Australia’s Soft Approach to Fire Jihad: Lenient Sentences for Islamic Terror-Inspired Crimes

In 2021, Melbourne jihadi Aran Sherani, then 19, set two bushfires while pledging allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS). In videos captured during his crimes, Sherani brandished a knife, declared that civilians would “taste the fire of Allah,” and boasted about evading the police. His intent was clear: to instill terror and wreak havoc in the name of Islam.

In the video, Sherani chillingly stated, “I slipped away, and by the will of Allah, I was able to even go to a shop nearby my home and get this,” while holding up a knife to the camera. He further vowed to seek revenge for Muslims and pledged allegiance to ISIS, declaring, “I pledge allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.”

Despite these alarming actions, Sherani’s sentencing in 2023 exposed troubling leniency in Australia’s approach to Islamic terrorism. He was sentenced to just eight years in prison, with the possibility of parole after six. Having already served three-and-a-half years, Sherani could be released as early as 2027.

Even more alarming, Sherani was acquitted of attempting to commit a terrorist act, and his older brother, Ari, who filmed the terror-linked video, walked free after his acquittal. Ari admitted to filming the video but faced no serious consequences.

(Sherani’s older brother, Ari Sherani, was acquitted on a terror-related charge in November last year.)

Fire Jihad: A Growing Threat

This case underscores Australia’s dangerous failure to take Islamic terrorism seriously. Sherani’s actions align with fire jihad, a tactic known to be employed by jihadis to cause widespread destruction and terrorize civilian populations. His deliberate act of starting bushfires wasn’t isolated—it was a calculated effort following ISIS-inspired strategies. Yet, the courts chose to treat his crimes as less severe, sending the dangerous message that Islamic terror-related violence can be met with minimal punishment.

The Defense’s Dubious Claims

Sherani’s defense argued that his pledge to ISIS was a ploy to travel overseas and join Kurdish fighters, claiming that he didn’t intend to commit terror in Australia. However, this argument collapses when faced with the reality of Sherani’s actions—setting bushfires and pledging allegiance to ISIS while declaring revenge against non-believers on Australian soil.

Judge’s Sentencing and Public Outrage

Judge Amanda Fox, while sentencing Sherani, acknowledged that he had embraced ISIS’s “depraved ideology” and condemned the crime as serious. Despite this, the eight-year sentence—with the possibility of parole in just six years—has sparked widespread criticism for being grossly inadequate. Many Australians now question whether the justice system is truly prepared to confront the escalating threat of Islamic terrorism.

Fire jihad is not a trivial offense; it is an insidious form of terrorism designed to spread fear and destruction. Allowing convicted terrorists like Sherani to potentially walk free after serving a minimal sentence does nothing to deter future attacks, nor does it adequately protect the public from the growing threat of homegrown extremism.