Somali Australians: Overview : SBS Insight

Overview

Victoria's Somali community is in shock after the arrests of three of its own last month.

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The three Somali-Australian men have been charged over terror related offenses involving an alleged plan to attack a Sydney army base.

Web extra: Map and history of Somalia

Related: Community Cop Documentary

Two of the men are also facing additional charges over alleged links to a foreign army -believed to be the Somali militant group al-Shabaab.

The government has since proscribed al-Shabaab as a terrorist organisation with links to al- Qa'ida.

Insight travels to Victoria to bring the local Somali community together to discuss recent events and to explore the challenges they face growing up in Australia.

Sheikh Isse Abdo Musse, Mariam Isse and Joe Ilardi will join us online after the show has gone to air.

Meet the Guests

Sheikh Isse Musse

Sheikh Isse Musse is the Imam at the Werribee Islamic Centre and Virgin Mary Mosque in Melbourne Victoria. He is the spiritual leader for Horn of Africa Muslims in Victoria. The Somali Australian was elected spokesman of a crisis group responding to police raids last month. Sheik Isse has lived in Australia since 1993 and speaks fluent Somali, English, Arabic and Italian.

Stephen Fontana

Stephen Fontana is the Assistant Commissioner of Victoria Police. He was appointed Assistant Commissioner in 2008, taking charge of the Counter Terrorism Coordination and Emergency Management Department. He’s been a policeman for over 34 years.

Baha Yehia

Baha Yehia is the Vice Secretary of the Preston Mosque Executive Committee. Preston Mosque in Melbourne’s northern suburbs has the city’s biggest Muslim congregation. Baha was born in Australia and is of Lebanese descent.

Aden Ibrahim

Aden Ibrahim is the Secretary of the Somali Australian Council of Victoria. His family was one of the first to settle in Australia from Somalia.

Rob Stary

Rob Stary is a criminal defence lawyer from Melbourne. He is currently representing two of the accused men recently arrested in Melbourne on terror related charges

Nadia Mohamed

Nadia Mohamed is a 25-year-old youth worker from Melbourne’s northern suburbs. She arrived in Australia from Somalia as an 11-year-old.