Keysar Trad, one of the Muslim leaders called to a meeting with Australian Federal Police as the Sydney siege unfolded, is in no doubt that gunman Man Haron Monis would have surrendered, if he had been allowed to talk with him. 'They could have let someone like me talk with him, someone who had met him before, I knew him and I would have got him to surrender, I am fairly confident,' Mr Trad said. He said neither his offer nor that of other community leaders made during the day, including that of Australia's most senior Muslim cleric the Grand Mufti, was accepted. Further, he added, they were not sought out for any advice as it dragged on. 'I was saying it all day, let us help.' Scroll down for video . 'He would have surrendered'. Islamic Friendship Association founder Keysar Trad is pictured on his way to a meeting with government officials last year to discuss the counter-terrorism laws. He says police should have involved Muslim leaders in negotiations with Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis . The same year in which Sydney Siege gunman Man Monis (left) was dropped from the national watch lists, it’s been revealed he was also reported to AFP for repeatedly threatening an Islamic school principal. Islamic Friendship Association founder Keysar Trad said police should have let him talk to the hostage-taker during the Martin Place Lindt cafe stand-off last month. 'This person was looking for someone to pull him out of it,' Mr Trad said. It's believed among those represented at the Monday morning (December 15) briefing with the Australian Federal Police, which was in relation to anti-terror raids and not the early stages of the siege, were representatives of the Islamic Friendship Association, Islamic Council of New South Wales, the United Muslim Women's Association, Lebanese Muslim Association, the Muslim Village and a former AFP official of Muslim background. Word of the drama in Sydney's CBD had begun to filter through to the 10am gathering at a Bankstown hotel in the city's south-west and those involved in the meeting say they made it known they wanted to be involved, if required. The official briefing was quickly wound up but Mr Trad, who is the founder of the Islamic Friendship Association, revealed that there were tense scenes even as the meeting came to an end. He said some at the gathering disagreed over the potential level of involvement from the Muslim community, saying 'we had an argument'. Vision inside the Lindt cafe of long gunman Man Haron Monis during the 17-hour stand-off. He took 18 hostages . Two of the hostages are pictured up against the cafe windows during the earliest hours of the tragic Sydney siege. A Muslim leader claimed on Tuesday that if he had been given the opportunity to talk to the gunman, bloodshed could have been avoided at Martin Place . The dramatic last moments of the Sydney siege at the Lindt cafe in Martin Place as hostages run for their lives after surviving almost 17 hours as captors of gunman Man Monis . Mr Trad insists that, while he understood the authorities held concern for the safety of civilian in such a risky operation, he would have happily signed a waiver accepting responsibility for his actions, should he have been harmed by the gunman. On his side, he said, were younger members of the Muslim community, who were also present at the meeting: 'They were ready to go too, there were two of them dressed in their traditional robes and they agreed and said "if it is a young person, we will talk to him" and they were available at any time.' Mr Trad also wants answers, as to why officials were selective in who was told the vital information about Monis' identity as the day wore on. 'They told some community leaders (Monis' identity) and not me but I would have happily signed a letter taking responsibility,' he said. Heavily armed police stormed the Lindt cafe in the early hours of Tuesday morning after hostage-taker Monis fired shots. Two of his captors were killed, Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson . Man Haron Monis pictured in 2009, bound in chains and holding an Australian flag outside Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney. He'd been charged with seven counts of unlawfully using the postal service to menace, after sending harassing letters to families of Australian soldiers. He would later be granted bail despite facing sexual assault and accessory to murder charges . The anguish of hostages taken by Monis inside the Lindt cafe was clearly visible, as the stand-off crippled the heart of Sydney last month . A decision on the future of the Lindt Chocolate Cafe has yet to be made by the owners, almost a month after the tragic events in Martin Place . 'I find it difficult to believe he knew what he was doing, he did not plan it, he had no idea what he wanted. 'Someone like that needs someone to talk to, talk him around and tell him "let these people go". 'I was saying it all day, that would have been the best way to deal with this guy was this way, I am certain.' More than 100,000 bouquets were placed at the shrine in Martin Place in the days after the siege. The flowers placed in memory of the Lindt cafe siege hostages will feature as part of a permanent memorial, after having been mulched . 'I had a couple of meetings with him and he just needed someone to guide him. We were all ready to help, even the Mufti offered to go and speak to him. 'This person was looking for someone to pull him out of it.' It's been revealed the Grand Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, was ready to become involved but was not sought for advice nor involved at an official level, with senior police admitting at the time that even 11 hours into the stand-off there had been limited, if any, contact directly with the gunman. 'At the time I didn’t know it was him. I had met him before and if I had known earlier it was him I would’ve been happy to try and talk to him, I’m sure he wouldn’t have done anything to me at that stage,” Mr Trad said. While others suggest police erred in not taking advice from Muslim community leaders, Ahmed Kilani of the Muslim Village sees it differently saying 'I can't really find any fault in what they have done. They were being very, very careful not to risk people's lives' However, others present at the meeting on Monday morning weren't as critical. 'No one really knew, at that stage,' said Ahmed Kilani of the Muslim Village. 'I can't really find any fault in what they have done. They were being very, very careful not to risk people's lives, we don't know all that went on, it is a tricky situation. I knew who he was by 3pm that day. 'Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it?' Mr Kilani added.
Muslim leader insist Man Haron Monis 'would have surrendered'
The founder of Islamic Friendship Association says he could have stopped the bloodshed, if police had taken up the Muslim community's offer to help .
Prominent members of Australia's Muslim community were locked in counter-terror raid briefings in Sydney's south-west when the siege began .
AFP officers were told 'all our resources are available' but no member of the Muslim community was consulted during the 17 hour stand-off .
There was also a tense debate at the morning meeting between Islamic representatives as to whether they should get involved .
The meeting with the AFP at Bankstown began at 10am and was shut down before 11 as the siege situation at Martin Place heightened .
Keysar Trad, one of the Muslim leaders called to a meeting with Australian Federal Police as the Sydney siege unfolded, is in no doubt that gunman Man Haron Monis would have surrendered, if he had been allowed to talk with him. 'They could have let someone like me talk with him, someone who had met him before, I knew him and I would have got him to surrender, I am fairly confident,' Mr Trad said. He said neither his offer nor that of other community leaders made during the day, including that of Australia's most senior Muslim cleric the Grand Mufti, was accepted. Further, he added, they were not sought out for any advice as it dragged on. 'I was saying it all day, let us help.' Scroll down for video . 'He would have surrendered'. Islamic Friendship Association founder Keysar Trad is pictured on his way to a meeting with government officials last year to discuss the counter-terrorism laws. He says police should have involved Muslim leaders in negotiations with Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis . The same year in which Sydney Siege gunman Man Monis (left) was dropped from the national watch lists, it’s been revealed he was also reported to AFP for repeatedly threatening an Islamic school principal. Islamic Friendship Association founder Keysar Trad said police should have let him talk to the hostage-taker during the Martin Place Lindt cafe stand-off last month. 'This person was looking for someone to pull him out of it,' Mr Trad said. It's believed among those represented at the Monday morning (December 15) briefing with the Australian Federal Police, which was in relation to anti-terror raids and not the early stages of the siege, were representatives of the Islamic Friendship Association, Islamic Council of New South Wales, the United Muslim Women's Association, Lebanese Muslim Association, the Muslim Village and a former AFP official of Muslim background. Word of the drama in Sydney's CBD had begun to filter through to the 10am gathering at a Bankstown hotel in the city's south-west and those involved in the meeting say they made it known they wanted to be involved, if required. The official briefing was quickly wound up but Mr Trad, who is the founder of the Islamic Friendship Association, revealed that there were tense scenes even as the meeting came to an end. He said some at the gathering disagreed over the potential level of involvement from the Muslim community, saying 'we had an argument'. Vision inside the Lindt cafe of long gunman Man Haron Monis during the 17-hour stand-off. He took 18 hostages . Two of the hostages are pictured up against the cafe windows during the earliest hours of the tragic Sydney siege. A Muslim leader claimed on Tuesday that if he had been given the opportunity to talk to the gunman, bloodshed could have been avoided at Martin Place . The dramatic last moments of the Sydney siege at the Lindt cafe in Martin Place as hostages run for their lives after surviving almost 17 hours as captors of gunman Man Monis . Mr Trad insists that, while he understood the authorities held concern for the safety of civilian in such a risky operation, he would have happily signed a waiver accepting responsibility for his actions, should he have been harmed by the gunman. On his side, he said, were younger members of the Muslim community, who were also present at the meeting: 'They were ready to go too, there were two of them dressed in their traditional robes and they agreed and said "if it is a young person, we will talk to him" and they were available at any time.' Mr Trad also wants answers, as to why officials were selective in who was told the vital information about Monis' identity as the day wore on. 'They told some community leaders (Monis' identity) and not me but I would have happily signed a letter taking responsibility,' he said. Heavily armed police stormed the Lindt cafe in the early hours of Tuesday morning after hostage-taker Monis fired shots. Two of his captors were killed, Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson . Man Haron Monis pictured in 2009, bound in chains and holding an Australian flag outside Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney. He'd been charged with seven counts of unlawfully using the postal service to menace, after sending harassing letters to families of Australian soldiers. He would later be granted bail despite facing sexual assault and accessory to murder charges . The anguish of hostages taken by Monis inside the Lindt cafe was clearly visible, as the stand-off crippled the heart of Sydney last month . A decision on the future of the Lindt Chocolate Cafe has yet to be made by the owners, almost a month after the tragic events in Martin Place . 'I find it difficult to believe he knew what he was doing, he did not plan it, he had no idea what he wanted. 'Someone like that needs someone to talk to, talk him around and tell him "let these people go". 'I was saying it all day, that would have been the best way to deal with this guy was this way, I am certain.' More than 100,000 bouquets were placed at the shrine in Martin Place in the days after the siege. The flowers placed in memory of the Lindt cafe siege hostages will feature as part of a permanent memorial, after having been mulched . 'I had a couple of meetings with him and he just needed someone to guide him. We were all ready to help, even the Mufti offered to go and speak to him. 'This person was looking for someone to pull him out of it.' It's been revealed the Grand Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, was ready to become involved but was not sought for advice nor involved at an official level, with senior police admitting at the time that even 11 hours into the stand-off there had been limited, if any, contact directly with the gunman. 'At the time I didn’t know it was him. I had met him before and if I had known earlier it was him I would’ve been happy to try and talk to him, I’m sure he wouldn’t have done anything to me at that stage,” Mr Trad said. While others suggest police erred in not taking advice from Muslim community leaders, Ahmed Kilani of the Muslim Village sees it differently saying 'I can't really find any fault in what they have done. They were being very, very careful not to risk people's lives' However, others present at the meeting on Monday morning weren't as critical. 'No one really knew, at that stage,' said Ahmed Kilani of the Muslim Village. 'I can't really find any fault in what they have done. They were being very, very careful not to risk people's lives, we don't know all that went on, it is a tricky situation. I knew who he was by 3pm that day. 'Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it?' Mr Kilani added.
meeting with Australian Federal Police as the Man Haron Monis would have surrendered, if he had surrendered'. Islamic Friendship Association police should have involved Muslim leaders in during the Martin Place Lindt cafe stand-off last siege, were representatives of the Islamic Muslim Village and a former AFP official of Muslim background. Word of the drama in Sydney's up but Mr Trad, who is the founder of the Islamic could have been avoided at Martin Place . The side, he said, were younger members of the Muslim community, who were also present at the meeting: talk to him" and they were available at any officials were selective in who was told the someone to guide him. We were all ready to help,