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| Car bomb accused 'is a pacifist' | Car bomb accused 'is a pacifist' |
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| An NHS neurologist accused of masterminding a car bomb campaign is a dedicated pacifist, a court has heard. | An NHS neurologist accused of masterminding a car bomb campaign is a dedicated pacifist, a court has heard. |
| Dr Mohammed Asha would not get involved in terrorism "in a million years", his barrister Stephen Kamlish QC said. | Dr Mohammed Asha would not get involved in terrorism "in a million years", his barrister Stephen Kamlish QC said. |
| Dr Asha, 28, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, is accused of providing advice and cash for a plot to detonate car bombs at Glasgow Airport and in London. | Dr Asha, 28, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, is accused of providing advice and cash for a plot to detonate car bombs at Glasgow Airport and in London. |
| Together with Dr Bilal Abdulla, 29, from Paisley, he denies conspiracies to murder and to cause explosions. | Together with Dr Bilal Abdulla, 29, from Paisley, he denies conspiracies to murder and to cause explosions. |
| Dr Abdulla was the passenger in a Jeep, driven by engineering student Kafeel Ahmed, 28, which crashed into a terminal building at the airport in June last year. | |
| The car was laden with petrol and gas canisters and Ahmed later died from burns sustained during the incident. | The car was laden with petrol and gas canisters and Ahmed later died from burns sustained during the incident. |
| Opening Dr Asha's defence, Mr Kamlish said his client was a completely different man to Dr Abdulla, who has admitted trying to scare people through the attempted bombings but denies any attempts to harm. | Opening Dr Asha's defence, Mr Kamlish said his client was a completely different man to Dr Abdulla, who has admitted trying to scare people through the attempted bombings but denies any attempts to harm. |
| Mr Kamlish told Woolwich Crown Court that Dr Asha was a professional, academic and peaceful man who had dedicated his life to medicine. | |
| He said: "This is the man you are trying, he is a pacifist, he is a decent man and he is a man dedicated in an extreme way. | He said: "This is the man you are trying, he is a pacifist, he is a decent man and he is a man dedicated in an extreme way. |
| "There is the irony, Bilal Abdulla, an extremist, describes Mohammed Asha's dedication to medicine as extreme, and that is why he is not guilty." | "There is the irony, Bilal Abdulla, an extremist, describes Mohammed Asha's dedication to medicine as extreme, and that is why he is not guilty." |
| Mr Kamlish described the prosecution case against his client as "pure speculation" and said there was no evidence pointing to his guilt. | Mr Kamlish described the prosecution case against his client as "pure speculation" and said there was no evidence pointing to his guilt. |