Jihadis jailed for spreading speeches by hate preacher who inspired terrorists including London Bridge attacker

From The Rochdale News and The Independent via Yahoo News

Counter Terrorism Police in both the North West and North East, along with the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command (CTC), worked together to disrupt an Islamist propaganda website for Daesh supporters by bringing to justice two of its main administrators and contributors: 31-year-old Muhammad Abdur Raheem Kamali, of Rochdale, and 38-year-old Mohammed Abdul Ahad, of London.

During a six-week trial, the court heard how Kamali and Ahad recorded religious speeches made by Islamic hate preacher Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal. El-Faisal was previously convicted for terrorism-related offences in 2003.

The pair would type, edit and prepare the speeches so that they could be uploaded to the website – a significant number of these speeches glorified terrorist organisations including Al-Qaeda and Daesh, and encouraged support for acts of terrorism.

Isis in Syria, but The Independent has confirmed the website remains online.” data-reactid=”18″ type=”text”>Police said the material promoted terrorism and encouraged people to join Isis in Syria, but The Independent has confirmed the website remains online.

It claims Muslims must “hate disbelievers” and “fight them,” while urging followers to spread their beliefs and contact others of the same faith in British prisons.

Sheikh Faisal’s followers included two of the 7 July 2005 bombers, a terrorist jailed for conspiring with the 9/11 hijackers and shoe bomber Richard Reid. London Bridge attacker Usman Khan had his phone number when he was arrested over the London Stock Exchange bomb plot in 2010, and Streatham knifeman Sudesh Amman is believed to have used his teachings, The Times reported. Mohissunnath Chowdhury, who launched a sword attack on police outside Buckingham Palace in 2017 and planned more attacks after being freed from prison, also cited Sheikh Faisal as an inspiration.

Following this, the pair were simultaneously arrested in Rochdale and London on suspicion of terrorism offences and brought into custody. Officers searched their addresses and seized a number of digital media devices, evidence from which confirmed that Kamali had been the website’s lead administrator and owner since 2011. Both suspects were subsequently bailed for enquiries to continue.

Muhammad Abdur Kamali, 31, of Rochdale was found guilty of four counts of section 2 terrorism act (dissemination of terrorist publications) and on Friday 7 February 2020 he was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

Mohammed Abdul Ahad was also sentenced to four and a half years in prison after previously being found guilty of four counts of section 2 terrorism act (dissemination of terrorist publications) and one count of section 58 terrorism act (possession of a document or record likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism).

L-R: Muhammad Abdur Raheem Kamali, of Rochdale and Mohammed Abdul Ahad, of London

Both men were handed an extended licence period and a court order meaning they will have to notify police of changes to their circumstances for 10 years after they are released from prison.

Commander Richard Smith, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, called the pair “online publishers of toxic ideologies which promoted terrorism and encouraged its readership to join Isis in Syria”.