Terror propaganda, No prison, permanent anonymity: Welcome to New Zealand justice

Firstly, I hope everyone had a great Christmas with their family and friends. I didn’t think I would write anything until after the 5th January when I return to the swing of things, but an article titled “Auckland man caught with footage of Isis beheadings, murders, terror group promo material” caught my eye and the more I read, the more concerned I was.

Less than two weeks ago, two Indian men shot and killed 15 people in a terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Bondi, Sydney, Australia. It is reported that Sajid and Naveed Akram were radicalized by ISIS. Now, an “Auckland” man was caught with footage of ISIS beheadings, murders, and terror group promo material. Oh, and before anyone accuses me of piling on, you’re probably thinking, shit, this is the third article about Indians in a row. I’m not beating up on them. I am just writing what I see. If this were a Canadian or Australian bloke, I would be writing the same thing.

This 24-year-old man of Indian origins had his application for permanent anonymity granted. He wasn’t jailed, and the judge imposed a final sentence of 24 months’ intensive supervision, with electronic monitoring, and 200 hours’ community service. There was intent behind him possessing this material; police said the defendant undertook internet searches that demonstrated he knew what he was accessing was wrong. These included:

“What happens if u possess terrorist propaganda new Zealand” (sic),
“does visiting isis website put u on watchlist” (sic),
“punishment for posseissing terrorsit video” (sic)
“Can you use internet in prison nz.”

I’m not sure about you, but I would kinda like to know who was possessing ISIS support propaganda. You know, just if I am walking down the street with my son I could cross the street if I see this disturbed individual. It would also be nice to know if the guy was living in my area.

This guy wasn’t some hapless browser who stumbled onto a bad link. Police raided his home after mental health pros tipped them off (red flag number one) and seized his iPhone and MacBook, uncovering a digital cesspool of ISIS horrors. We’re talking 16-minute propaganda videos glorifying beheadings, murders of civilians, and war crimes, complete with a severed American head as a prop to taunt Barack Obama. Other clips featured ISIS flags waving over “martyrs,” calls to attack Middle Eastern governments, and explicit instructions for Muslims in the West to join up or unleash terror at home.

One even targeted Australia, urging attacks using methods readily available Down Under. And don’t forget the bonus material: 13 issues each of Dabiq and Rumiyah, those glossy ISIS recruitment rags designed to lure impressionable souls into their caliphate fantasy.

This was a curated library of hate, including videos proclaiming ISIS would destroy Jews, Pagans, Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus. Oh, and a special shoutout challenging Prince Harry to fly his Apache helicopter into their clutches so they could kill him. Charming.

His lawyer, Tim Conder, spun this as the poor lad being a “victim of online radicalization” who never shared the stuff. Boo-hoo. He argued for a discharge without conviction because the “stain” would be “uniquely grave,” and it might hinder his rehab. The Crown, to their credit, called bullshit, labeling it “ideological offending that strikes at public safety” with “high” gravity. Judge Nick Webby, while rejecting the discharge (thank God for small mercies), still let him off with a slap on the wrist: no prison time, just supervision, an ankle bracelet, and some community service. Starting from a three-year prison baseline, the judge handed out discounts like candy for his guilty plea, youth, clean record, “rehabilitation,” and “societal rejection.” Societal rejection? Try earning it by hoarding terrorist porn.

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He whined that a conviction would cost him his job, derail his OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) application, wreck his mental health, and complicate an arranged marriage. High school bullying was trotted out as backstory, as if that justifies stockpiling videos of Europeans getting slaughtered in ISIS attacks.