Sydney boy accused of stabbing 2 clerics showed no signs of radicalization, Muslim leader says

By MARK BAKER and ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

SYDNEY (AP) — A Muslim community leader says a boy accused of stabbing two Christian clerics during a Sydney church service might have “anger management and behavioral issues” and a “short fuse” but had shown no signs of being radicalized on Thursday, after authorities declared the stabbing a terrorist attack. The boy spoke in Arabic about the Prophet Muhammad being insulted after he stabbed a bishop and a priest on Monday night during an Assyrian Orthodox service that was being streamed online. The bishop released an audio statement on Thursday saying he was “doing fine, recovering very quickly” and that he forgave his attacker. Muslim community leader Jamal Rifi said the boy apologized when his family visited him in the hospital.