- Killer is my pupil, says Choudary
- But cops refuse to nick him
Hate disciple ... staring Adebolajo listens as Choudary rants into mic at demo in Paddington in 2007
HATE cleric Anjem Choudary yesterday admitted the Woolwich butcher was one of his disciples — and praised his “impeccable character”.
Bile-spewing Choudary acknowledged he helped turn Michael Adebolajo to extremism and that the machete monster was only “making his voice heard in blood”.
The preacher — still free as a bird despite brazenly inspiring terrorists for a DECADE — claimed he did not “condone” the attack that left soldier Lee Rigby dead.
But he insisted Adebolajo, who by chance went to the same primary school as him years apart, was “a very nice man”.
He spoke as a photo emerged of staring-eyed Adebolajo listening intently to every word at one of Choudary’s anger-fuelled demos.
It showed Adebolajo, dressed in Muslim attire, deep in thought as Choudary ranted into a microphone outside Paddington Green police station, West London in 2007.
Adebolajo, then aged just 20, was among a crowd who called then-PM Tony Blair “a terrorist”.
The pair first met at a mosque in 2003, after Adebolajo had already converted to Islam.
Choudary said of Wednesday’s atrocity by Adebolajo and fellow fanatic Michael Oluwatobi Adebowale: “What he did was unusual and it’s not the view I propagate but those views are out there.
“Some members of the Muslim community struggle to express themselves and he is making his voice heard in blood.”
His comments come three months after The Sun secretly filmed Choudary, who is a British citizen, teaching extremists to “rise up” against non-believers.
We caught the father of four, who The Sun revealed has claimed £25,000 a year in welfare, urging fanatics not to ignore “jihad and fighting”, and labelling David Cameron the devil.
It was just the latest example of Choudary being at the centre of terror plots — leading experts to demand why police are guilty of “a gross derogation of duty” by turning a blind eye towards him.
The Sun handed cops a detailed dossier of Choudary’s terrorist training methods after publication of our expose on February 17. We met detectives at their request on March 6 and handed over reams of paperwork and DVDs of secret recordings of the preacher’s rants.
On March 26 Thames Valley Police-based officers announced they would mount no case — saying the material we provided “fell below an evidential threshold”.
Poster ... buy today's Sun newspaper to show your support for our troops
The decision was met with howls of derision by commentators and members of the public. Last night The Sun asked Choudary outright if he had brainwashed Adebolajo.
He said: “With radicalisation, if you are talking about someone rejecting British policy, the difference between good and evil, the right for Muslims to defend themselves, I have no problem with that. If you call that radical, then yes.”
When we asked if he felt responsible for the soldier’s death, he bristled and said: “I feel responsible for my own actions.” He then abruptly ended our conversation, saying: “I think you’ve got the wrong person.”
Choudary and jailed terrorist cleric Omar Bakri Muhammad formed the group al-Muhajiroun, which organised anti-Western demonstrations before it was banned.
Only last month a group of his followers, led by convert Richard Dart, was jailed for planning to attack soldiers in Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire.
Choudary admitted he had converted Dorset-based Dart in 2010 and bragged: “Everything he knew, he studied with me.
“He attended one of my lectures in London to find out about Islam and then he attended everything we had.”
Dart, Imran Mahmood and Jahangir Alom — who was also schooled in extremism by Choudary — were jailed for a total of more than 20 years for terrorist involvement.
Choudary dismissed their guilty pleas by saying: “It was just talk. People say these things all the time, it doesn’t mean they are going to do it.”
But his claims that he does not “condone” violence have been disproved time and again.
As long ago as the wake of 9/11 his group boasted of sending “hundreds” of men into Afghanistan to fight British and American forces.
Choudary also acted as a mentor to his close friend Abdul Rehman Saleem, jailed for inciting racial hatred in 2006.
In 2008 another six of his followers — Shah Hussain, Abdullah Hassan, Abdul Saleem, Simon Keeler, Abdul Muhid, and Omar Brooks — were all convicted of inciting terrorism and terrorist fund-raising.
And only this week he sparked revulsion by declaring the tornado which hit Oklahoma was Allah’s revenge on America for “suppressing” Muslims.
Help our wounded
YOU can make a donation to Help for Heroes online at www.helpforheroes.org.uk or by calling 01725 514130.
You can also give £5 by texting “HERO” to 70900, or send a cheque or postal order to Help for Heroes Donations, 14 Parkers Close, Downton, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 3RB.
myView
By Shiraz Maher, Radicalisation expert
JUST how many more terrorist plots does Anjem Choudary have to be associated with before the police decide it is time to jail him?
He’s brazenly inspired terrorists for more than a decade — one of the men involved in Wednesday’s attack was a regular at his lectures.
When you constantly prime people with hatred, it is only a matter of time before some decide they are going to take the extra step.
Choudary is sometimes thought of as being harmless because of his megaphone style.
Yes, he shouts and says stupid things, but as The Sun’s investigations show, he’s much more than a loudmouth. He’s cropped up on the edge of countless terror attacks.
Every minute he’s free is an affront to Britain’s traditions. Our values mean we believe in justice — and it’s clear Choudary has overstepped the mark.
Any official in public office who does not now pay him serious attention is guilty of a gross derogation of duty. Now is their moment to step up and make sure this truly dangerous man is sent to prison.
Spooks videod terrorist at rallies
By STEPHEN MOYES
SECURITY services were aware of Michael Adebolajo after filming him at Anjem Choudary’s demos.
The maniac was clocked at a protest in Paddington, West London, in 2007 and M15 and cops kept up surveillance on the pair afterwards.
A source said: “Choudary’s public appearances are regularly videoed by police and spooks. Adebolajo was in one of the audiences and that is how he was flagged up.”
Fanatics ... clash with cops at Old Bailey demo attended by Adebolajo
He was also among a group of 50 fanatics who clashed with police outside the Old Bailey in 2006, as Islamic activist Mizanur Rahman faced trial for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred.
And last night exiled hate preacher Omar Bakri told The Sun he too knew Adebolajo — and declared: “What he did was brave.”
Bakri, who quit the UK after the July 7 bombings in 2005 and is banned from returning, said he believed he had attended Woolwich mosque with Adebolajo.
Speaking from Beirut, Bakri said: “From the footage I have seen I do recognise this man from my time at the mosque.
“I am not justifying what he did but it was very brave and showed courage.
“He made his reasons clear. His motives were to help his Muslim brothers and sisters in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Bakri, Choudary and hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza shared a platform at a Muslim rally in London in 2002.
Choudary campaigned for Hamza’s release from jail here and against his extradition to the US. Hamza, 54, faces 11 terror charges in America.
A source said: “Choudary and Hamza were never part of the same radical group, but they support each other.”
CHOUDARY defiantly refused to say he was horrified by the atrocity as he spoke on BBC2’s Newsnight last night.
Asked if he “abhorred” it, he said Adebolajo’s rant on film after the killing explained his actions. The hate cleric said: “It was a shocking scene — but what he said in the clip, not many Muslims can disagree with because he was talking about British foreign policy.”
He then made wild claims about our forces abroad, saying: “One man killed does not equate to hundreds of thousands of millions slaughtered by the British and Americans.”
No comments:
Post a Comment