Faheem Khalid Lodhi

Faheem Khalid Lodhi (Urdu: فہیم خالد لودھی) (also know as Abu Hamza. b. 1969/70, Pakistan) is a Pakistani-Australian architect and the first convicted Australian terrorist under new legislation enacted in 2005.

He was born in Pakistan immigrated to Australia in 1996 and obtained Australian citizenship. He is an architect by profession.

Police raided his Lakemba, New South Wales home and workplace on October 26, 2003, discovering evidence of a terrorist plot.

He was accused of plotting to bomb the national electricity grid and/or Sydney defence sites in the cause of violent jihad.

During his trial, the court was told He and Willie Brigitte, who was deported in October 2003 for breaching his tourist visa, trained in Pakistan with Lashkar-e-Toiba and had contact using mobile phones registered under false names. The court was also told he helped arrange accommodation for Brigitte when he arrived in Sydney, in May 2003.

He was convicted by a New South Wales Supreme Court jury in June 2006 on three terrorism-related offences. Namely:
* acting in preparation for a terrorist act, an offence carrying a maximum life sentence,
* seeking information about chemicals capable of making explosives
* possessing a "terrorism manual" and buying two maps of the electricity grid, connected with preparation for a terrorist act.

In August 2006 he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, with a 15 year non-parole period.

His possible targets were the national electricity supply system, and three Sydney defense installations; the army base Victoria Barracks, Sydney naval base HMAS Penguin and army training area Holsworthy Barracks.

At the ruling Justice Anthony Whealy commented that Lodhi had "“the intent of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause, namely violent jihad”" and to "“instil terror into members of the public so that they could never again feel free from the threat of bombing in Australia.”"

He is classified as a high security ‘AA’ prisoner and he will be eligible for parole in 2019.

External links

* [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19517154-2,00.html Lodhi guilty on terror charges]
* [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/lodhi-gets-20-years/2006/08/23/1156012586528.html Lodhi 'deserves' 20 years]
* [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20225106-601,00.html Lodhi jailed for 20 years over terror plot]

References

* [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=72605 NineMSN.com.au]

See also

Islamic terrorism and Australia