Sydney church stabbing was a ‘terrorist’ attack, police say
Australian authorities have labeled Monday’s stabbing at a Sydney church as a religiously motivated “terrorist act,” with a 16-year-old boy taken into custody following an attack on a bishop, a priest, and worshippers during mass at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church. Police report at least four individuals sustained “non-life-threatening” injuries, including the assailant.
The incident, captured on a church livestream, prompted unrest in the suburb of Wakeley. Australian law enforcement defines terrorist offenses as being driven by ideology, and while investigations are ongoing, they assert that this incident is rooted in religious extremism.
Officials have refrained from disclosing the religion of the alleged attacker. The church identified the priest as Father Isaac Royel and the bishop as Mar Mari Emmanuel.
Bishop Emmanuel, ordained in 2011, is a figure both popular and controversial, with his sermons garnering millions of views on social media.
The dissemination of graphic videos depicting the attack and its aftermath sparked outrage online, leading to a gathering of angry individuals at the Assyrian Orthodox Church, situated approximately 35 kilometers southwest of the city center.
The confrontation between the crowd and police guarding the church resulted in injuries to two officers, one sustaining a broken jaw from a brick and fence palings, and damage to 10 police vehicles.
Paramedics were also compelled to seek refuge inside the church for over three hours due to safety concerns.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened an emergency meeting of national security agencies, denouncing the attack as “disturbing” and emphasizing Australia’s commitment to peace. He urged against vigilante actions, stressing the importance of respecting the law.
New South Wales (NSW) Police Commissioner Karen Webb disclosed that both the bishop and priest were undergoing surgery and described them as fortunate to be alive.
The assailant allegedly directed religiously charged comments at the bishop before the attack, suggesting an intention to intimidate both attendees and online viewers of the live-streamed service.
Commissioner Webb affirmed that the suspect acted alone and, while previously known to law enforcement, was not on any terror watchlist.
State premier Chris Minns later confirmed reports of the teenager’s prior involvement in knife-related offenses, including an incident at school in 2020 where he was found in possession of a blade, during an interview with 2GB radio.
The alleged offender has been in surgery after his fingers were injured, police said, adding it is unclear if he was hurt with his weapon or when he was apprehended by the congregation.
The incident came only days after the nation was shocked by a separate and unrelated stabbing at a popular Sydney shopping center, which left seven people dead.
“NSW is on edge and there’s understandable community anxiety at the moment,” said Mr Minns. He appealed for calm, echoing calls from religious and community leaders.
“Their message to their communities was universal and identical, and that is that they deplore violence in all forms, [and] that they have faith in the NSW Police to undertake their investigation,” Mr Minns said.
Any attempt for “tit-for-tat” violence would by “met by the full force of the law”, he added.
A strike force has also been assembled to find those involved in the riot, Ms Webb said: “We will find you and we will come and arrest you.”
The head of the NSW Ambulance also called the behavior from crowds “outrageous”.
“Our people, that do nothing but go to care and help every single day, need to know that they’ve got the support of the community,” Dominic Morgan said.
The Wakeley neighbourhood is a hub for Sydney’s small Christian Assyrian community, many of whom have fled persecution and war in Iraq and Syria.
Bishop Emmanuel is a prominent leader in that community, and is one of the “kindest, [most] authentic, genuine human beings”, local MP Dai Le said.
However the bishop has had a turbulent relationship with the Assyrian Church, reportedly being suspended for disobeying canons and forming a breakaway church.
In 2021 he became a vocal opponent of Covid-19 restrictions, describing lockdowns in Australia as slavery and arguing that vaccines were futile.
