FIVE Sydney men accused of conspiring to prepare a terrorist act were trying to influence the Government's policy about participation in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a court has been told.
The men allegedly possessed extremist material advocating violent jihad, showing ritual beheadings and venerating people such as Osama Bin Laden, the Crown prosecutor, Richard Maidment, SC, told the Supreme Court in Parramatta yesterday.
Mohamed Elomar, Abdul Rhakib Hasan, Khaled and Moustafa Cheikho and Mohammed Omar Jamal had obtained chemicals for explosives, firearms and ammunition, or attempted to obtain such material, Mr Maidment said.
The men, who considered themselves devout Muslims, had turned for "spiritual guidance" to Sheik Bakr, who had publicly declared his support for the violent form of jihad.
"It is no part of the Crown case to level any kind of comment or any kind of criticism of the Muslim religion, or any kind or comment of criticism of the Muslim community in Australia or elsewhere," Mr Maidment said.
Literature found in the homes of some of the accused allegedly included material arguing Islam was under attack and it was the religious obligation of Muslims to pursue violent jihad.
Some material "supported indiscriminate killing, mass murder and martyrdom in pursuit of violent jihad", he told the jury.
Other information found on computers or as hard copies in the homes of some of the accused, or their associates, included step-by-step instructions for bomb making, recipes for explosives, and facts about detonators and pipe bombs, the Crown alleged.
Images allegedly found included pictures of the World Trade Centre attacks, images that glorified the actions of terrorists and showed destruction in battlefields.
But, Mr Maidment said, he had been selective in the material he was presenting to the jury, and the majority of the documents found in the homes of the accused was "mainstream".
It was up to the jury to decide what weight it would give the possession of the material.
He told the court the men had been under physical and electronic surveillance by the police and ASIO.
The accused had been aware of the surveillance, he said, and some had registered mobile phones in false names
The men, who are aged between 24 and 43, had allegedly conspired with Omar Baladjam, Mazen Touma, Khaled Sharrouf, Mirsad Mulahalilovic and others between July 2004 and November 2005 to prepare a terrorist act or acts. Police arrested them in November 2005.
"Evidence suggests the accused were motivated by a perception that the participation of Australia in the conflict of Iraq or Afghanistan or both were acts of aggression against the wider Muslim community. They were motivated to pursue what they probably saw as a religious cause, namely that of jihad."
He handed the jury of eight men and seven women - 12 will determine the verdict and three jurors are reserves - a chronology detailing more than 100 events, which forms part of the case against the men.
Earlier Justice Anthony Whealy told the jury to put aside their bias and prejudice.
"The Muslim religion is not on trial here," he said. "We Australians are very fortunate because we live in a very tolerant and open-minded state."
The men were entitled to a jury that was completely impartial, he said, urging the jury not to jump to conclusions because the men professed certain religious or political views.
The trial continues today.
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