Man Haron Monis has been identified as the man who took hostages in the Lindt Chocolate Cafe siege in Sydney. Monis was killed after commandos stormed the cafe following a tense standoff.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. After the Siege in Sydney, 3 People Are Dead
Three people were killed after the cafe was raided, including Monis. Three other people were seriously injured. The injured includes one cop. The officer was shot in the face. The raid happened at around 11 a.m. Eastern time. Amid the gunfire and stun grenades, Monis was later confirmed as being killed in the attack. During the situation, which went on through the night of December 14 and into the 15th, hostages had been able to talk to TV station in Australia and identified the madman captor as Man Haron Monis. Around 30 hostages were believed to have been taken by Monis, with two being forced to hold up a flag with Islamic writing on it during the standoff. That flag was initially, incorrectly, reported to have been an ISIS flag. Anne Aly, the head of a counter terrorism research program at Curtin University in Australia, told the BBC that the siege was “perhaps not very well prepared, perhaps not very well planned.”
2. Monis Was an Iranian Who Had Lived in Australia Since 1996
He’s lived in Australia since 1996 since immigrating there from Iran. Monis had been a refugee, reported ABC in Australia in January 2014. A website set up by supporters of Monis says that he is “not a member of any organization or party” and only “his Muslim brothers [and] sisters.” On the site Monis says that he used to be a Shia but doesn’t identify as one anymore.
3. He Had a History of Writing Horrible Letters to the Families of Australian Soldiers
A person is taken out on a stretcher from the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. (Getty)
Along with his friend, Amirah Droudis, Monis undertook an aggressive letter writing campaign against the families of Australian soldiers who were serving in Afghanistan, reported the Associated Press in February 2013. The letters referred to Aussie soldiers as killers and “child murderers.” Dr. Jamal Rifi told 9 News in Australia that members of Sydney’s Muslim community had approached police about Monis’ behavior in the past, Dr. Rifi said, “We’re not going to let thugs or radicals or the racists decide our society for us.”
4. A Year Before the Siege, Monis’ Wife Was Burned & Stabbed to Death
(Getty)
In November 2013, Amirah Droudis was charged with the murder of Monis’ former wife, Noleen Hayson Pal. She had been stabbed and burned alive. Monis was charged as being an accessory in the case.
5. After Sexually Assaulting a Woman, Monis Said He Was ‘Spiritually Healing’ Her
(Getty)
After claiming to be an expert in “astrology, numerology, meditation and black magic” services, Haron was accused of sexually assaulting a woman. Haron has claims it was a case of “spiritual healing.” In total, Monis was facing 40 charges of sexual assault. On his website, Haron compares the charges against to him to the allegations against Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange.