By Kara Lawrence, Tim Vollmer and Janet Fife-YeomansTHEY are young Australians who paid the ultimate price, losing their lives at war - but now their families have allegedly been targeted by self-styled Muslim cleric Sheik Haron in an anti-war campaign.
Finally, after an alleged two-year letter-writing spree that has devastated the families of seven Diggers who died in Afghanistan, Haron faces criminal charges, The Daily Telegraph reports.
In the letters he allegedly wrote to grieving parents and wives of the Diggers - one addressed to a widow, care of a funeral home - he apparently accused some of the dead Australian soldiers of being "criminals", "killers" and "murderers" fighting a war of invasion.
Haron has penned letters to the families of Michael Fussell, Gregory Sher, Mathew Hopkins, Brett Till, Jason Marks, Luke Worsley and Benjamin Ranaudo.
Counter-terrorism police arrested Haron, 45, - an Iranian-born immigrant who claims to be a Muslim spiritual leader - at his Croydon Park home on Tuesday.
Sydney's Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprising Australian Federal Police and NSW Police, also visited two other addresses, at Campsie and Green Valley.
Haron was charged on Tuesday night with seven counts of "using a postal service or similar service to menace, harass, or cause offence" and was granted bail to appear in court next month.
Yesterday, he told The Daily Telegraph he would fight the charges and was seeking legal advice.
"I was in the custody of the AFP for a while, a few hours ... then I was released. I believed that I am innocent, of course. Later I can explain everything."
Haron has posted the letters he allegedly sent on a website attributed to him.
In a letter to Gregory Sher's family, he allegedly wrote: "I feel bad that you have lost your son but I don't feel bad that a murderer of innocent civilians has lost his life."
Sher family friend Ben Hirsh said he was aware a number of grieving families had allegedly received anti-war letters.
"Getting any anti-war letters is disgusting," he said.
Private Luke Worsley's father John said: "You have just got the news of the loss of your son and then this happens."
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