle and context, but also warring by terrorists, or social discrimination at times between the differing ‘dialects’ of Islam, in much the same way as discrimination exists within Jewry and Christianity, ergo, conflict between Protestants and Roman Catholics.

Operation Pandennis brought Benbrika undone

Benbrika and his cohorts were finally brought undone by Operation Pendennis. Formed in 2004, it was a collaborative effort by Victoria and New South Wales Police, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). Much information also came from concerned citizens, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

On September 15, 2008, Sunni Imam Abu Benbrika, also known as Abu Bakr was convicted by the Supreme Court of Victoria of being a member of a terrorist organisation and directing the activities of a terrorist organisation.

On Tuesday morning in the Victorian Supreme Court, Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth granted Benbrika’s release on an extended supervision order for a year (and not the three years requested by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus) with strict compliance conditions, mere weeks after the High Court found that the Morrison government’s Home Affairs minister, now Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, had unconstitutionally revoked Benbrika’s Australian citizenship.

Lazy Sussan puts her stilettos in it

The raft of conditions includes a curfew, the restricted use of mobile and other devices, undergo mandatory psychological treatment and de-radicalisation programs and the wearing of an electronic monitoring device.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan (aka TGWT – ‘this goes with this‘) Ley, one of Peter Dutton’s frontline Bark Squad predictably attempted to whitewash the Coalition’s role in the legal and legislative meanderings that ultimately led to Benbrika’s release.

But lazy Sussan should have thought it through. Clearly, she hadn’t read Justice Hollingworth’s judgement, because what Her Honour had to say was scathing about the previous Morrison Government and Home Affairs in particular.

All roads lead to Home Affairs and Peter Dutton

Because as usual, all roads lead to Home, as in Home Affairs – and No Man Peter Dutton.

Check this out:

HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS v BENBRIKA [2021] HCA 4

10 February 2021

Today, the High Court answered a question reserved for the consideration of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria that had been removed into the High Court. The question concerned Div 105A of the Criminal Code (Cth) (“the Code”), which empowers the Supreme Court of a State or Territory, on the application of the Minister for Home Affairs (“the Minister”), to order that a person who has been convicted of a terrorist offence be detained in prison for a further period after the expiration of his or her sentence of imprisonment. The Court held, by majority, that the power to make a continuing detention order (“CDO”) under s 105A.7 of the Code is within the judicial power of the Commonwealth and has not been conferred, inter alia, on the Supreme Court of Victoria contrary to Ch III of the Commonwealth Constitution.

On 15 September 2008, Mr Abdul Nacer Benbrika was convicted by the Supreme Court of Victoria of being a member of a terrorist organisation and directing the activities of a terrorist organisation. At trial, the Crown case was that Mr Benbrika and others were members of a Melbourne-based terrorist organisation that was fostering or preparing the doing of a terrorist act in Australia or overseas. Mr Benbrika was sentenced to an effective term of imprisonment of 15 years with a non- parole period of 12 years. His sentence expired on 5 November 2020. On 4 September 2020, the Minister commenced proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria, seeking a CDO in respect of Mr Benbrika. On 24 December 2020, it was ordered that Mr Benbrika be subject to a CDO to be in force for a period of three years.

Mr Benbrika’s principal argument relied on the principle, articulated in Chu Kheng Lim v Minister for Immigration (1992) 176 CLR 1 and derived from the separation of powers provided for by the Constitution, that, exceptional cases aside, the involuntary detention of a citizen in custody by the State is penal or punitive in character and exists only as an incident of the exclusively judicial function of adjudging and punishing criminal guilt (“the Lim principle”). It was contended that the scheme for preventative detention provided for by Div 105A neither complies with, nor falls within a recognised exception to, this principle and so may not be conferred as federal judicial power.

A majority of the Court held that a scheme that is appropriately tailored to protecting the community from the singular threat posed by terrorist criminal activity is capable of coming within an exception to the Lim principle analogous to other established exceptions that share a purpose of protection of the community from harm, such as detention of those suffering from mental illness or infectious disease. Taken as a whole, particularly as the power to make a CDO under Div 105A is conditioned on a judge being satisfied not only that the risk of the commission of certain offences is “unacceptable” but also that no other, less restrictive measure would be effective in preventing that risk, the division is rightly characterised as directed to ensuring the safety and protection of the community from the risk of harm posed by the threat of terrorism. Accordingly, Div 105A validly confers the judicial power of the Commonwealth on the Supreme Court of a State or Territory.

• This statement is not intended to be a substitute for the reasons of the High Court or to be used in any later consideration of the Court’s reasons.

Please direct enquiries to Ben Wickham, Senior Executive Deputy Registrar Telephone: (02) 6270 6893 Fax: (02) 6270 6868
Email: enquiries@hcourt.gov.au Website: www.hcourt.gov.au

Three years ago this month, Peter Dutton, mutton dressed up as ram, without the rosemary, was the Minister for Home Affairs. And on this particular Wednesday, 25^th of November, he was participating in a joint press conference with the former American Ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse Junior.

You probably haven’t heard of Culvahouse Junior. That’s because he was a President Donald Trump appointee. Junior was the bright spark who picked Sarah Palin as John McCain’s Vice-Presidential running mate. But I digress.

Dutton revokes Benbrika’s Australian citizenship

Serious matters were to be discussion – child exploitation, Abdul Nacer Benbrika, as well as not so serious matters – the US/Australia alliance (they who must be obeyed) and a former Finance Minister, the political traitor Mathias Cormann.

We shall spare you the treacly fawning by Dutton and quote from the transcript on Dutton’s website:

PETER DUTTON:

Thank you very much Ambassador.

I just wanted to update you in relation to a matter that’s currently before the court, but in November 2005, Abdul Nacer Benbrika was arrested as part of Operation Pendennis, some of you will have a memory of that.

The court heard that Benbrika spoke of killing 1,000 people to achieve the groups objectives. He was charged with possessing a thing connected with the preparation of a terrorist attack and in February 2009, the Supreme Court of Victoria sentenced Benbrika to 15 years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of 12 years.

His sentence was comprised of one term of seven years for intentionally being a member of a terrorist organisation, one term of 15 years for intentionally directing the activities of a terrorist organisation, and one term of five years for possession of a thing connected with the preparation of a terrorist act.

Benbrika appealed his conviction sentence, as you’d know, but today I can confirm that on the 20th of November I cancelled the Australia citizenship of convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika.

He’s the first individual to have lost his citizenship onshore under the terrorism related provisions of the Australian Citizenship Act of 2007 and given Benbrika no longer holds Australian citizenship, he’s granted an ex-citizen visa by operation of law, under the Migration Act.

Benbrika has been notified of his citizenship loss and he’ll remain in prison whilst an interim detention order is enforced, pending the courts consideration of the application for a continuing detention order.
I do want to pay tribute and thank all of the law enforcement officers and agencies who worked on Operation Pendennis. This was the most significant counter-terrorism investigation in Australia’s history and it no doubt saved countless lives.

I can confirm today, also, that 20 dual-nationals cease to hold Australian citizenship as a result of their engagement in terrorist conduct, but he is the first onshore, as I point out…

The High Court restores Benbrika’s citizenship

And we have to point out that, of course, the High Court restored Benbrika’s Australian citizenship.

Convicted terrorist Benbrika walks free as blame game begins:

In September, 2011 I compiled an essay on suicide bombers that also referred to Abdul Nacer Benbrika.

First published on Independent Australia, I wrote that:

“… Benbrika’s limited and malevolent fundamentalist intellect is particularly disturbing. People that know him tell me he is incapable of a sensible discussion on anything outside of his obsessive compulsive revulsion and demonising of non-believers among which he includes moderate Muslims…”

Benbrika has fathered seven children and is now a grandfather. To the best of my knowledge and from information from Muslim intelligence, he has been on the dole all the while, since he overstayed his initial visa. We must never begrudge children the benefit of parent(s) being on the dole.

Effectively, this homegrown terrorist would have ‘grown‘ on the public purse. In other words, we the people have been funding his terrorist cell.

“He’s never done a day’s work in his life,” one Muslim leader told me. The AIM Network has also been informed that the majority of Benbrika’s cult mates were ‘on the dole’. I am deliberately using the word ‘dole‘ because that is how Muslim contacts have referred to the government benefits Benbrika has received for decades.

From 2011:

Benbrika. Infected with hatred for West in whose imperfect arms he enjoyed daily embrace

He seems to have suckled constantly off the Australian welfare teat to provide for himself and his wife and seven children and yet his language is infected with hatred towards Australia and Australians and ‘the West’ in whose imperfect arms he has enjoyed daily embrace…

Did Benbrika get paid in prison? Do we have a right to know how much he had in his prison bank account?

Moreover, as a prisoner, Benbrika would have received monies if he had undertaken work within the prison system. It will surprise many to know that there is no limit to the amount of money a prisoner can have in their account.

Do we have the right to know what Benbrika had in his prison bank account? I’m curious to know if his account earns interest; if they are shariah compliant?

We now republish in full the 2011 article on terrorists and predator Abdul Nacer Benbrika, that captures community concern at the time of his sentencing:

Suicide bombers need to be studied like other murderers

Suicide bombers: Masturbating blood in the dark.

IT IS the hate that dare not speak its name.

But I will name it and I will try to shame it. It is the hate that masquerades as the love for Allah.

It is the hate that manifests in the barren bowels of barren men with matching intellects; whose ideological impotence feeds on a Viagra readily manufactured by the conjoined twins of sex and violence.

It appears on the assembly belt in a package mostly indistinguishable from all the other packages.

That is the beauty of it.

It walks and stalks paupers and those who would be kings alike.

It is a responsive and unquestioning servant to a needy and often seasoned master whose sexual gratification is dependent upon the subjugation of often younger prey; an age old powerplay, surely.

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Blair, and Howard, Bin Laden and Abdul Nacer Benbrika extolled others to violence and despatched youth to war against the human family.

It appears as an automaton incapable of independent thought.

Lured with the promise of unearthly bounty, its gullibility harvested by grim reapers who gather their spent seed and spread it equally upon their greedy quivering mouths and reputations.

It has a brain but does not think.

It has eyes but does not see.

It has a heart but it doesn’t miss a beat. It has blood, but if you cut it, it does not heed. It even has a conscience but this has been sold into slavery for an empty silken purse made with the tattered fabric of inhumane bondage and debts that never have to be repaid. Micro-finance not required.

What is it?

You know it. I know it. The world knows it well. Too well.

‘It’ is the suicide bomber.

The links between fundamentalist religious zealots and power and sex and violence is known and noted.

Before the crazies start strapping on their designer terrorist suicide jackets to shut me up, let me say this: I feel the same way about all FRZs. And that includes alleged professed Christians and Muslims and Jews and Infidels.

Allah. It’s Arabic for God. It’s not Muslim for God

And while we’re at it, can we just get this straight about the word ‘Allah’. It’s Arabic for God.

It’s not Muslim for God. So we can all use it. Muslim, Christians, Non-believers, alike.

It’s no more a Muslim word than God is a Christian word.

I’m researching a book about the pornography of sexual violence specifically linking terrorism and suicide bombers. War porn. We don’t have to go overseas to identify these links. Let’s pop into our own backyard shall we? And why are we terrified of discussing this subject in Australia and opening up a public conversation?

For example, the more one studies the lexicon of Algerian-born convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika, the more one realises the important role manipulating repressed sexuality has as essential armoury in his toxic interpretation of Jihadism.

We (not me) used to say one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. Now we (not me) say one man’s suicide bomber is another man’s martyr. The promise of 72 virgins awaiting these suicidal martyrs, presumably with open legs as well as open arms, remains a serious inducement of recruitment for these doomsday cults.

I ponder about what’s in it for women suicidal martyrs – 72 virgin males? I don’t think so.

Fat chance. Either side of the great Sirat.

Anyway, I hope they’re faux virgins who have had their hymens restitched — these spoils of whore.

I know, I’m a killjoy, but why would you want your first sexual encounter to be with a coward?

Heaven’s virgins, like those of us on earth surely deserve as it is in heaven – heroes, champions, darling men and women who make love not hate and angels who frolic in same sex marriages and where unbaptised innocent babies who died with souls stained by mortal sin are not double-parked in Limbo and where you can meet wealthy stinkers who fast tracked their way into Heaven with Plenary Indulgences.

Then again, as far as most religions go, we of the second-class sex generally get a bum rap. I’m speaking as a prolapsed Catholic. I know these things. Il Papa doesn’t fool me just because he gave Macka (Mother Mary MacKillop to you) a Vatican gong.

Et cum spiritu tuo

Those Vatican dudes who wear the Magenta Galibayas have so much in common with their Taliban brothers. They still think women are unclean and won’t let us share the wine and be priests in case we menstruate on the Altar while we’re turning water and wine into the actual body and blood of Jesus.

Do you get that? It’s magic. It’s not a metaphor. Not symbolic. It is the miracle of the Mass.

We all know the once excommunicated (for insubordination) Mother Mary liked to hit the turps every now and then. Let it be. A minor storm in a hiccup, I would have thought, given the well-stocked cellars of the Brothers and Priests. All top shelf stuff. Let the Holy Spirits be upon you.

Et cum spiritu tuo.

That woman has always been a saint in my eyes.

The reality was she still did more in a day than the blokes did in a month of Sundays, at a time when it was a Mortal Sin to miss Mass on the Sabbath and believers used to fret about all those innocent babies in Limbo. I still do.

Did those bubs stay on when the Dogma didn’t? Any frequent flyers?

Back to Benbrika. Remember Attorney-General Robert McClelland’s expedient attempt to bring some hollow kudos to the Labor Government (the original charges against Benbrika and others were laid under the Howard Government).

McClelland imprudently described Australia’s biggest terrorist trial as our “most successful terror prosecution” inviting justifiable criticism about political interference and outrage from the Opposition, civil liberties groups and lawyers for the men; fuelling the on-going debate in this country about terror laws and freedom of speech.

In 2008, Benbrika and several others were found guilty of terrorism related charges. Last week in Melbourne, Justice Terry Forrest ruled that a second trial involving Benbrika and others would be an abuse of process and opppressive.

The evidence before the Court in the seven-month trial in 2008, reminded us all that whilst economic deprivation undoubtedly oils the mechanics of recruiting younger terrorists as disposable human waste and foot soldiers — most of Benbrika’s acolytes within the inner sanctum would not be classed as economically deprived.

Benbrika’s limited and malevolent fundamentalist intellect is particularly disturbing. People that know him tell me he is incapable of a sensible discussion on anything outside of his obsessive compulsive revulsion and demonising of non-believers among which he includes moderate Muslims.

Benbrika. Infected with hatred for West in whose imperfect arms he enjoyed daily embrace

He seems to have suckled constantly off the Australian welfare teat to provide for himself and his wife and seven children and yet his language is infected with hatred towards Australia and Australians and ‘the West’ in whose imperfect arms he has enjoyed daily embrace.

In this, Benbrika has local and overseas counterparts.

It is chilling to read transcripts and hear tapes of him deftly verbally seducing his younger disciples – religious paedophilia, most surely, of another kind. He uses those programming techniques favoured by a number of cults. First de-construct. Then re-construct. Listen to the Terrorist Whisperer’s seductive vocal caress.

Little forensic analyses have been completed on the psychological construct of self-appointed leaders/Imams such as Benbrika and his international siblings. The latter, in particular, get their rocks off by getting younger men and kids to literally get their rocks off in suicide bombings. What’s going on here?

And have you noticed that so often in the terrorist’s suicidal foreplay that a visit to the local brothel or freelance prostitute (a la the September 11, 2001 terrorist hijackers) seems a mandatory prerequisite before meeting the Creator? Why is that, I wonder?

Governments shy from investing funds in this specific field of research and yet uber intelligence personnel tell me there are valuable counter-terrorism technique clues embedded like shrapnel in this endeavour. It is not an unknown discipline, after all.

So often, terrorists portray suicide bombers as heroes. What would happen if they were portrayed instead as losers, inadequate performers? As gutless beings – reduced to the status of genocidal mass murderers, serial killers, criminals.

Consider Hitler and the efforts of the Allies to dissect his sexual proclivities and the debates in academe about the impact of his single testicle on his psyche. Did Hitler have balls? He had but one, according to what a member of the Russian Schmersh team present at the autopsy told me. And she walked around with bits of his jaw in her handbag for days. But hey, is it about the testosterone count? Or is it about the manipulating of psychosexual DNA. Cowards don’t need balls. Like bullies.

These thugs, this death coach Benbrika and his convicted lackeys, should be stripped from hiding behind any facade of religion. (It should be noted that Benbrika’s cell was exposed because of the vigilance and concern of members of the Muslim community informing and working with the authorities.)

The homoerotic sadism inherent in despatching others to kill on one’s behalf needs to be properly dissected and examined.

This is considered valid when profiling so-called ‘civilian’ serial killers and those who incite others to murder on their behalf.

So why do we shirk from applying this level of scrutiny to terrorists and home-grown terrorists?

The likes of Benbrika … masturbating blood in the dark

Some people love to watch people having sex. Some people love to watch people die. Some people get off on watching people kill other people. And we know some people just love those suicide videos; pornography of violence; snuff movies. The likes of Benbrika and his ideological brothers masturbating blood in the dark.

Their philosophies are bereft of love, hope, joy, friendship, compassion, peace, sheer lust for life and affection for their human brethren. They display an inability to empathise with suffering. There is no sense of a shared humanity.

They promulgate a version of religion incapable of withstanding scrutiny, argument, debate, challenge, humour, ridicule, from believers and non-believers alike.

They instigate fear and suspicion within their own communities, intimidating those who do not adhere to their fundamentalist criteria.

They are psychopaths with Lecter-like inclination. You might notice that Benbrika and other so called ‘mentors’ never advocate strapping on a suicide vest themselves. No sirree, Abdul. Do as I say, not as I do not. Bin Laden would never have said ‘my turn, brothers’. These dudes don’t believe their own rhetoric. They know it’s a load of bollocks.

They defecate on the dreams of ordinary Muslims

Most of all, they defecate on the dreams and aspirations of ordinary Muslims. I don’t much care that they are anti-Christian, anti-Jew, anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist, et cetera. They are entitled to their opinion. But they are anti-life. They are anti-humanity. And they are certainly anti-Muslim. Terrorists murder and maim more Muslims than they do Infidels.

A night ago from Kabul came information of the suicide bombing of former Afghani President and Chairman of the Afghan High Peace Council, Berhanuddin Rabbani whilst meeting with Taliban leaders.

Reports state one of the suicide bombers may have hidden the bomb in his turban.

What utter cowards. How they must have feared Rabbani; too scared to even speak with him and prepared to desecrate the code of hospitality, protection and honour offered in his home.

Such bombings should not be regarded as a triumph but as a measure of the terrorist’s ideological impotence.

The many wars within ‘The War’ in Afghanistan have little to do with even religious ideology, but everything to do with power and corruption and money and drugs.

Muslim terrorists … Brothers in arms with Irish Christian terrorists

Their brothers in arms might well be the likes of Irish Christian terrorists, who killed many more Christians in their zenith and may never have killed a single Muslim, insofar as ‘The Troubles’ are concerned.

And, like their Muslim terrorist brethren, Christian Irish terrorists are anti-life, anti-humanity. And they are certainly anti-Christian. Do you get my drift?

Oh yes, Al Qaeda would have been quite at home in Omagh that terrible day in Market Street, August 15, 1998. It became human meat market street, littered with the body parts of the innocent dead and dying and hundreds of injured.

The thing is, Christian yarns are full of martyrs who seemed to revel in being flayed alive and burned at the stake, plucking their own eyes out – or bringing it on themselves, being flogged, the gory stories scaring the bejeezus out of wee kidlets.

Crucified half-naked Christ – Image riddled with homoerotica

And look at those statues and pictures of the crucified half-naked and splayed Christ, the blood trickling down his forehead from the crown of piercing thorns and oozing from the nails driven into his open palms and crossed feet; sometimes Christendom’s ultimate martyr is bound with rope, in bondage to his scriptured fate. Then there is the coup de amazing grace — that gash in his side from the spear. The entire image is riddled with undeniable homoerotica.

The ecstasy far outstrips the agony.

For some reason these days Christians – and the rest of us, on the whole, don’t seem to have as much enthusiasm for martyrdom or suicide missions as our Muslim counterparts.

Maybe the former are just not that interested in meeting virgins in the afterlife. Maybe they figure they can meet more virgins here on earth.

Or maybe they’re just not as sexually desperate as suicidal bombers.