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January 28, 2007

UK: Muslim Terror School Still Open

On the night of September 1 to 2 2006, fourteen people were arrested in locations in London. Several were taken from a "Chinese halal" restaurant in Borough, southeast London. Among those who were arrested was 42-year old Abu Abdallah, the Islamist who took over as preacher at the notorious Finsbury Park Mosque when Abu Hamza was removed. At least six of the arrested individuals were subsequently charged with being involved with terrorist training or promoting terrorism.

An Islamic school and its grounds in East Sussex were also also searched. This school, the Jemeah Islamiyah, was situated in Marks Cross, Crowborough. The school, formerly a dance school and a convent had only nine registered pupils. It was bought by Muslims in 1992, and began operations as a school in September 2003. The school has also hosted weekend "retreats", and one booking for such a retreat was taken by Abdullah's close associate, Abu Hamza, along with a number of Hamza's followers. The 100-room school, which cost £3 million ($5.7 million) is situated in 54 acres of land.

The imam at the school, Bilal Patel, confirmed that Hamza had been a visitor to the school. Patel states: "When [Hamza] arrived we were immediately concerned about his strange behaviour. He and his followers set up camp in the grounds and they kept themselves to themselves. We had no idea what they were doing, but we were not happy about it."

Individuals at Guantanamo, stated the Observer had claimed that groups of 30 or so followers of Abu Hamza were taught to use AK 47 assault rifles at the school "camp", and were also trained to use a dummy rocket launcher. The Guantanamo testimonies also state that Hamza ran training camps in the picturesque but rugged Brecon Beacons in South Wales, and also in Scotland. ABu Hamza is currently in prison, after being convicted of soliciting to murder on February 7, 2006. When he finishes his jail term, he is expected to be deported to the US to face charges of attempting to set up a >terrorist training camp in Bly, Oregon in 1999.

The local MP, Charles Hendry, said that Hamza had been asked to leave adter staying one week at the school.

The school was set up in September 2003, to provide Islamic education for boys aged 11 to 16. An inspection was made by school auditing body Ofsted in December 2005, when only nine boys were found to be registered. Fees per annum for the school are £900 per pupil ($1,714). The Ofsted report found the Jameah Islameah had a "significant number of major weaknesses. The curriculum is not broad and balanced", and though its standard of education had somewhat improved from earlier visits, it was still "unsatisfactory and prevents pupils making the progress of which they are capable." "Jameah Islameah School does not provide a satisfactory education for its pupils. It has not made sufficient progress towards fulfilling its aims since it was established."

The Sun stated that neighbours in Mark's Cross, where the Jameah Islamiyah school is situated, could hear gunshots coming from the direction of the school.

Days after the arrests, while the school was being searched by police, t=it was reported that the school had been the subject of allegations of abuse. Abdul Jalil Sajid, a former adviser to Tony Blair, said: "There were many allegations of abuse - we found 103 specific problems with the school, including the abuse, so we called for immediate closure. Before the abuse allegations were taken further, the school was closed."

Associated Press via the International Herald Tribune noted that the charity which owned the school was under investigation by the Charities Commission. The spokesman for the Commission, Chris Kiggell, confirmed that there was an investigation underway following the 14 arrests.

The school was registered under the name of a charity called Jameatul-Uloun-al-Islameyah, number 1037827. The charity was registered on May 20, 1994, with its correspondent named as Mt Ahmed Muhammed Hakim , whose address was the Jamead Islamiyah school, and phone number as 0207 735 9635. The charity's aims were "Education/training and religious activities" and the target beneficiaries were the "general public/mankind". None of the charity's accounts for years subsequent to 2004 have been completed.

As seems usual for the Charities Commission, which said it would launch an investigation into Interpal, registered as a terrorist entity by the US Treasury but has not removed Interpal's status, Jameatul-Uloun-al-Islameyah is still on the Charities Commission's lists of active charities.

And today, the Sunday Telegraph reveals that the government of Tony Blair has failed to close down the Jemeah Islamiyah school, despite recommendations from Ofsted.

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) had said after the 14 arrests that Ofsted was due to visit the school as a follow-up to the inspection of 2005 which found poor performance. The DfES said that if improvements had not been made, it would "delete the school from the Register of Independent Schools and shut it down."

The school was visited by Ofsted on November 21, 2006, and was found not to have implemented the recommended changes. The Telegraph states that Ofsted had sent a report to DfES recommending the school be de-registered, but the department has failed to act. None of the official "nine pupils" were present at the school, and the inspector from Ofsted was told that their parents were looking for other places of education. The inspector wrote in he report: "No. This is not a school at present."

David Willetts, shadow education secretary, said: "This is a school that has been raided in an anti-terror operation and that Ofsted has recommended should not be on the register and yet the Government does nothing. How much more serious do things have to get before ministers act?"

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at January 28, 2007 7:02 AM

Comments

Posted by: seeteufel at January 28, 2007 7:18 PM

Posted by: seeteufel at January 28, 2007 7:18 PM

Posted by: bluebell at January 29, 2007 3:23 AM

Posted by: Myrddin Wen at January 29, 2007 11:16 PM

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