Australia: Bondi Beach Jihadi’s Mother Defends Son, Says “Any Parent Would Wish for a Son Like Him”

Image: Jihad Watch

Investigators have revealed that the father-and-son duo responsible for opening fire at Sydney’s Bondi Beach had travelled to the Philippines just weeks before the attack, a development that has raised concerns among counterterrorism officials about possible exposure to Islamist extremist networks abroad.

Multiple police sources confirmed that Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid, visited the South-East Asian nation in November, shortly before the violent incident. Authorities are now examining whether the trip had any connection to radicalisation pathways commonly associated with Islamist extremism in the region.

Despite the allegations, Akram’s mother said she was unable to recognise her son in photographs released from the crime scene and insisted she could not believe he was involved in any form of violence or extremist activity. Speaking to this masthead, she described her son as quiet, disciplined, and home-oriented.

“He doesn’t have a firearm. He doesn’t even go out. He doesn’t mix around with friends. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t go to bad places,” she said. “He goes to work, he comes home, he goes to exercise and that’s it.”

Expressing disbelief and anguish, she added, “Anyone would wish to have a son like my son. He’s a good boy.”

At the time of the incident, Akram had been unemployed for around two months after losing his bricklaying job when the construction company he worked for became insolvent. His family said he had been actively looking for work since the layoff.

Those who knew Akram during his school years at Cabramatta High School recalled that while he had many acquaintances, he was not particularly outgoing. Verena, who was familiar with him during that period, said he kept largely to himself and did not appear to spend excessive time online. Instead, he was known to enjoy outdoor and fitness-related activities, including fishing, scuba diving, swimming, and regular exercise.

Akram also appeared in a now-deleted 2022 social media post indicating he had passed Koran studies at the Al-Murad Institute in Heckenberg, an organisation that teaches Arabic language and Koranic education in western Sydney. A man pictured alongside Akram in the post, whom this masthead has chosen not to identify, said he had lost contact with him in early 2022.

“I am devastated by the images of the victims in Bondi,” the man said, adding that he and his family had since been forced to leave their home after receiving death threats in the aftermath of the attack.

Akram lived with his parents and two younger siblings—a 22-year-old sister and a 20-year-old brother—in a three-bedroom home purchased in 2024. His mother, a stay-at-home parent, also cares for her elderly mother who lives nearby. The family had previously resided in Cabramatta before moving to the current property.

As investigations continue, authorities are working to piece together the events and influences that may have led to the attack, while the family and wider community grapple with shock, grief, and unanswered questions.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)