Authorities fear prisoners plotting jail break during prayers

There is some controversy today in Australia over prison authorities breaking up what is described as a plot to escape under the guise of an Islamic religious group. Bassam Hamzy has been moved from the Super Max facility at Goulburn jail to another high security facility, and contact with him has been restricted. The 12 prisoner group had been nicknamed the "Super Max Jihadists" due to their putting pictures of Osama bin Laden on their walls, shaving their heads and growing long beards. This move is not meeting with universal approval, however.

Paula Kruger of Australian (ABC) radio's The World Today reports that Hamzy is serving time for murder:

PAULA KRUGER: While at Goulburn's Supermax gaol, he became a religious leader and converted more than a dozen high-security prisoners to Islam. The New South Wales Minister for Justice John Hatzistergos says prisoners embracing religion doesn't usually cause alarm.

JOHN HATZISTERGOS: Indeed, a lot of inmates find religion when they come to prison, and in many ways we support that because that could assist them in their rehabilitation, and also assist them in dealing with their incarceration.Where we do draw the line is where that conversion or where that taking up, embracement of a religion is really just a camouflage for other activities which threaten the good order and security of the system.

PAULA KRUGER: According to prison authorities, suspicion was raised after Bassam Hamzy became a very influential religious figure, and was getting money from the outside to pay other inmates to pray. An investigation also found there were plans for an escape.

JOHN HATZISTERGOS: This case had been monitored for quite some time. A lot of intelligence was gathered and other law enforcement authorities were called in to assist. And the monitoring has enabled us to piece together what appears to be a carefully orchestrated plan.

Kruger also presented an opposing viewpoint:

PAULA KRUGER: . . . Brett Collins is a spokesperson for Justice Action, a group that monitors abuses of authority. He says he doubts the high level of risk these prisoners are said to pose.

BRETT COLLINS: Look, what's happening at the moment is an attempt to frighten the public. I mean, it's all a big lie they parade, you know, 10 photos and they say that they've ... it's the greatest threat that they've ever encountered. They're a danger to people.Now, that's ridiculous. It's intended to frighten us and to justify what they're doing inside the prisons. Every now and then they parade whoever is inside the gaol, whether it's Ivan Milat or these boys, and they say, "Look how dangerous they are and look how we're protecting you".I mean, the truth of it is that they've spent $70-million on an institution for just 37 people. A massive amount of money and to talk about escape is just ridiculous. I mean, they haven't even got any natural air or sufficient light. So, to talk in terms of needing, you know, greater security all these ... well, there's a concern ... what should be concerning to us is quite wrong.I mean, to be quite honest, if these people had converted to Christianity, they'd be probably seen on their way to release, probably allowed out. But because its Islam, they're seen as extremely dangerous, and look, these are all the buttons they're trying to trigger in the public and that's all we're seeing and I hope that the public can see that.