backlash likely after Muslim nut's Sydney siege

Graffiti on a Brisbane mosque after police raids on Muslim terrorists a few months ago.

Although his identity was known early in his terror siege in a Sydney café yesterday, police did not allow it to be made public until well into it: Man Haron Monis, 50, first came to the attention of police and the public when he penned poisonous letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers. Last year he was charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife and mother of two.

Most recently, he was charged with more than 50 allegations of indecent and sexual assault relating to time allegedly spent as a self-proclaimed "spiritual healer" who dealt with black magic at a premises in western Sydney more than a decade ago.

Monis, who has also gone by the names of Sheikh Haron and Mohammad Hassan Manteghi, was born in Iran, came to Australia in 1996 as a refugee seeking asylum and most recently has been living at Bexley North in Sydney's south.  Monis was killed in last night's shootout, as were two of the hostages: a 38-year-old female top brass barrister and the 34-year-old café manager. Good pictorial coverage is on this webpage

One of the facts that emerged on the Sydney Morning Herald's blog yesterday was that Monis wanted an ISIS flag during his terror siege, and reporters knew of at least 60 people who had one, but could not get any of those who had them to part with one as possession of the ISIS flag is illegal in Australia.  If there are 60 such ISIS supporters just in Sydney, what is the total in the rest of Australia?

Needless to say, moderate Muslim leaders in Australia are perturbed about the behaviour of Muslims like Monis who clearly have major mental health issues, but it is unlikely to reassure those concerned about what the inevitable next incident will be.