Teen Arrested Over Online Christchurch-Inspired Massacre Threat on Sydney Mosque

The message referenced the 2019 Christchurch terror attack.

Worshippers participate in Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, outside the Lakemba Mosque in Sydney on April 10, 2024. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in Western Australia (WA) after allegedly making an online threat against a religious centre, identified as the newly opened Australian Islamic House in Edmondson Park, Sydney.

Liverpool City Police Area Command launched an investigation on March 3 after receiving a report of the threat.

The message referenced the Christchurch terror attack on March 15, 2019, when Australian-born Brenton Tarrant carried out mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand.

Following a referral from NSW Police, Western Australia Police arrested the teenager in Eaton, southwest WA, just before 5 p.m. local time. He is now assisting officers with inquiries.

Leaders Condemn Islamophobic Threat

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denounced the incident, describing it as an “abhorrent” act of violence.

Emphasising the government’s zero-tolerance approach to hate-fuelled threats, he assured that authorities had his full backing in their investigation.

“Racism and Islamophobia will not be tolerated,” he said, calling for those responsible to face the full force of the law.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton echoed similar sentiments, labelling any threat against a place of worship as an “abomination” that had no place in Australian society.

“We should have zero tolerance for racism and hatred in all its forms,” he said, reinforcing bipartisan condemnation of the incident.

NSW Premier Chris Minns also weighed in, calling the threat particularly distressing given its timing during Ramadan.

“Muslims across the state are engaged in prayer during this sacred month,” he said.

He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to tackling religious hate, vowing that racist threats and Islamophobia would be met with the “full force of the law.”

Community leaders also expressed concern, with the Alliance of Australians for Muslims (AAM) and the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) releasing a joint statement condemning the threat.

“This is both disturbing and heartbreaking,” they said, warning that it had shaken the Muslim community and resurfaced painful memories of the Christchurch massacre.

Thousands of worshippers have been gathering for nightly Taraweeh prayers at the Australian Islamic House and mosques nationwide during Ramadan, a period of reflection and unity.

“To threaten a mosque during this sacred period, when worshippers are most vulnerable, is not just an attack on individuals—it’s a deliberate act of terror targeting religious freedom and peace,” AAM and ANIC said.

Tougher Laws to Combat Religious Hate

The Minns government has faced mounting pressure to restore social harmony following a rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

NSW recently introduced laws criminalising Nazi symbols and salutes in public, with offenders facing up to one year in prison.

Stronger penalties now apply for terror-related offences, including a minimum of three years’ imprisonment for financing terrorism and six years for planning or committing a terrorist act.

Police also have new powers to remove individuals who block access to places of worship or harass worshippers, with violators facing up to two years in jail.

The federal government passed similar legislation last month under the Criminal Code Amendment (Hate Crimes) Bill 2024, expanding protections against hate crimes based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity.