Martin Place, Sydney siege gunman identified as Man Maron Monis
http://www.9news.com.au/national/2014/12/16/00/48/sydney-hostage-taker-named-as-man-monis
Radical Muslim cleric Sheik Man Haron Monis has been revealed to be the ringleader in the Sydney cafe siege that has seen up to 30 people held hostage for more than 10 hours.
Monis was born Manteghi Bourjerdi and fled from Iran to Australia in 1996 where he changed his name to Man Haron Monis and assuming the title of Sheik Haron.
He has gained media attention in the past for a “hate mail” campaign, protesting the presence of Australian troops in Afghanistan.
The campaign saw him and his partner Amirah Droudis post hate-filled letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers.
The family of Brett Till, an Australian solder killed by a roadside bomb in 2009, was just one of the families who received a letter.
“We sat in our homes, reading these letters ... This man accusing my husband of being a child killer,” widow Bree Till said at the time.
n November 2009 Monis appeared in court claiming to be a peace activist but later chained himself to the courthouse in protest of charges laid against him.
Monis escaped jail time but was sentenced to 300 hours of community service and placed on a two-year good behaviour bond in September 2013.
He again received attention from police in November last year when he allegedly organised the murder of ex-wife Noleen Pal.
Ms Pal had been stabbed and her body set alight in a Werrington apartment block, allegedly by Ms Droudis.
In April this year he was charged with sexually assaulting seven women while working as a spiritual healer in Wentworthville, where he claimed to be an expert in astrology, numerology, meditation and black magic.
In October Monis was charged with an extra 40 sexual offences relating to his work as a spiritual healer.
There’s a lot about him on the Net.
His Wikipedia page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Haron
Found his website (not for the squeamish)
http://www.sheikhharon.com/
Photo taken at the time he was accused of sending abusive letters to the families of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan has formally pleaded guilty in a Sydney court. HIS CO-ACCUSED, 'Amirah Droudis', has also pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting Monis, after SHE sent an item of mail in May 2008.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/4542586-3x2-340x227.jpg 