Natalie Barr has put the question on the minds of many after a 16-year-old boy allegedly stabbed a bishop during a live-streamed church service in western Sydney.
Video of the attack showed the boy dressed in black approaching and stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in the head and chest at the altar of Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley at around 7.10pm on Monday.
Horrified parishioners are seen rushing to the bishop’s aid while others grabbed the attacker and held him captive inside the church.
The terror attack came just two days after six people were killed in a knife attack at Westfield Bondi Junction, in the city’s east, on Saturday.
Barr asked former New South Wales deputy commissioner Mick Willing how the alleged attacker could have been radicalised.
She asked: ‘Where does someone like that come from? Are they sitting at their computer, in their guest room, being turned into terrorists?
Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr asked former NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing how the alleged attacker could have been radicalised.
A man dressed all in black is seen approaching and stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in the head and chest at the altar of Wakeley church during a sermon on Monday night.
Willing said it was a “difficult question” to answer because of the limited information known about the alleged attacker.
“In answer to your question, Nat, sometimes that happens,” he said.
‘Sometimes people get radicalized online, sometimes they get radicalized in different ways. Unfortunately, every situation like this is unique.
“That will all be part of the investigation, they will look at properties at a variety of agencies to see if authorities knew about it or not.”
The 16-year-old was captured on the livestream of the attack shouting the Islamic phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ and witnesses said he was speaking in Arabic saying the Christian bishop had brought this on himself by ‘cursing my prophet’.
Police will investigate the apparent religious motivation for the stabbing that left the bishop with eight wounds to the head, neck and torso.
Horrified parishioners sprang into action, some rushing to the bishop’s aid and others helping to detain the teenager inside the church.
The video showed the alleged perpetrator, aged 16, detained by police on the ground inside the church before speaking in Arabic.
The words are understood to be translated as: “If I had not insulted my Prophet, I would not be here.” “If he didn’t get involved in my religion, I wouldn’t be here.”
One of the men involved in restraining the teen after the attack, before police arrived, described how he approached the teen from behind and forcefully pushed him to the ground.
“He kept saying, ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar,'” the man said in a video posted on social media.
The National Council of Imams of Australia and some Muslims have publicly condemned the attack on Bishop Emmanuel.
“These attacks are appalling and have no place in Australia, especially on places of worship and against religious leaders,” the Council of Imams said in a statement.
Shocking new details emerge about teen’s criminal record
The teenager was charged with several offenses following an incident at a Sydney train station in November last year, the ABC.
Charges included possession of a knife, being armed with a weapon with intent to commit a felony, stalking and/or intimidation, and reckless destruction or damage to property.
He had been out on bail before appearing in court in January, where the charges were “proven”, but he was dismissed with a good behavior bond issued.
The outlet reported that there were no supervision orders in place when he allegedly carried out the attack on Monday night.
It comes amid revelations that the 16-year-old arrested for the attack had recently been granted good behavior bail for a knife crime (pictured, Church of Christ the Good Shepherd).
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel’s life was saved when his alleged attacker’s knife did not open properly, his close friend Danny Abdallah revealed on Tuesday.
A ‘miracle’ saves the life of a bishop
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel’s life was saved when his alleged attacker’s knife failed to open properly.
His close friend Danny Abdallah spoke to the bishop while he was recovering in hospital overnight and revealed new details of the incident on Tuesday morning.
Abdallah, who lost three of his children and his niece to a drunk and drugged driver, called the bishop’s miraculous escape an “act of God.”
The bishop remains in hospital after undergoing surgery on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, police have been given temporary powers to allow them to search people, vehicles and property following the alleged attack.
The incident was declared an act of terror by New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb and confirmed by the Police Minister, triggering legislation in the state.
Officers will be able to search people, vehicles and property without a warrant, establish barricades, cordon off areas and require confirmation of identification.
The powers, granted to prevent further attacks, will last for two weeks.