This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/07/would-be-terrorists-edl-court
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Six would-be terrorists were responding to EDL provocation, court hears | Six would-be terrorists were responding to EDL provocation, court hears |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The six would-be terrorists who planned to attack a far-right demonstration using knives, machetes and a homemade bomb were reacting to violence and intimidation aimed at provoking the UK's Muslim population, a court has heard. | The six would-be terrorists who planned to attack a far-right demonstration using knives, machetes and a homemade bomb were reacting to violence and intimidation aimed at provoking the UK's Muslim population, a court has heard. |
| In mitigation, Joel Bennathan QC, defending, said the six men, who have already pleaded guilty to plotting an attack on an English Defence League (EDL) demonstration in Dewsbury last year, were amateurish and "hopelessly incompetent". | In mitigation, Joel Bennathan QC, defending, said the six men, who have already pleaded guilty to plotting an attack on an English Defence League (EDL) demonstration in Dewsbury last year, were amateurish and "hopelessly incompetent". |
| He told the Old Bailey on Friday that although the "great bulk" of the Muslim community had the sense to ignore the activities of the EDL, this group – who were "not particularly intellectual" – reacted to a series of EDL demonstrations targeting Muslim areas that were provocative, insulting and intimidating. | He told the Old Bailey on Friday that although the "great bulk" of the Muslim community had the sense to ignore the activities of the EDL, this group – who were "not particularly intellectual" – reacted to a series of EDL demonstrations targeting Muslim areas that were provocative, insulting and intimidating. |
| "This is an undoubtedly domestic bit of planned violence with young British men reacting to these calculated insults of another group of young men," said Bennathan. | "This is an undoubtedly domestic bit of planned violence with young British men reacting to these calculated insults of another group of young men," said Bennathan. |
| Omar Khan, 28, Mohammed Saud, 23, Jewel Uddin, 27, Zohaib Ahmed, 22, and Anzal Hussain, 25, pleaded guilty at Woolwich crown court to engaging in preparation for acts of terrorism. A sixth man, Mohammed Hasseen, 23, pleaded guilty to the same offence and possessing a document likely to be of use to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism. | Omar Khan, 28, Mohammed Saud, 23, Jewel Uddin, 27, Zohaib Ahmed, 22, and Anzal Hussain, 25, pleaded guilty at Woolwich crown court to engaging in preparation for acts of terrorism. A sixth man, Mohammed Hasseen, 23, pleaded guilty to the same offence and possessing a document likely to be of use to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism. |
| All the defendants, except Hasseen, had travelled in two cars from Birmingham to Dewsbury on the afternoon of 30 June with an arsenal of weapons hidden in holdalls in the boot of one of the cars. | All the defendants, except Hasseen, had travelled in two cars from Birmingham to Dewsbury on the afternoon of 30 June with an arsenal of weapons hidden in holdalls in the boot of one of the cars. |
| They also had 10 A4 printouts of a document addressed to David Cameron and the Queen that set out in chilling terms their determination to take revenge on the "enemies of Allah" – the "English Drunkards League". | They also had 10 A4 printouts of a document addressed to David Cameron and the Queen that set out in chilling terms their determination to take revenge on the "enemies of Allah" – the "English Drunkards League". |
| It stated: "We love death more than you love life … What we did today was a direct retaliation of your insulting of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) & also in retaliation of your crusade against Islam/Muslims on a global scale. It is of the greatest honour for us to do what we did." | It stated: "We love death more than you love life … What we did today was a direct retaliation of your insulting of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) & also in retaliation of your crusade against Islam/Muslims on a global scale. It is of the greatest honour for us to do what we did." |
| The court heard the mission was only abandoned when the group turned up after the EDL demonstration had finished. | The court heard the mission was only abandoned when the group turned up after the EDL demonstration had finished. |
| Earlier the court heard that the planned attack would have led "to a tit-for-tat spiral of violence and terror" that would have reverberated around the country if it had gone ahead. | Earlier the court heard that the planned attack would have led "to a tit-for-tat spiral of violence and terror" that would have reverberated around the country if it had gone ahead. |
| Prosecutors said all six men were ideologically committed to radical Islam, and had planned "to execute a terrible vengeance on the English Defence League for what they perceived to be the EDL's recent blasphemous words and actions against the Prophet Mohammed and Islam". | |
| The EDL leader, Tommy Robinson, and his deputy, Kevin Carroll, watched the beginning of the hearing from the public gallery of the court. | |
| As mitigation began in the sentencing of the six men, Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC was given a disc containing video clips of EDL members shouting: "Allah, Allah, who the fuck is Allah?", claiming that the prophet Mohammed was a paedophile and chanting about burning down mosques. | |
| Bennathan said the attack, if it had been successful, would have had a very grave impact on community relations "because any attempted violence against the EDL would have led not to Muslim young men who want to physically engage being retaliated against, but mosques, women and children being attacked in supposed retaliation for this". | |
| Defence counsel said the provocation of the EDL should be seen in the same terms as the attacks on the Jewish community in the 1930s, the Irish community in the 1970s and against the black community in the 1980s. | |
| Danny Friedman, QC for Hasseen, said: "Young men reach to ideology to explain away the fear and loathing about their communities being attacked." | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox every weekday. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox every weekday. |