New Zealand Muslim community shocked by teen's terror plot

A teen was sentenced to intensive supervision in Christchurch District Court yesterday following a terror plot. Photo / File

A plot by a teenager radicalised online to ram a car into a group of people in Christchurch and then stab them has shocked the New Zealand Muslim community.

The 17-year-old boy, who didn't go through with the terror plan, was sentenced to intensive supervision at the Christchurch District Court yesterday.

He was radicalised online and told police he'd "done it for Allah".

Court-imposed suppression orders prevent further details from being published.

Hazim Arafeh, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, today admitted that he was alarmed by the plan.

"We knew there was a bit of risk [to terrorism in New Zealand] but we used to think it was minimal. But obviously it was a bit more than we thought," he told Newstalk ZB.

Arafeh wasn't concerned about a backlash to the Muslim community, but said they were "still shocked".

"We certainly don't want to see these events or actions in New Zealand," he said.
Arafeh believed the teen could be rehabilitated and agreed with the judge's decision to impose wide-ranging suppression orders to help the boy get his life back on track.

The boy's youth was the main reason he was "led into this destructive ideology", Arafeh said. And he stressed that the Muslim community would promptly report any suspicious or concerning behaviour.

"We don't waste time when it comes to these things," he said. "We actively cooperate with all New Zealand government agencies that are related to these kinds of incidents."

The teenager has been sentenced to intensive supervision with a list of conditions, which if breached, could lead to imprisonment.