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December 22, 2006
Jordan: Islamist Tourist Killer To Hang
On September 4 this year, an Islamist gunman lay in wait as tourists were visiting the Roman amphitheater in Amman Jordan. As the tourists prepared to walk up the steps leading from the ancient stage, the Islamist began shooting. 12 shots were fired, and six tourists were hit. One of these, a 30-year old Briton, was killed. A policeman was also shot, but this man also managed with others to chase and capture the gunman.
The man who died was Christopher Stokes, a chartered accountant from Littleborough near Rochdale. Last month the gunman, 38-year old Nabeel Ahmed Issa al-Jaourah, went on trial. A blacksmith by trade and father of five children, Jaourah was born in the Baqaa Palestinian refugee camp near the city, and had lived in Zarqa, the same slum town where terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had grown up.
During the trial, he showed no remorse. He said: "God blessed me when I killed a British man and hurt others, because they are fighting the Prophet and his soldiers since (the) Balfour Declaration. The British people.... insulted the honorable Koran and women who wear the head cover."
The Balfour declaration was a decision made in 1917 by the British government, to create the state of Israel. His reference to the headcover was a reference to comments made in October by various politicians, including Tony Blair, that suggested Muslim face-veils were a "mark of separation."
Yesterday, according to AKI, the Telegraph and the Times, Jaourah was convicted, and sentenced to hang.
As the sentence was read out, Jaourah called out: "I am a holy warrior and I thank God for this verdict." His lawyers will be appealing the sentence, though Jaourah has admitted to carrying out the murder, and the appeal is more of a formality. The judge said the defendant was "guilty beyond any doubt of undertaking a terrorist action", and said: "You deserve to die for your hideous crime."
Rod Stokes, the victim's father, said: "It feels like closure. We've no strong revenge feelings at all. We take the view that if it was an act of terrorism as they say, and if it's the law of the land that the guy be executed, then that's it."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 22, 2006 6:42 AM
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