Police in Australia are investigating a knife assault on a priest and a bishop as acts of terrorism

According to Australian authorities, a Sydney knife assault that left a priest and a bishop injured at a church service while terrified onlookers watched in person and on social media and ignited a riot constituted an act of terrorism.

Following a stabbing at Christ the Good Shepherd Church on Tuesday that left Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and a priest wounded, police detained a 16-year-old kid. It is anticipated that both will live.

The suspect’s remarks, according to New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb, suggested that the assault had a religious motivation.

“We’ll claim there’s a level of premeditation because this individual carried a knife with him when he traveled to that location, which is not close to his residential address, and as a result, the bishop and the priest were stabbed,” Webb said. “They are fortunate to be alive.”

According to Webb, the adolescent was not on a terror watch list but was known to the police.

In order to investigate who else could be involved, state police, the Australian Federal Police, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organization—the country’s primary domestic surveillance agency—joined a counterterrorism task force.

Mike Burgess, director-general of ASIO, said that no related threats had yet to be found throughout the probe.

Burgess said, “We continue our lines of investigation, but it does appear to be religiously motivated.”

It is our responsibility to examine those who have ties to the assailant in order to confirm that no other members of the community have the same intentions. We don’t yet have any signs of that,” Burgess said.

Australia’s danger of a terrorist strike is classified as “possible” on ASIO’s recommendation. Following “not expected,” it is the second-lowest rank on the five-tier National Terrorism Threat Advisory System.

“There is no place for violence in our community,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in reaction to the incident. Extremism that is violent has no place here.

During a church service on Monday night, spectators at Christ the Good Shepherd in the suburban Wakeley watched as a man dressed in black approached the altar and stabbed Bishop and Priest Isaac Royel before being overwhelmed by the crowd, according to police.

Authorities reported that hundreds of vengeful people gathered outside the Orthodox Assyrian church, hurting police officers with their bricks and bottles and obstructing them from escorting the teenager away.

Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Andrew Holland informed the media that the teenage suspect and at least two police officers had also been admitted to hospitals.

In a social media post, the church requested prayers and said that the bishop and priest were in stable conditions. The message continued, “It is the bishop’s and father’s wishes that you also pray for the perpetrator.”

Holland applauded the church for controlling the teenager before contacting law enforcement. He described the hand injuries as “severe” when asked whether the teen’s fingers had been severed.

The hours-long situation saw the arrival of almost 100 police reinforcements before the adolescent was escorted from the chapel. Numerous police cars sustained damage, according to Holland.

Numerous homes have sustained damage. They have robbed many homes in order to get weapons to use against the cops. They have hurled objects and weapons against the church building. He said, “It was evident that there were those who want to get access to the young individual who had injured the clergy members.

After a lone attacker fatally stabbed six people and wounded over a dozen others on Saturday in a Sydney retail mall, Australians were still in disbelief.

Holland proposed that the assault over the weekend intensified the community’s reaction to the stabbing at the church.

“Clearly there are concerns, considering that there have been knife-related incidents in Sydney over the past few days,” he said. At this point, we’ve urged everyone to act reasonably. In an effort to keep things peaceful, we spoke to local residents and leaders in the neighborhood.

Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, called the incidents “disturbing” on social media and asked the locals to maintain their composure and “stick together.” Religious authorities offered their sympathies and dismay.

The mayor of the nearby town of Fairfield, Frank Carbone, called the bishop a leader in the community. This is a very sentimental circumstance. The neighborhood is obviously quite angry, according to Carbone.

Ahead of Palm Sunday later this month, Christ the Good Shepherd has been getting ready.

The 53-year-old bishop was born in Iraq, and the church stated in a statement on Tuesday that his health was “improving.”

Emmanuel is well-liked on social media and vocal on a variety of topics. He criticizes liberal Christian churches and makes inroads with both Muslims and Jews.

He also expresses his opinions on international politics and bemoans the situation of the Palestinians in Gaza.

The bishop made gender-related remarks last year that made national headlines. Local media has labeled the bishop as a person who may be seen as contentious on matters like COVID-19 limits.

“When a man calls himself a woman, he is neither a man nor a woman, you are not a human, then you are an it,” the bishop was heard stating in a sermon captured on camera in a May 2023 Australian Broadcasting Corp. campaign against the LGBTQ+ community. I shall no longer refer to you as a person now that you are an it since that is your decision, not mine.