The Hidden Threat: Unveiling the Dangers of Radical Islam in Australia
By A. J. Freeman, Commonwealth Sentinel
February 23, 2025
Imagine a quiet Australian city, a place where families thrive and communities come together.
Now picture a man, regarded as a charismatic preacher by his listeners, quietly planting seeds of division and hate under the guise of faith within that community, with only those in the mosque hearing his words.
This is the story of Zainadine Johnson, once a little-known imam born on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, now a figure whose actions and connections are raising alarm bells for those paying attention.
As a journalist dedicated to uncovering uncomfortable truths, I’m here to shine a light on a growing concern: the subtle but real dangers posed by radical Islam and preachers like Shady the Surfing Sheikh, even in a country as peaceful as ours.
From Sunshine Coast to the Middle East and Brisbane: A Shift in Influence
Sheikh Zainadine Johnson, also known as “The Surfing Imam,” is an Australian convert to Islam who has attracted media attention for his unique background and controversial statements.
Born Zean Johnson on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, he grew up as a surfer and former bassist in the Brisbane rock band Grinder. After converting to Islam in 2000, he traveled to countries like Yemen, Syria, Egypt, and Indonesia to study Islamic teachings and Sharia law, eventually becoming an imam.
While living in Yemen, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer canceled his passport in 2005 on the grounds that he posed a security threat to Australia and other countries. The government, rightly, viewed his close association with the notorious terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki as a severe danger.
Anwar al-Awlaki was a Yemeni-American cleric who became a pivotal figure in al-Qaeda, known for his English-language sermons that radicalized individuals worldwide, including those behind attacks like the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and the attempted 2009 Christmas Day bombing.
Johnson’s association with al-Awlaki stems from his time in Yemen, where he traveled in 2004 to deepen his Islamic studies after leaving Australia. Reports suggest that Johnson, then still known as Zean Johnson, had contact with al-Awlaki during this period, though the extent remains debated.
According to a leaked Australian diplomatic cable uncovered by WikiLeaks, authorities flagged Johnson due to this connection. The cable recommended placing him on a “no-fly list” because of his association with al-Awlaki, who was already under scrutiny by U.S. and international intelligence for his extremist activities. Johnson, however, has downplayed this link, claiming in interviews that his only interaction with al-Awlaki was a single phone call regarding a classmate’s divorce—hardly the stuff of a deep radical partnership.
But where there’s smoke there’s fire, and the authorities clearly had more information justifying their concerns. Whether this was the full story or a minimization of a more significant relationship remains unclear, as intelligence agencies relied on broader patterns of behavior rather than public admissions.
What’s certain is that Johnson’s presence in Yemen, a known hub for extremist groups, and his engagement with Islamic circles there raised red flags. His past as a rock musician turned devout Muslim, combined with his travels to conflict zones like Syria and Yemen, painted a picture of someone potentially shifting toward radicalism—enough to catch the Australian government’s attention.
Passport Cancellation by Alexander Downer
By 2005, while Johnson was in Yemen, he received an email from the Australian government, signed by then-Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, informing him that his passport had been canceled. The stated reason was stark: Johnson was deemed a “danger to Australia and a foreign country.”
This action wasn’t taken lightly; passport cancellation is a rare and serious step under Australian law, typically reserved for individuals suspected of posing a national security threat. The decision likely stemmed from intelligence linking Johnson to al-Awlaki and his activities in Yemen, where al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was gaining strength. A year into his stay, Australian authorities, possibly in coordination with U.S. counterparts tracking al-Awlaki, concluded that Johnson’s movements and associations warranted action. The cancellation left him stranded, unable to return home legally, and marked the beginning of a years-long struggle to regain his ability to travel.
Appeals and Legal Battle
Johnson didn’t accept the cancellation quietly. In 2006, exercising his legal rights, he launched an appeal from Yemen, costing him $700—a significant sum given his circumstances. The appeal process unfolded remotely, with Johnson participating via telephone in a court hearing. He negotiated an agreement with the Australian government: they would provide a profile and evidence justifying the cancellation, and he’d have a chance to respond.
When the evidence arrived at a Yemeni post office box, Johnson found it frustratingly vague. The key document detailing why he was considered a threat was heavily redacted, blacked out to the point of uselessness. This lack of transparency hampered his ability to mount a robust defense, leaving him in limbo.
For years, he remained in Yemen, navigating a precarious existence as local authorities grew wary of his status after learning of his passport troubles. His family moved with him through this ordeal, eventually shifting to Egypt in 2010 after a brief detention in Jordan.
Success in Regaining His Passport
The turning point came in 2009, four years after the cancellation. Johnson received an unexpected call from an ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) officer new to his case. The officer offered to meet in Yemen, and two weeks later, they sat down in a restaurant.
Over the course of their conversation, the officer presented Johnson with options: stay in Yemen as he was, apply for a new passport, or return to Australia. Skeptical after his earlier appeal experience, Johnson hesitated to invest more money but decided to take the chance.
Remarkably, his new passport arrived within a week—a stark contrast to the years of bureaucratic stonewalling. This swift resolution suggests a reassessment by Australian authorities, possibly influenced by a lack of concrete evidence tying Johnson to active terrorism or a shift in priorities as al-Awlaki’s threat evolved (he was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011).
Or perhaps there was a darker motive: ASIO may have offered to recruit him as a spy on Islamists in Australia. While this is only speculation, his dealings with ASIO raise the possibility.
Johnson returned to Australia shortly after for a two-month visit, reconnecting with family and delivering Islamic talks in Queensland, including on the Sunshine Coast, before resuming his travels.
Big Questions Demanding Truthful Answers
Johnson’s story raises questions about how governments balance security with individual rights: Did they overreact to his association with al-Awlaki, or was he a genuine risk who slipped through the cracks?
For the average reader, it’s a glimpse into the murky world of counterterrorism, where suspicion can upend lives, and the truth often lies buried beneath classified files.
By 2016, Johnson was back in Australia, appointed imam on the Sunshine Coast, surfing and preaching—a far cry from the fugitive-like existence he endured in Yemen. His journey from a canceled passport to a restored one underscores both the power of governmental suspicion and the possibility of redemption—or at least reevaluation—in the face of it.
The Surfing Sheikh Returns Home
Johnson, also dubbed “Shady Sheikh,” returned to the Sunshine Coast and immediately stirred controversy with his preaching in the local mosque, a converted house next door to the Catholic church.
The priest couldn’t stop the mosque’s establishment, but as the controversy grew, he erected a huge cross on the church roof overlooking the mosque as a direct insult. Yet the Muslims ignored it and continue to use the house as a mosque, catering to the small Muslim population on the Sunshine Coast.
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Shady’s Reputation
In 2016, he likened Sharia law to the Ten Commandments, arguing it doesn’t affect others and is compatible with Australian law. This is a typical tactic of taqiyya—lying to deceive people into believing Islam is a peaceful religion.
However, Shady soon found himself under suspicion again, not only by ASIO but also by many locals who protested loudly about his presence and his attempts to expand Islam on the Sunshine Coast.
As the outrage grew, he was hounded out of the Sunshine Coast by local Muslims who feared he would bring the wrath of the Australian government down on them.
Since then, Shady has been preaching at various Brisbane mosques. Our sources tell us his sermons aren’t just calls to prayer—they’re calls to action, laced with messages of sedition and hostility toward those he labels “infidels” (non-Muslims). He has become a true traitor to his heritage.
He has been the subject of much speculation and discussion, making wild statements and even contradicting himself:
In August 2017, he was quoted saying that Islamic men shaking hands with women is “sexual harassment,” equating it to a sin (haram) under Sharia, sparking debate on social media.
Then, in October 2017, he tried to laugh off an incident at Parliament House in Brisbane, where he claimed he unknowingly shook hands with a female Buddhist monk, contradicting his earlier stance. Perhaps he should have gone to Specsavers, because the gender of Buddhist monks is easily recognizable.
By 2017, he had created such a negative image that he was dropped as a speaker from a Toowoomba mosque event after community backlash over comments blaming Christians for Indigenous deaths and calling the Australian flag a “symbol of oppression.”
His beliefs also got him sacked in 2017 from a private-sector job after suggesting women need hijabs to prevent male harassment, framing his dismissal as a free speech issue.
Since then, he has lived mostly on the dole, taking money from the very people he views as his enemy. This is another typical move by Muslims to undermine their target countries by draining resources to support themselves and their large families of hangers-on.
This isn’t a fringe conspiracy; it’s a pattern seen worldwide where radical Islamic ideology takes root. Johnson’s move to a larger urban center like Brisbane amplifies his reach, giving him a bigger stage to spread his views.
What’s More Troubling?
Shady sent his sons to study under radical Islamic teachers in Turkey, a nation that has undergone a dramatic shift under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Once a secular state, Turkey has been steadily “re-Islamized,” embracing a stricter, more fundamentalist version of Islam. Erdogan’s government has been accused of quietly supporting extremist groups like ISIS, even if it’s not openly admitted.
For Johnson to send his sons there isn’t just a rejection of Australia’s education system—it’s a deliberate choice to immerse them in an environment known for radicalizing young minds. On their return, what will they bring back? Tolerance and peace, or something far more dangerous?
The Koran’s Dark Commands
To understand the stakes, we need to look at the ideology driving this family. Johnson and his sons are steeped in the Quran, Islam’s holy book, which contains over 100 verses explicitly calling for violence against non-believers.
Take Quran 2:191-193: “And kill them (infidels) wherever you find them… unrest is worse than killing.”
Or Quran 5:33, which demands that those who oppose Islam be “murdered or crucified” or have their hands and feet severed.
These aren’t obscure passages—they’re core teachings for those who interpret the Quran literally, as many radicals do.
For the average Australian, this might sound like ancient history, irrelevant to modern life. But for those like Johnson, who follow these texts without question, they’re a blueprint.
His mother is a well-known Labor Party (communist) supporter and an outspoken advocate for Palestinian statehood and the destruction of the Jewish state.
Shady and other preachers like him are only part of the problem we face with Islam. This ideology employs various means to insinuate its customs into the host country, including:
- Halal Food: A “halal tax” on food, imposed surreptitiously. Many people are still unaware they may be buying halal food. Although halal isn’t a formal levy, it’s a cost some food companies pay to get their products certified as halal-compliant, think slaughter methods or ingredient checks. It’s voluntary, driven by demand from Muslim consumers, about 3% of Australia’s population per the 2021 Census. Critics, including political figures like Pauline Hanson, argue these fees, sometimes a few cents per item, end up in the pockets of Islamic groups, funding mosques or, in extreme claims, terrorism. Which begs the question, “Why should non-Muslims indirectly fund this?” Companies like Nestlé or Coles opt in for profit, not ideology, tapping a $1.3 trillion global halal market. The “undermining” bit comes from perception; it’s a visible Islamic footprint in a secular system, that alone feels like a dangerous idea to many.
- Sharia Law: Sharia is a legal code that has imposed barbaric punishments in places like Saudi Arabia and Banda Aceh Sumatra with floggings or even amputations. In Australia, it is invoked in informal Sharia councils to mediate divorce or inheritance among willing Muslims, Figures like Shady stir the pot by defending it publicly. The fear is less about courts, more about cultural creep, halal school lunches, prayer rooms, or burqas in public. It’s not conquest by decree, it’s influence through presence, amplified by multiculturalism policies some see as too soft.
- Breeding Large Families: Moslems in Australia have a higher fertility rate, about 2.6 kids per woman versus 1.6 overall per Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021. Higher birth rates plus migration are a coordinated “demographic jihad,” as they build more mosques for their increasing numbers. Out-breeding the host country has been employed in many countries. The increase in numbers benefits the Australian Labor party, creating a larger voting base. It’s slow-burn influence, not a storming of Parliament.
- Cultural Leverage: Companies are playing directly into the hands of this cultural replacement by offering, for example, halal KFC options, hijabs in fashion, or Ramadan nods from politicians; small stuff that grates if you see it as bending to appease rather than coexist.
- Mosque Building: It is estimated there are about 500 mosques around Australia today. These are often funded locally or by Middle Eastern donors. Often, they will take over an abandoned church or even buy existing churches. Mosques are not only places of worship. They are also regarded as centers to direct their silent war on the host country’s established religions. Once a mosque is built, it becomes a part of the worldwide Umma; the war on Infidels. No law bans it, so it rolls on, while most people are unaware of the sinister aim of building mosques in western countries. As part of this spearhead, moslems have demanded special prayer rooms in public spaces such as airports, rail terminals, and even in Parliament!
These Methods Are Creating Cultural Friction
These methods are generating cultural tensions that will ultimately lead to more dangerous outcomes. Host countries must recognize the risks of importing Islam into their nations. We only need to look at Europe today to see the results.
History shows that when radical Islamists grow in number—whether in the Middle East, Europe, or elsewhere—they often turn to violence to impose their beliefs. Australia isn’t immune. Johnson may not be wielding a sword today (though he was once pictured waving a long sword), but his preaching fosters a mindset that views non-Muslims as enemies to be subdued.
The Turkish Connection: A Breeding Ground for Extremism
Why Turkey? It’s not just about education. Under Erdogan, Turkey has become a hub for Islamic extremism, a place where young men like Johnson’s sons can be groomed into soldiers of jihad. Jihad doesn’t always mean bombs and guns—it can be a slow, cultural takeover, a push to undermine Western values until they collapse. But violence is never off the table. We’ve seen it before: seemingly peaceful individuals, radicalized abroad, return home to wreak havoc. The 2015 Paris attacks and the 2017 London Bridge attack involved perpetrators with ties to extremist training overseas. Could Johnson’s sons be next?
A Mentor of Hate: Khalid Yasin
Johnson’s ties to Khalid Yasin, a radical preacher based in Manchester, England, make this story even more chilling. Yasin, a former gang member who converted to Islam, has spent decades spreading a toxic blend of anti-Western rhetoric, justification for terrorism, and hatred for anyone outside his faith. He’s been quoted saying Muslims can’t truly befriend non-Muslims—a belief rooted in Quran 4:89, which commands believers to “seize and slay” those who reject Islam. Yasin’s influence isn’t hypothetical; he’s mentoring Johnson’s sons in Turkey, guiding them down a path of intolerance.
Yasin’s record speaks for itself. In Australia, he’s called homosexuality an “aberration” worthy of death, dismissed women’s rights, and excused domestic violence, all while claiming to “debunk misinformation” about Islam. This is a man who thrives on doublespeak, softening his words for Western audiences while preaching fire and brimstone to his followers. Johnson idolizes him, and that alone should make us uneasy.
The Mask of Moderation
Here’s the tricky part: radical Islam doesn’t always look radical at first. Shady Johnson might smile for the cameras, raise funds for “charity,” or charm local leaders. But this is a tactic as old as the Quran itself. His actions belie his teachings in mosques. Taqiyya is a real weapon wielded by these imams, mullahs, and so-called sheikhs.
Taqiyya, or deception, allows Muslims to hide their true intentions to protect or advance their faith. We’ve seen it play out globally: quiet communities suddenly erupt into violence when the time is right. In Brisbane, Johnson’s preaching could be sowing the seeds for that very scenario.
As more people jump on the Gaza bandwagon, radicals are capitalizing on the unrest to sow dissension and worse.
Why This Matters to You
You might think, “This doesn’t affect me; I’m just living my life.” But it does.
Radical Islam isn’t just a far-off problem in the deserts of Syria. It’s creeping into our suburbs, our cities, our way of life.
Johnson’s story isn’t unique; it’s part of a global pattern where extremist ideology exploits open societies like ours. If his sons return radicalized, and if his sermons inspire even a handful of followers to act, the consequences could be devastating. Think of the Sydney Lindt Café siege in 2014 or the Melbourne Bourke Street attack in 2018—lone actors inspired by similar beliefs.
What Can Be Done?
Australia’s intelligence agencies, like ASIO and the AFP, need to closely monitor Johnson and other preachers making the rounds of mosques across the country. His past—a troubled childhood dominated by a communist-leaning mother, a flirtation with rock music, followed by a plunge into radical Islam, and studying with known terrorists in Syria and Egypt—hints at a man seeking power through extremism.
His move to Brisbane, his sons’ training in Turkey, and his ties to Yasin aren’t coincidences; they’re red flags. We, as a community, must demand transparency and vigilance. We can’t afford to be naïve.
This isn’t about fearmongering—it’s about facing reality. Nor is it racism to highlight the dangers of an ideology that, at its core, harbors a violent agenda to expand its control over the entire planet, using any means, including terror.
Most Muslims in Australia are peaceful, law-abiding citizens. But a small, vocal minority, like Johnson, follow a version of Islam that threatens everything we hold dear: freedom, equality, safety. Ignoring it won’t make it go away. It’s time to ask hard questions and demand answers before it’s too late.
We can’t afford to be less vigilant with “moderate” Muslims either. Even those who claim moderation follow a Quran that teaches them to impose Islam wherever they go, by any means possible. History shows many instances of “peaceful” Muslims suddenly turning violent against their host country’s people.
Look at the Middle East, where turmoil is often sparked by Islamists demanding total domination of their ideology over non-believers. It’s up to our security agencies to keep watch. We can only hope they’ve placed spies in mosques to monitor what’s being preached.
With the Labor government importing so many people from a vastly different culture, steeped in an often-violent ideology, our Australian culture is being slowly dismantled and replaced by one our descendants will curse us for. Islam denies human rights, individuality is anathema to it, women are treated as second-class and inferior to men, and its laws are diametrically opposed to everything good we believe in. If Australia doesn’t recognize the danger soon, we’ll see a repeat of what’s already happened in Europe.
