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April 24, 2007
UK: Islamist Izzadeen Among Six Arrested
News from the Telegraph, Times, Guardian, Channel 4 News, Birmingham Post, Kuwaiti News Agency, AFP, Associated Press and the Herald:
Six people were arrested this morning in dawn raids upon properties in east London, Southall and Luton in Bedfordshire. Abu Izzadeen, the notorious Islamist connected with the Saved/Saviour Sect and Al Ghurabaa, was among those arrested.
Izzadeen, who was born as Trevor Brooks in Hackney, before converting to Islam in 1994, the day before his 18th birthday. He changed his first name to "Omar", and then changed his entire name to Abu Izzadeen. He was involved with Al-Muhajiron, the Islamist group founded by Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed. A biography of Izzadeen can be found in two parts HERE and HERE.
The arrests today were made under the terms of section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006, and all six individuals are said to be held at top-security Paddington Green police station for questioning. A police spokesman said: "The arrests form part of a long-term pro-active and complex investigation into alleged incitement and radicalization for the purposes of terrorism, as well as alleged provision of financial support for international terrorism."
The incitement refers to comments which Izzadeen made at Regents Park Mosque in 2004, which were revealed in a video presented by ITV News on February 5 this year. On this video, Izzadeen said: "Whoever allies himself with the Kaffirs (non-believers) against the believers - he is one of them. So those so-called enemies to Allah who join the British Government - 'cos remember the British Government, my dear Muslim brothers, are crusaders... crusaders come to kill and rape Muslims. Whoever joins them - he who joins the British Army, the American Army, he is a mortal kaffir and his only hukum (punishment) is for his head to be removed. Indeed, whoever changes his deen (Muslim code of life); kill him."
Izzaden was arrested on February 8 under Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006. The arrest in February was connected with a statements he made at Small Heath Community Center in Birmingham on Sunday July 2, 2006, shortly before the first anniversary of the 7/7 terror attacks against London Transport, which killed 52 people.
This is the entire statement for which he was questioned (and balied after a short detention) in February, which I transcribed from a video circulated on the internet:
"Mr Mohammed Sidique Khan left us a will saying exactly why he took these operations up. He said 'Until we feel security, you will be our targets." And you - the journalists - you will be the targets. Yeah... and you the journalists - you will be the targets. Are you prepared to die? No you're not. Because you're cowards. You like life."
"I'm quite firm on this issue. Because I remember there was one Japanese, or South Korean, he came to Iraq, and when he was captured by the 'terrorists' - we don't support terrorism - what did he say? Did he have a stiff upper lip? Was he praying? He said (Izzadeen's voice imitates a whining child) "I don't want to die". (The audience laughs). Do you remember that? It was a very heart-wrenching time. Until you saw the bombings, the gassing, imprisonment and torture, of my people. My people - what does that mean? It's all about the global mentality. Someone who believes 'I'm a Muslim' first, last. I know as timely apportions (?), there have been many epitaphs, speeches and sermons, and then your archbishop of somewhere-or-other's going to come out and say 'Yeah, vote for peace around the world, blah, blah, blah.' But I think it's time to read Mohammed Sidique Khan's will, you'll see the answer to our problems."
"Because these people are making clear statements. 'If you stop, you'll be saved. If you don't stop, we're going to kill you - indiscriminately.' We're talking about people who like to die, the way you like to live. Do you know what that means? For the journalists especially. Friday night, and you've been working the whole week, and you're going to be spending all your money on the booze - Friday night is a poofs' night out. Kuffar go out on a Friday - they go to the pubs, they go to clubs, they drink, they vomit, they lose all their sanity, that's their life. And you love that!"
"They're like the animals, (he says something in Arabic) but they're worse! An animal never does that. Only kuffar do that. And, of course, we must declare, that we do not support terrorism. I don't support terrorism. I condemn the terrorism of the British government. I condemn the terrorism of the USA! Every single day, the biggest terrorist in the world is George W. Bush, and his sidekick haman (bath attendant) Tony Blair. I say (he says something in Arabic) I curse them. That's right."
"Bin Laden - he offered, before 7/7, by a few months - he made a statement where he offered to the European public - he never (made it) just (to) the governments - of sua, or gunda excuse me - the offer (of) gunda - the 'truce'. He offered to you, Madam, non-Muslim, and you sir, non-Muslim, and offered to you... The rest of us are Muslims so he knows what we want anyway - he gave it to you... Offer.. of.. truce. And did you respond, Madam? Did you respond sir? No. Therefore you're to blame as well."
"Let's talk about 9/11. They said - 9/11, 3,000 killed. Unfortunately they said it that day on the news - (word unclear) - 'That was the day that changed people's lives... Especially those inside the tower. (laughter). There was one woman - a black woman - you remember in 9/11 - she came out of the smoke and she's crying. (people laugh). I gonna cry - it's so touching, honestly. (more laughter). She came out, and she said - she's covered in sight, in sight, dust, smoke, and she goes: (his voice goes high) 'I was here the last time as well.' (more laughter) It's not a lie... It's so... so touching honestly."
"Look to Spain - example of what happened in Spain. The Spanish, too, they were part and parcel of the 'war on terror'. And the then prime minister - who sided with his ally in the White House - George W. Bush - to (unclear) the Muslims. And what did the Mujahideen do? And I say Mujahideen - obviously the word is terrorists - terrorists (unclear) anyway - the terrorists, what did they do? They decided to.. attack. In the heart of Madrid, the capital of Spain, with all the security, with all the CCTV cameras, with all the awareness about terrorism, didn't help in the end. You cannot stop someone who's determined to die. But more importantly, to take you with him."
"An Israeli soldier, he had dual citizenship, he was a French national. In the Israeli army there are numerous people, from around the world. Therefore, is France not also at risk from the terrorists? Not according to me - but if you apply the formula - I can see maybe France, could be Paris, the Eiffel Tower, who knows? It's a reality, something to be considered. I know I like to joke a lot, but if you think about it, why not?"
"The Jewish community, outside Palestine, they also have a role to play, in the condemnation of the apartheid pirate state, cancerous state, of Israel. The Jewish community in the UK they need to condemn the terrorism of the Israeli state, vocally, publicly, in the streets (have) demonstrations - boycott Israeli goods, and the Jews themselves, that should be their role. Otherwise, who knows? What could happen? 7/7.." (laughter)
"Because I believe - and it's only my own view - from surveying what's happening around the Muslim worlds (sic) - and it's taking place in the UK over the last year - I believe attacks in the UK are very likely. And I refer, once again to the chief of police who says, once again, 'inevitable", 'can't be stopped'. But I say with a slight footnote - it can be stopped. If we are willing, to stand side by side, and stop the oppression against the Muslims. And stop the occupation of the Muslim lands, stop supporting those type regimes, and maybe then, just then, as bin Laden said, in one of his statements, the offer of truce was there for all of us. If we had risen in the UK and shown that we were against the government, maybe there would have been no 7/7. But the lesson's in your own hands. If you make the effort, I'm sure that those terrorists see that, and won't bomb you again. But if you don't, you have no-one to blame but yourselves."
Izzadeen's associate, former deputy leader of Al-Muhajiroun Anjem Choudary, said: "The Muslim community are subject to a witch hunt and I see this as a continuation of that witch hunt by the Blair regime." He also stated that the six men who were arrested were "very decent, practising Muslims who have raised their voices against the government."
Today, Tony Blair warned that terrorism was still a global threat. He and cabinet colleagues received their first briefing today from Jonathan Evans, who became the new head of MI5 (homeland security/intelligence) this month. He took over from Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller who headed MI5 for five years.
Jonathan Evans is a renowned counter-terrorism expert who cut his teeth on Irish terrorism in the 1908s and 1990s before becoming involved in international terror investigations in 1999.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at April 24, 2007 7:03 PM
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