The New York Post on Sunday highlighted a series of social media posts attributed to Hamam al-Hammami, the twenty-nine-year-old accused of attempting to hijack a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, describing content that celebrated violence against women and invoked Sharia law. The account cited posts in which the author allegedly wrote "Stomp on her head," among other inflammatory remarks.
The Post's reporting was one of several outlets to surface the posts, which have since been deleted or removed from public view. The Daily Mail, LBC, The Week and CNN all published stories within the past day detailing similar content, while Al Jazeera reported that al-Hammami had been barred from flying in Oman due to concerns over extremist views.
According to the Daily Mail, al-Hammami severely wounded captain Smit Machchhar using the onboard crash axe during the alleged attempt to take control of the plane on Wednesday. CNN reported that two now-deleted LinkedIn posts appeared online within approximately nine hours of the attack, and identified al-Hammami as the suspect. The network also noted that terrorist-related images were found on his social media accounts.
LBC reported that al-Hammami made a series of posts condoning violence against women while studying at a British university, and also expressed support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Week described the posts as "troubling" and part of a pattern of "extremist views and disturbing social media activity."
The posts, as described by the outlets, include calls for women to be "stomped on" and other religious rants. The exact wording of each post varies across reports, but the consistent theme is one of violent rhetoric and support for strict religious law.
Al-Hammami's background has come under scrutiny following the incident. Al Jazeera reported that he was reportedly barred from flying in Oman due to concerns over extremist views, a detail that has been picked up by other outlets. The suspect's age, twenty-nine, is consistent across reports.
The New York Post's headline on Sunday read: "Accused flydubai hijacker celebrated beating women, Sharia law in sickening social media posts: 'Stomp on her head.'" The Post did not provide additional context on when the posts were made or on which platform they appeared.
Next News Network could not independently verify the content of the posts or the circumstances surrounding the alleged hijacking attempt.
The reaction to the posts has been swift across conservative and mainstream media. The Daily Mail, a British tabloid, ran a story headlined: "Flydubai hijacker called for women to be 'stomped on' in religious rants while studying at British university." The article claimed that al-Hammami made the posts while enrolled at a British university, though it did not name the institution.
LBC, a British radio station, reported that the suspect "made a series of posts condoning violence against women and expressed support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine." The station did not specify the platform or the dates of the posts.
The Week published a piece titled "flydubai incident: Troubling social media posts of Hamam al-Hammami revealed," stating that the pilot who attempted to crash a flight to Tel Aviv had been identified, and that investigations uncovered his history of extremist views and disturbing social media activity.
CNN's reporting focused on the suspect's LinkedIn activity, noting that two posts were deleted within hours of the attack. The network identified al-Hammami as the suspect and reported that terrorist-related images were found on his social media.
Al Jazeera's explainer piece asked, "Who is the mystery co-pilot behind the Flydubai attack?" and reported that al-Hammami had been barred from flying in Oman due to concerns over extremist views. The outlet did not provide further details on the nature of those concerns.
The alleged hijacking attempt occurred on Wednesday on a Flydubai plane en route to Tel Aviv. According to the Daily Mail, al-Hammami used the onboard crash axe to severely wound captain Smit Machchhar. The condition of the captain has not been widely reported.
Flydubai has not issued a public statement on the incident as of Sunday. The airline did not respond to requests for comment.
Authorities have not released an official motive for the attack. The investigation is ongoing, and it is not yet known whether the suspect has legal representation or what charges he may face.
The posts attributed to al-Hammami have been circulated widely on social media, with accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms sharing screenshots. The New York Post's story was shared by conservative influencers and commentators, amplifying the reach of the allegations.
Next News Network could not independently verify the content of the posts or the circumstances surrounding the alleged hijacking attempt.
Our Take
The revelation that the accused Flydubai hijacker allegedly celebrated violence against women and voiced support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a stark reminder of the threat posed by radical Islamists who exploit Western openness to enter our countries and then plot against us. The fact that Hamam al-Hammami was reportedly barred from flying in Oman due to extremist views raises serious questions about how he was allowed to operate a commercial aircraft in the first place. This is not an isolated incident; it is part of a pattern of failed vetting and misplaced trust. The media's sudden interest in these posts only underscores their earlier reluctance to report on the suspect's background. We must demand answers from airlines and authorities about how someone with such views was able to get into a cockpit. The safety of passengers must come first, and that means profiling and preventing, not political correctness. The West must wake up to the reality that not everyone who seeks entry wishes us well.
