Western Resistance

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September 6, 2006

UK: Mystery Of Muslim Bomber's Last Moments

The figures in the picture at the left are 27-year old Omar Khan Sharif (the thin one) from Derby and 21-year old Asif Hanif from Hounslow, west London. The pair went to Israel in 2003, with the intention of becoming suicide bombers. They took a Syria Airlines flight to Damascus on April 10.

On April 30, the pair went into Mike's Bar on the sea-front in Tel Aviv, and Hanif blew himself up, killing three people and injuring 65. Sharif's bomb failed to go off, and his rotting body was found 12 days later, floating in the sea off Tel Aviv. It has been speculated that he had committed suicide, but there are rumours that he was killed by his Palestinian contacts in Hamas for failing in his suicide mission.

Palestinians assert that Sharif was killed by Israeli secret services, the Israeli secret services assume that Sharif's Palestinian associates in Hamas, and the Britis intelligence agencies have assumed that Sharif committed suicide, even though suicide is against Islamic beliefs (unless it involves murdering an enemy). These questions are still unanswered, though Hamas' claim is ridiculous. If Israeli forces did kill Sharif, they would have said so.

Today, the Telegraph and the Times report on the inquest into Sharif's death, which is held in Derby. The picture which emerged yesterday is dramatic, but also saw intelligence agencies disagreeing over details.

A Home Office pathologist, Professor Guy Rutty, who carried out the autopsy on Sharif, said he had found no evidence to substantiate claims that Sharif had been captured, restrained or tortured prior to death. He said that "on the balance of probabilities" Sharif had drowned.

A Tel Aviv resident, Shmuel Cohen, had a statement read out in the inquest. This claimed that he had seen Sharif try to get rid of the bomb in a bin. "He lifted up his shirt and took out a white container with a black band of sticky-tape. He placed it in the bin. He appeared to be under pressure and nervous and was looking from side to side, so I approached him and asked what he was doing," the statement read.

Mr Cohen said that Sharif ran off and he chased him for more than half a mile before the failed bomber disappeared. At the David Intercontinental Hotel, Sharif attacked a guard, Yivgany Foroshin, pinnning the man to the ground and stealing his wallet. Mr Foroshin said in a statement: "He spoke in English and quickly. I noticed he was sweating and had a cut on his forehead."

He then hailed a taxi, driven by Alex Fariq.

Sharif claimed: "He said, 'Please hurry, please take me away from here. I will pay however much you want'." When another vehicle drew up alongside and the driver called out "Stop that man - he's a terrorist" Sharif fled from the cab.

Mr Fariq, who had a knife, then gave chase in his taxi, and when the streets became too narrow, he followed on foot. He claimed: "I caught up with him. My knife was drawn and open in my hand. I approached him, put the knife near his eye and said - 'Who are you?' "

"I stood opposite him and kicked him in the testicles. It was a hard kick, but he didn't move. I kicked him again, but again he didn't move."

Sharif continued running, but Mr Fariq and also a security guard giving chase, gave up with exhaustion.

Nothing more was known of Sharif until his decomposing body was found. He had sent his family in Derby an email, which said; "Difficulties lie ahead for you."

Sections of the Hamas-produced "martyrdom" video were shown at the inquest. Peter Ashworth, the coroner for South Derbyshire announced a "narrative" verdict.

Sharif, a former public school pupil (private school) had worshipped at the Jamia Mosque in Derby, where members of al-Muhajiroun tried to recruit people.

In July 2004 Tahira Tabassum, Sharif's widow, was cleared of failing to alert the authorities of an attack, but his brother Zahid (an active promoter of al-Muhajiroun) and his sister Parveen were placed on trial, accused of failing to disclose information relating to a terrorist offence. Parveen was further accused of inciting terrorism.

We wrote on November 28 last year that the pair had been found not guilty. When the pair had been cleared, it was then revealed that a large body of evidence had been ruled "inadmissable" by Michael Hyam, the Recorder of London.

Consequently, the jury were never told that Parveen Sharif had been barred from teaching at two schools because of comments she had made to children. Grampian School in Sinfin, Derby and Somerlea Park School in Alfreton in Derbyshire told the agency for which she worked as a supply teacher that they never wanted her back.

A child who was aged 10 at the time, told police that shortly after 9/11 she had told a class: "She says she's on bin Laden's team and it's a good job that bin Laden crashed into the twin towers. She says 'Hands up everybody that's got relations in New York?'. And then she goes, 'Well they're dead'."

We showed details of the email exchanges between Parveen and Omar Sharif.

The two trials related to the case had cost the UK tax-payer a total of more than £2 million ($3.7 million).

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at September 6, 2006 7:31 AM

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