Hostages in Australia Held by Muslims

By Douglas V. Gibbs

At a cafe that sits in the heart of Sydney's financial and shopping district, an area packed with Christmas shoppers, the Islamic Jihad has made a statement through an unknown gunman, and an unknown number of hostages.  When the Sydney cafe hostage situation emerged, some hostages could be seen pressing black flags with Arabic writing on them against the windows.  It began with people fleeing from the area as three people were seen in the cafe with their hands up.  As the day progressed, five people escaped.  The gunman continues to hold an unknown number of hostages.

At one point two people inside the cafe were seen holding up a flag containing an Islamic declaration of faith.  The Shahada translates as "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger." The statement is pervasive throughout Islamic culture, including on the green flag of Saudi Arabia. Certain terrorist groups proclaiming the Islamic Jihad, on their own black flag, also portray the Shahada.

"This is a very disturbing incident," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said. "It is profoundly shocking that innocent people should be held hostage by an armed person claiming political motivation. "

Police claim to be unsure of the gunman's motivation, but with the signs of Islam flashing in the windows, it is not hard for this writer to put two and two together.

"We have not yet confirmed it is a terrorism-related event," New South Wales state Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said. "We're dealing with a hostage situation with an armed offender and we are dealing with it accordingly."

Police negotiators have made contact with the gunman.

The state parliament house is a few blocks away.

The incident follows the raising of Australia's terror warning level in September in response to the domestic threat posed by supporters of the Islamic State group. Counter-terror law enforcement teams later conducted dozens of raids and made several arrests in Australia's three largest cities - Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. One man arrested during a series of raids in Sydney was charged with conspiring with an Islamic State leader in Syria to behead a random person in downtown Sydney.

Australia is among the nations that The Islamic State group, a self-proclaimed Islamic caliphate that has a stranglehold on much of Syria and Iraq, has threatened in the past. In September, Islamic State group spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani issued an audio message urging so-called "lone wolf" attacks abroad, specifically mentioning Australia. Al-Adnani told Muslims to kill all "disbelievers," whether they be civilians or soldiers.

When the Islamic State made their statement, however, it was understood that specific countries or groups were mentioned to be at the front of the line as victims of terrorism, but all targets that are non-Muslim, and therefore seen as standing in opposition to Islam, are targets around the world.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Siege underway at Lindt Cafe in Sydney, armed offender holding number of hostages - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Hostage Situation Erupts at Sydney Cafe - ABC News