Australian police call Assyrian church stabbing a terrorist act

Sounds like the attacker was really lucky that the police were there that quickly. Not that he deserved any luck, but still.

Can you say something is terrorism without mentioning the cause?

If you don't mention it, it creates an obvious vacuum that some people will fill with imaginings. This 100% happens and should not be encouraged in any way. Two people on British tv have already claimed the Sydney mall attacker was a Muslim and that we should fear Islam. This is completely false and based purely on those two individuals' racism.

Quote from the article just in case anyone didn't read it:

"...a video circulating of the alleged attacker pinned to the ground, his face obscured, with a voice speaking in Arabic "if they didn't insult my prophet, I wouldn't have come here"...

What he allegedly said was a little longer, but we get the idea from this quote.

Can you say something is terrorism without mentioning the cause?

My own view of terrorism is that it is intended to cause fear among a wider population, and the targets of the attack can be fairly random - e.g. a car bomb in a crowded street. In this case, it seems there was a specific target. Not that it makes it any better - deliberate killing is wrong.

e male attacker traveled to the church, far from his home, with a knife. 

Anther insecure male, that for whatever reason felt compelled to carry a weapon with him. What is it with males who cannot leave home without carrying a weapon like a knife or gun? Because the law allows it does not seem like a very good reason. Of course the attacker could have been a sushi chef going to a new job, or he could have been, not just insecure, but mentally ill. But then I think people that can't leave home without carrying a weapon, probably are mentally ill.

Agreed. In this case the kid had probably heard complaints for years from his elders and betters about the preacher and his bigoted kooky views, and in a hot-headed moment decided to go and do something about it. I too would not call this terrorism, but use of a knife in Islam does have symbolic meaning, so religious extremism and aggravated assault here might be a better description.

Yes, reference to "my prophet" alludes that he's a Muslim but a bit more detail might be helpful. If they are confident enough to call it terrorism so quickly, they should be confident enough to tell us more about the attacker, such as whether this is a solo act or has been commited on behalf of some kind of organization.

Agreed. In this case the kid had probably heard complaints for years from his elders and betters about the preacher and his bigoted kooky views, and in a hot-headed moment decided to go and do something about it.

What?

The violent 16 year old attacker is a Muslim on parole for a knife crime. The violent congregation who went on a rampage attacking police and paramedics are Syrian Orthodox Christians.

Australian police on Tuesday said a knife attack on an Assyrian church bishop and some followers in Sydney was a terrorist act motivated by suspected religious extremism,

Well... duh !