‘Terror in the Shadows: How ISIS-Inspired Thugs Are Targeting Gay Teens in Sydney’s Suburbs’
- Disturbing videos reveal ISIS sympathisers hunting and bashing gay and bisexual boys on camera in Sydney’s suburbs.
- At least 64 people have been charged in NSW and Victoria over app-based attacks on LGBTQIA+ people since 2023.
- Experts warn LGBTQIA+ Australians are among the most likely victims of terrorism, with figures revealing scores of boys and men have been lured online and attacked across Australia.
In the shadows of Sydney’s suburban streets, a sinister game of cat and mouse is playing out, with ISIS-inspired thugs targeting gay and bisexual teenagers. The victims, lured on dating apps, are being brutally bashed and filmed, with the footage shared online. The attacks are a chilling reminder that the threat of terrorism is far from over, and that LGBTQIA+ Australians are among the most vulnerable targets.
In a shocking expose, the ABC has obtained distressing videos and victims’ accounts of ISIS sympathisers hunting and bashing gay and bisexual boys on camera in Sydney. The footage, too graphic to describe, shows teenagers being dragged to the ground, stomped on, and punched while being called homophobic slurs. The attacks are a stark warning that the threat of terrorism is real, and that it’s only a matter of time before a young man or men are killed.
The bashings, which have been happening for at least two years, are linked to the same terrorist network as Naveed and Sajid Akram, the father and son responsible for the Hanukkah massacre that killed 15 people at Bondi Beach in December. The network, which has been revived in recent years, is made up of young people radicalised by a mix of extremist influences, from jihadism to the far right. The attackers, who have been convicted over the bashings, congregated around a radical Bankstown prayer hall, Al Madina Dawah Centre, which was ordered to close after the Bondi shooting.
Analysis: What This Means for Australia
The attacks raise fresh questions about whether Australia underestimated the threat of terrorism in the lead-up to the Bondi attack, and whether LGBTQIA+ Australians remain acutely exposed. Experts warn that the threat of terrorism is far from over, and that the country needs to take urgent action to protect its most vulnerable citizens. “We are at risk of seeing these attacks that we’ve seen on videos turn deadly,” said Josh Roose, an extremism researcher at Deakin University. “It’s only a matter of time before a young man or men are killed.”
Security analysts say the attacks are a clear warning sign to Australian authorities about the violent intent of many in Wisam Haddad’s network in the years before the Bondi massacre. “They weren’t prosecuted as violent extremist acts,” Dr Roose said. “However, the videos show a clear level of radicalisation and a clear willingness to use potentially deadly violence.”
The attacks have sparked calls for a national response to anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crimes, as well as urgent measures to protect events like the Sydney Mardi Gras. NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the state government and NSW Police worked closely with LGBTQIA+ community leaders to safeguard events. However, experts warn that more needs to be done to address the root causes of the problem.
For some in Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community, the videos evoke memories of the 1980s, when gay bashings were routine and rarely prosecuted. This time, the violence was filmed, branded, and shared – and, investigators say, tied to a network that would later carry out the deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil.