ISIS-inspired terrorist who stabbed a man in the neck is ordered to remove her niqab in court but she refused to do it

A young Bangladeshi student who confessed to staging an ISIS-inspired attack was told to remove her niqab and show her face in court – but refused to stand for a judge.

Momena Shoma, 25, appeared at the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to stabbing her Melbourne homestay host in February.

The young woman was only in Melbourne for a week before she stabbed Roger Singarevelu in the neck with a 25cm knife as he slept near his young daughter.

The Herald Sun reported that once Shoma arrived in court, she was forced to remove her niqab and show her face.

She was told to leave the garment off as she entered court and confirmed her identity.

When asked to stand as Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth entered the court, the 25-year-old student refused and stayed seated.

This wasn’t the first time the student refused to stand, as The Australian reported that she had previously refused to stand for Magistrate Sarah Dawes in July.

Shoma pleaded guilty to intentionally engaging in a terrorist act ‘with the intention of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause, namely violent jihad’.

It was also done to coerce, or influence by intimidating, the government or the public, or both.

‘The action caused serious harm that is physical harm to Roger Singaravelu and endangered his life,’ the formal indictment says.

‘The action was not advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action.

‘Alternatively, if the action was advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action, it was intended to cause a person’s death.’

Following the attack, the 25-year-old told police that she traveled to Melbourne with the intention of carrying out a terrorist attack on behalf of Islamic State.

‘I had to do it … it could have been anyone … he just seemed like a very easy target,’ Shoma told police of the attack.

‘I had to push myself. I wouldn’t even hurt a rat … I just felt like if I don’t do it, I will be sinful, I will be punished by Allah.’

The young woman said that although she couldn’t read or write Arabic, she was under the impression that Islamic State wanted women to fight for them.

Shoma said that she had orders from Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Mr Singaravelu described the attack as ‘terrifying’, and said that he woke to a sharp pain on his neck and the Bangladeshi student on her knees next to him.

‘(She) had such an intense look. Her eyes were so intense. She was saying ‘Allahu Akbar’, she kept on saying this over and over,’ he told police.

He pushed her away, pulled the knife from his neck and fled with his daughter.

Justice Hollingworth ordered Shoma return to court in January for a sentencing submissions, and is facing a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Source: Daily Mail