Brutal stabbing of bishop deemed a 'terrorist incident' — prompting Australian officials to consider tougher knife laws



Australian officials have determined that the savage stabbing that left Assyrian Orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, a priest, and at least two others wounded during church services in Sydney Monday was an act of terrorism.

While authorities have indicated there is a religious motive for the attack and indicated the attacker was speaking Arabic at the time, they appear unwilling to name the 16-year-old bearded attacker's obvious religious affiliation.

Extra to remaining mum about critical details pertaining to the terrorist attack, New South Wales officials are apparently considering tightening knife laws as if that might amount to a deterrent for future attacks.

The attack

Blaze News previously reported that police officers were dispatched around 7:10 p.m. to the Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, a suburb of Sydney, in response to reports that "a number of people were stabbed."

As the church was livestreaming the bishop's sermon, the horrific incident was caught on video. The footage shows the 16-year-old attacker, dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt, march up to the altar with a knife concealed in his hand.

The Guardian reported that Mike Burgess, the director-general of security in charge of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, indicated the attacker appears to have been speaking in Arabic at the time of the attack.

In the video, the attacker can reportedly be heard saying, "If he [the bishop] didn't get himself involved in my religion, if he hadn't spoken about my prophet, I wouldn't have come here. … If he just spoke about his own religion, I wouldn’t have come."

The attacker lunges at Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, a past critic of radical Islam, and stabs him repeatedly while parishioners scream out in terror and a group of worshippers rush the sanctuary to intervene.

The attacker brings the 53-year-old bishop to the ground and continues stabbing but is quickly pulled off by the incensed Christians.

According to Fairfield City Deputy Mayor Charbel Saliba, "His Grace Mar Mari got stabbed but he got up, bleeding, and prayed on his attacker before he was taken to hospital."

Police subsequently took the attacker into custody.

The New South Wales Police Force indicated that the bishop suffered lacerations to his head and a 39-year-old priest who attempted to intervene was dealt a shoulder wound and multiple lacerations. Both were taken to Liverpool Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Their attacker apparently failed to get out unscathed, as he too ultimately had to be taken to a hospital. The Assyrian National Broadcasting agency alleged that "in response to Mar Mary's three stabs, three fingers were cut off from the assailant's hand."

Fr. Daniel Kochou, secretary to the bishop, released a statement Tuesday saying, "The Bishop is currently receiving treatment at hospital for sustained wounds and his condition, by God's divine grace and your prayers, is stable and improving."

Fr. Kochou indicated the attacker delivered multiple blows to the bishop's head and body, then "made another attempt on one of our Parish Priests, Fr. Isaac Royel, who is also receiving treatment for injuries sustained."

The priest further underscored that persecution against Christians is nothing new, stressing, "The Holy Saints and Church Fathers all attest to this same form of persecution, since early times, for Christ's namesake."

The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney noted in a statement Tuesday, "We strongly condemn the senseless act of violence that took place during [Bishop Mari Emmanuel's] sermon. Such actions not only bring distress but also contradict the cherished values of compassion and unity that are integral to our Australian identity."

The diocese further stated, "The desecration of a sacred space where individuals seek solace and spiritual nourishment is particularly distressing."

The Ancient Church of the East similarly condemned the terror attack and called on Australian authorities "to take the necessary steps to prevent such heinous acts."

The Church of Christ the Good Shepherd is presently closed until further notice.

The response

Chris Minns, the state premier of New South Wales, stated shortly after the attack, "Disturbing scenes tonight in Wakeley tonight."

"It's important that the community remain calm and continue to listen and act to the directions of Police and Emergency Services. We are a strong community in NSW and it’s important that we all stick together, particularly in the face of adversity," added Minns.

"I understand a lot of members in our community are really distraught but what is important is I believe that the bishop has been taken to hospital and should be okay," Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone told Sky News Australia. "We live in difficult times right now … so I can understand frustration and the anger from the communities but I ask them as the mayor just to please be calm."

Minns, Carbone, and other officials appeared concerned over the possibility that the terrorist action might provoke a significant reaction. After all, thousands of Christians and concerned citizens had swarmed the church after the attack in protest.

Some demonstrators, cognizant that police were still holding the attacker at the church for the sake of his safety, demanded that authorities hand him over, according to Reuters.

According to the NSWPF, "two police officers were injured and a number of police vehicles sustained damage" in the ensuing clashes between authorities and the agitated mob.

One constable reportedly sustained a twisted knee and a chipped tooth. Another constable had his jaw broken after being struck in the face with a brick.

Armored police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, and the attacker was taken by police to an undisclosed location.

The Guardian reported that Minns gathered the leaders of the local Assyrian, Melkite, and Muslim communities together Monday night and had them condemn the violence and call for calm.

"It's a combustible situation and I'm not going to sugarcoat it," said the premier.

Anti-Christian terrorism

Following a preliminary investigation, NSWPF Commissioner Karen Webb declared during a press conference Tuesday morning, "We believe there are elements that are satisfied in terms of religious motivated extremism."

"After consideration of all the material, I declared that it was a terrorist incident," added Webb, who had just days earlier declared that the mass stabbing at the nearby shopping center was not similarly terroristic.

Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, and the NSW Crime Commission will be aiding the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team and the NSWPF in its investigation.

"We'll allege there's a degree of premeditation on the basis this person has traveled to that location, which is not near his residential address, he has traveled with a knife and subsequently the bishop and the priest have been stabbed," said Webb.

While a violent ideology appears to have been the problem, Australian officials may take a page out of American leftists' playbook and blame the weapon.

Premier Minns confirmed that the attacker had a run-in with the law in November over his illegal possession of a switchblade. A judge reportedly cut the prospective terrorist free for good behavior earlier this year.

Minns indicated he was open to exploring tightening knife laws in the wake of the mass shopping center stabbing Saturday and Monday's terrorist attack.

"I'm not prepared to rule anything out right now. Obviously when people are being killed and you've got a situation where a knife is being used, then it would be irresponsible not to look at," said the premier.

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Horowitz: Almost every single COVID death in Australian state was vaccinated

Unlike America, Australia did it “right.” The country implemented a “real” lockdown and de facto travel ban until vaccines were distributed. As such, the few deaths Australians experienced prior to the vaccines should be gone by now, right? In fact, nearly all their deaths have taken place after most vulnerable people got at least three doses of the magic juice. Indeed, not so magical after all.

An Australian writer has collated the recent reports from New South Wales Health and found that out of 798 reported COVID deaths in the most populous Aussie state over the past eight weeks, just two of them might have been unvaccinated. For the latest full week ending on July 16, all 142 reported deaths were jabbed and 68% of them were triple-jabbed.

They tend to avoid using the word “unvaccinated” and resort to telling people how many were fully vaccinated, so it’s unclear whether the two had one jab or zero jabs, but for argument’s sake let’s just say they were unvaccinated. This means that just 0.0025% of the COVID deaths in the state over the past eight weeks were unjabbed, even though the unjabbed compose 5% of the population.

Now, inevitably, naysayers will suggest that most of the vulnerable people are seniors, and they have a nearly 100% vaccination rate, so of course the deaths will be among the vaccinated. The problem with this premise is that it would only work if the raw numbers of deaths decreased, not increased, with the vaccination. In other words, you’d have even fewer deaths than pre-vaccination, but the few deaths there are would be among the vaccinated seniors. That is what you would expect from a vaccine that has anywhere near the efficacy against death that its proponents are suggesting.

As you can see, Australia didn’t really begin to start having problems with COVID deaths until the beginning of 2022, after nearly every Australian senior had been vaccinated. As of now, 94% of seniors have had three doses, and 60% even had their fourth! Yet 98% of their deaths took place in 2022 with Omicron, the least pathogenic version of the virus. And they are just getting warmed up, because they currently have one of the highest death rates in the world.

In fact, the only reason why Australia is not claiming the international title right now is because it is being outstripped by New Zealand, which, by far, has the highest death rate in the world. Just like Australia, New Zealand had a strict lockdown and travel ban until the vaccines were distributed. More than 98% of its deaths occurred after March 2022 – more than two years after the pandemic began.

Already in February, before the Omicron wave hit, 75% of those eligible for boosters in New Zealand had their third dose. The bottom line is that if this vaccine had any degree of efficacy even against death and serious illness, we should not be seeing endless curves only after everyone is boosted, much worse than ever before in these countries. This is occurring in all the Pacific Rim and Far East countries.



Prior to 2022, there were two parts of the world that skated through the pandemic without excess deaths: the Far East and Africa. Yet since 2022 began, the Far East has finally gotten its share of deaths, while Africa seems to be doing just fine with herd immunity. Take a look at the difference between some of the Far East countries and Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.

What is the characteristic distinguishing these countries from Nigeria (and most other African countries) that occurred sometime in 2021, after both parts of the world seemed to do well with COVID?

It’s the magic juice! Sadly, the Western world is doing everything it can to push the shots on Africa to ensure that Africans share in the same misery. No control group can be left standing on earth.

Now they're confiscating alcohol delivered to locked-down Australian apartments if booze volume exceeds state-sanctioned limits



If you've had an inkling that the COVID-19 response in one particular Australian state has taken on an Orwellian hue, then the newest reported wrinkle probably won't shock you.

What now?

In New South Wales — a southeastern state encompassing Sydney — alcohol deliveries to apartments under COVID-19 lockdown are being confiscated if booze volume exceeds limits mandated by the Ministry of Health, news.com.au reported.

The powers that be are enacting daily alcohol limits to "ensure the safety of health staff and residents," the outlet added.

News.com.au said Mission Australia's Common Ground building in Camperdown is the latest building where occupants are subjected to such rules — and it should come as no surprise that they don't like it.

Residents of the social housing development complained that care packages sent to them by friends and relatives have been searched prior to delivery, the outlet said.

"They are searching all bags and things coming into the building," Common Ground resident Robin Elhaj said, according to news.com.au. "They confiscated a series of gifts. So things like bottles of spirits — we weren't allowed to have those, and we still [aren't]."

More from the outlet:

Residents are allowed to receive a ration of one of the following: six beers or pre-mixed drinks, one bottle of wine, or one 375ml bottle of spirits.

Excess alcohol is being confiscated until lockdown rules are lifted.

Residents can consult with a clinician if they think they need more than the allowed limit.

A Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman confirmed the limits are in place in NSW Health's Special Health Accommodation where COVID-positive patients and close contacts are sent for isolation, news.com.au reported.

The outlet said it's unclear how NSW Health can enforce alcohol-delivery limits to those isolating in their own homes as public health orders don't mention alcohol limits.

A NSW Police spokeswoman told news.com.au that officers are not confiscating alcohol delivered to residential buildings and don't have the authority to do so: "In all residential lockdown locations, NSW Police are there to ensure compliance with the Public Health Orders and assist NSW Health if required."

However, a Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman told news.com.au that when NSW Health took control of apartment buildings in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, the buildings became subject to alcohol consumption restrictions.

Anything else?

New South Wales has seen a number of controversial measures related to COVID-19:

Anonymous tipster calls police on Sydney church service. Officials slam worshippers for violating lockdown



Police in Sydney, Australia, broke up a church gathering and handed out the equivalent of more than $25,000 USD in fines to congregants for violating the city's COVID-19 lockdown on Sunday.

An anonymous tipster reported the illegal service to New South Wales police, who found 60 people worshipping at Christ Embassy church in Blacktown at 7:30 p.m. local time, according to 9News Sydney.

The police arrived a few hours before a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew went into effect for this area, which is designated as a high-risk local government area.

A tip to Crime Stoppers has blown the lid on a church service at #Blacktown, attended by 60 adults and children.T… https://t.co/hJqwHUbQ29

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) 1629707218.0

The church service was being livestreamed on social media before police put a stop to it. The 9News report notes that the musicians leading worship were performing without masks.

The church's pastor, Marvin Osaghae, earlier that day delivered a sermon praying for the end of the coronavirus lockdowns in the city.

"In the name of Jesus, we refuse every lockdown in our cities, in the name of Jesus go ahead and pray," he urged his congregation.

"We declare the lockdowns are over, in the name of Jesus, lockdowns are over, in the cities of NSW, in the name of Jesus, we declare the lockdowns are over," he said. "In the cities of NSW, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, Hallelujah Father, we thank you Lord."

Police said that congregants had traveled from across the western portion of the city to attend service.

Thirty adults were each fined a little more than $700 and the church was fined what would be about $3,600 in U.S. dollars for violating the lockdown.

New South Wales officials piled on criticism for the churchgoers.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian called people gathering to worship together on Sunday "very disheartening."

"I think that all of us feel the disappointment when people just blatantly ignore what's in place," she said at a news conference. "We know it is hard. And I'm hoping that obviously in the near future, we'll be able to relieve the stress on families and households. But it's always disheartening and disappointing when you see people blatantly take it upon themselves to contradict what we know works."

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said it was "disappointing to say the least" that people gathered to worship God in person.

"We know these events are superspreaders in our communities, and I think that we rely on our leaders, whether it's a business leaders, whether it's a business leader or our premier or our church leaders, to do the right thing, and this is just sending the wrong message in the communities," he said.

NSW Police Minister David Elliott said he was "actually quite stunned" by the illegal gathering.

"I mean, when you consider that churches are there to profess the message of hope and love and to have those people just endanger communities because they are actually potentially going to spread a virus is extraordinary," he told 2GB.

Earlier that weekend, thousands of Australian anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police in the streets of Melbourne. An estimated 4,000 people demanded the end of lockdown policies with chants of "Freedom!" and "No more lockdown!"

Australian health officer tells citizens to not talk to each other — 'even ... your next-door neighbor in the shopping center' — to prevent COVID spread



The chief health officer of New South Wales, Australia, told reporters Tuesday that in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, citizens should avoid talking to each other.

What did the doctor say?

"Whilst it's human nature to engage in conversation with others — to be friendly — unfortunately this is not the time to do that," Dr. Kerry Chant said.

"So even if you run into your next-door neighbor in the shopping center … don't start up a conversation," Chant continued. "Now is the time for minimizing your interactions with others. Even if you've got a mask, do not think that affords total protection. We want to be absolutely sure that as we go about our daily lives we do not come into contact with anyone else that would pose a risk."

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. DON’T ACT LIKE A HUMAN. DON’T TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS, EVEN WHEN MASKED. DON’T BE FRIENDLY. THIS… https://t.co/6IyqxOtDXM

— NoRisk_NoReward (@noreward_norisk) 1626775733.0

What's the background?

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Sunday that a serious COVID-19 outbreak is underway in New South Wales. NSW is a state in southern Australia; Sydney is its capital.

More from the paper:

Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Saturday announced a major tightening of Sydney's lockdown restrictions as the state recorded 111 new cases. The construction industry will be shut down for two weeks from Monday, all non-critical retail stores closed and tough new restrictions have been imposed on residents in south-west Sydney to halt movement.

The government is now considering whether public transport services will be reduced as the new restrictions force a greater number of workers to stay home.

"I can't remember a time when our state has been challenged to such an extent," Berejiklian said, according to the Morning Herald. "I can't remember a time when government had to make these difficult decisions."

'It's all a bit much, isn't it?'

Sky News host Chris Kenny didn't like what he was seeing or hearing, and he declared that the "state premiers are inflicting enormous harm on their citizens, communities, and economies because of their political obsession with zero COVID because they think it's the lesser of two evils."

Kenny also aired Chants' comments regarding NSW citizens not talking to each other and said afterward in a mocking tone: "Eyes on the ground, no chatting with friends or neighbors."

He added, "It's all a bit much, isn't it? It's about infantilizing the population, it's about the Nanny State, it's about control — 'government knows best, and to hell with personal responsibility.'"