Melbourne mosque linked to accused Flydubai hijacker received $70,000 in Australian taxpayer grants, Pauline Hanson reveals

From the Newshound archive · first published 12 October 2026.

MyCentre mosque in Broadmeadows, Melbourne received more than $68,000 in community grants through Australia's Department of Home Affairs, despite accused Flydubai hijack pilot Hamam al-Hammami telling UAE investigators he was radicalised through contacts there. Al-Hammami is accused of attempting to hijack and crash an Israel-bound passenger jet on 30 September. One Nation's Pauline Hanson is demanding Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke answer whether security checks were carried out before the grants were approved.

Hanson says the 'prospect that taxpayer funds could be furthering terrorist activities is a truly shocking revelation'.

Al-Hammami told UAE prosecutors he began drifting towards extremism while studying in Melbourne in 2017 and met individuals at MyCentre.

MyCentre leader Samir Mohtadi, also known as Abu Hamza, has posted a Facebook video citing Islamic texts on the virtues of staying silent.