Islamic preacher Junaid Thorne admits that 18-year-old jihadist Numan Haider was a follower of his before he was shot dead after ambushing two police officers

  • Numan Haider was shot dead by police in September after he stabbed two police officers
  • Controversial Islamic preacher Junaid Thorne confirmed that Haider had visited the Islamic centre where he lectured
  • In the wake of Haider's death, Thorne publicly criticised the actions of police, saying they had 'provoked' the Melbourne teenager 
  • Haider allegedly called Jews and Christians 'filthy rapists' in lecture 

The 18-year-old Muslim extremist who was shot dead by police in September has been confirmed as a follower of controversial Islamic preacher Junaid Thorne.

Numan Haider was killed by police after he stabbed two police officers from the when he was informed by his parents that police had visited their home and searched his room.

The Melbourne teenager arrived at Endeavour Hills police station for an 'amicable discussion' when he stabbed one officer in the neck, face and arm, and another in the forearm, before they opened fire. 

Junaid Thorne, a Perth-based Islamic fundamentalist, publicly denounced the police in the aftermath of the stabbing, and has confirmed that Haider had attended several of his sermons prior to the incident. 

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Numan Haider was reportedly a follower of controversial Muslim preacher Junaid Thorne

Numan Haider was reportedly a follower of controversial Muslim preacher Junaid Thorne

18-year-old Haider was also said to be planning a trip to Iraq and Syria, and had his passport cancelled by the government just prior to his death

18-year-old Haider was also said to be planning a trip to Iraq and Syria, and had his passport cancelled by the government just prior to his death

The 18-year-old was shot outside Endeavour Hills police station by police officers

Mr Thorne told the ABC that Haider had visited the Al Furqan Centre in Melbourne but that they had never been alone.

'One on one, he never asked me for personal advice,' he said.

'If you were to attend my lectures for example and we'd sit together after the lecture it would always be with a group of people.'

Haider had been under investigation for his radical views for at least three months prior to his death, and his passport was cancelled out of concern he might attempt to travel to Syria, but was not considered an imminent threat by police.

Officers had visited his house and spoken to his parents about his behaviour, according to reports, and the officers offered to shake hands in the seconds before he launched the attack. 

Commissioner Ken Lay said there was evidence suggesting Numan Haider had discussions with other people prior to the stabbing.  

'There’s some information that he was certainly talking to other people around the time,' Mr Lay said. 

In a Facebook post, Thorne claimed Haider had his passport cancelled without cause and police were at his house before he was shot outside Endeavour Hills police station

In a Facebook post, Thorne claimed Haider had his passport cancelled without cause and police were at his house before he was shot outside Endeavour Hills police station

Mr Thorne refused to answer questions on his support for Islamic State, claiming that it was a controversial issue

Mr Thorne refused to answer questions on his support for Islamic State, claiming that it was a controversial issue

'It's certainly something we're pushing.' 

'Having said that, there were some really worrying pieces about this young man's behaviour that we are working through'. 

Mr Thorne publicly criticised the actions of police following the death of Haider, claiming they had provoked him to act after visiting his home.

'We know the Government was pushing for something or for an excuse to pass these anti-terror laws – so he could've been used as a scapegoat,' he said.  

In a Facebook post, Thorne claimed Haider had his passport cancelled without cause and police were at his house before he was shot outside Endeavour Hills police station.

'We understand that the local authorities had canceled the passport of this young boy for no reason, keeping him a captive in his own country for no valid purpose.'

'This boy was not a casualty if an armed heist, nor was his death the result of some drug deal that went wrong, rather he was killed by the same people who are supposed to be protecting his country.' 

Mr Thorne refused to answer questions on his support for Islamic State, claiming that it was a controversial issue.  

Pictures from a helicopter show a man's body lying in a car park where the confrontation occurred

Pictures from a helicopter show a man's body lying in a car park where the confrontation occurred

Police carried bags of evidence away from the crime scene where the police officers were stabbed

Police carried bags of evidence away from the crime scene where the police officers were stabbed

'If I were to vocalise my complete support to them [Islamic State], I would get in trouble,' he said.

'If I was to say that [I] don't support them at all, that would be untrue. I may support them [on] certain issues, while I disagree with them in other issues.' 

The preacher denied that Haider had attempted to talk to him about joining rebel groups in the troubled region of the Middle East.

'Anyone that approaches me asking advice about going overseas, I automatically would alienate that person because I wouldn't trust anyone that asks me stuff like that,' he said.  

Mohamed Ibrahim, who shared a room with 18-year-old Haider at a Mulsim youth camp last year, told the ABC's PM program: 'He was a gentle, soft spoken young boy and when I heard the report yesterday about a man who had been shot - when I actually found out he was Numan - I was absolutely shocked.'  

'There were no hints that he was part of a group, there were no signs that he was someone we should be worried about,' Mr Ibrahim said. 

The friend also revealed he was stunned at how much the teenager had changed.

'I think him, from going to being an inquisitive young lad to being someone who was drawn towards these kind of ideas, it's something we need to take seriously,' Mr Ibrahim said.  

Mr Thorne travelled around Australia this year giving a series of lectures in Islamic centres which are known for hardline interpretations of the Koran, creating controversy when he called Jews and Christians 'filthy rapists'.

He claimed that he had been misunderstood, and that the quote was a 'bad excerpt' from his lectures.

'If you go back to the lecture, I said we have our sisters being raped by filthy Jews and Christians. So I'm talking about the ones that actually do that.' 

Mr Thorne said that the members of the Islamic centres he lectured at, including the iQraa Islamic centre in Brisbane, Al Risalah in Bankstown, and Al Furqan in Melbourne, where Haider had visited, should not be considered extremists.   

 'I've had the pleasure of meeting these people personally and I know what they stand for,' he said.

'They may have views that are different from others but it doesn't mean they have to be branded as extremists or as radicals or those people that want threat to the Australian community, that's not true at all.' 

'We still ask and wonder, why deadly force was immediately used against a teenager, who was provoked in the first place and forced in to such a situation,' said Mr Thorne.

'The Abbot (sic) government has succeeded in creating division amongst our community based on religion,' Thorne posted.

He also said the stabbed teenager was a 'wonderful, practicing (sic) young brother' – and described incident as 'murder'.

'It is a time of grief for us Muslims,' Thorne told Daily Mail Australia

According to the Herald Sun, the teenager had been seen handing out brochures at nearby Dandenong Shopping Plaza, trying to convert others to Islam.

He was apparently seen there with four others last Thursday, wearing camouflage pants while holding a black and white flag. 

Haider's parents pleaded with their son to stay home the night he was killed, the ABC reported. 

Forensic police at the scene in Melbourne where Haider was shot dead by police after allegedly stabbing two officers

Forensic police at the scene in Melbourne where Haider was shot dead by police after allegedly stabbing two officers

Assistant Police Commissioner Luke Cornelius (left) said police had no choice but to shoot the teenager

Assistant Police Commissioner Luke Cornelius (left) said police had no choice but to shoot the teenager

They were apparently concerned for his safety, but despite this he went to meet police - who he called when he was outside the station as he did not want to meet them inside.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said: 'Our members had no inkling this individual posed a threat to them and as far as we were concerned it was going to be an amicable discussion about that individual's behaviour,'

'It is also clear to us that (the) individual has, without any warning, produced a knife and assailed them with a knife,' he said. 'It's absolutely clear to us our members had no choice but to act in the way they did.' 

Victoria Police Commissioner Ken Lay told reporters the AFP officer, aged 43, suffered multiple stab wounds to his face, neck and abdomen. He underwent surgery and was in a serious but stable condition in hospital. He has a wife and two children. 

Witnesses told the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday night Haider had been yelling insults about Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the Australian government.      

The bomb squad examined the man's car and the police station following the incident.

Last night, police said they believe the man was 'acting on his own' but could not comment on his motivations.

Mr Cornelius said the Victorian officer fired the single shot that killed the man.