"Western commentators not take self-proclaimed revolutionaries seriously"

"Clear case of misplaced sympathy - July 4, 2006
David Hicks's supporters are in denial about the nature of his actions, writes Gerard Henderson.
"There is a tendency among some Western commentators not to take self-proclaimed revolutionaries seriously. In a sense, revolutionaries, including those of the Islamic genre, deserve more respect. The events in the US of September 11, 2001, and in Britain on July 7 last year indicate that Islamist revolutionaries - whether on tourist visas or citizens - are intent on destroying Western and Muslim societies. The details are set out in The 9/11 Commission Report and the Report of the Official Account of the Bombings in London on 7th July 2005. Since then there have been serious allegations of planned terrorist attacks on Canada and New Zealand.
In recent times, juries in Australia have found Faheem Khalid Lodhiand Joseph "Jihad Jack" Thomas guilty of terrorist offences under the new legislation introduced after the events of September 11.
Jack Roche pleaded guilty to terrorist offences under the previous legislation. Others have been charged and are awaiting trial. Lex Lasry, QC, maintained that Thomas was the victim of a "trophy trial". After the jury had found the accused guilty of accepting funds from a terrorist organisation, Justice Philip Cummins dismissed Lasry's assertion. The judge said "al-Qaeda was not a charitable organisation; it was not a travel agency".