Radical Muslim jailed for calling for jihad against MPs

Judge describes Bilal Zaheer Ahmad as a viper in our midst before jailing him for 12 years for threats on websites.


Bilal Zaheer Ahmad posted his online threats the day after Stephen Timms?s attacker was jailed for life. Photograph: West Midlands Police/PA

An IT graduate who wrote messages on an Islamic extremist website calling on Muslims to "raise the knife of jihad" and attack and kill British MPs who voted in favour of the war in Iraq has been jailed for 12 years.

Bilal Zaheer Ahmad, 24, posted the threats on the US-based RevolutionMuslim.com website with a full list of all MPs who had voted in the House of Commons in favour of the war and links providing personal contact details.

He called on them to emulate Roshonara Choudhry, who had attempted to murder the Labour MP Stephen Timms with a knife at his East Ham constituency surgery six months previously, Bristol crown court heard.

Ahmad, who worked for an insurance company in Telford, Shropshire, also posted a link to the Tesco website listing cheap knives, urging would-be fanatics to use them to carry out attacks.

Jailing him for 12 years, with an additional five years' extended period on licence, Mr Justice Royce said: "You became a viper in our midst willing to go as far as possible to strike at the heart of our system."

Ahmad, who holds British and Pakistani passports, had purported to be a British citizen, said Royce. "But what you stand for is totally alien to what we stand for in our country." He added that his views were "corrosively dangerous".

"It's important MPs can hold constituency surgeries without the threat of someone pulling out a knife and trying to kill them. You were intent on striking at the heart of our democracy and if our politicians are to be at risk from those like you, then the message must go out loud and clear that this country will not tolerate such threats to its democratic processes."

Ahmad posted his threat on 3 November, the day after Choudhry, a 21-year-old university student, was jailed for life for the knife attack on Timms in May last year. She stabbed him twice with a six-inch knife, damaging his liver and perforating his stomach. She later said she had been influenced by the radical sermons of Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemen-based preacher and al-Qaida leader.

Police arrested Ahmad, at the time living in Dunstall, Wolverhampton, on 10 November. He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to soliciting murder, publishing written material with intent to stir up religious hatred and three counts under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which covers collecting information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Mark Dennis QC, prosecuting, said as well as providing the list of MPs he advised "that the best place to 'encounter them in person' was at their constituency surgery". He attached a link to The book of Jihad, a source of inspiration for Choudhry, calling for a renewed attack upon Timms and the "destruction" of not only the MP but also the judge who sentenced Choudhry.

The website was an established source of information for Muslims holding extreme views and those who wanted to carry our their threats, added Dennis.

The day before Choudhry was sentenced Ahmad posted on Facebook: "This sister has put us men to shame. WE SHOULD BE DOING THIS."

On arrest, Ahmad confessed responsibility for the posting. He said: "I shouldn't have let my emotions get away from me. It was completely irrational. It was tongue in cheek, I'm not in a cell or anything like that."

Dennis said: "He claimed that he had never intended to incite anyone to injure anyone else."

Ahmad, now of Wollaton, Nottingham, was born in Warwickshire and studied for A-levels at Wolverhampton College. He became radicalised as a teenager and was an active contributor to RevolutionMuslim, Islam4UK and IslamicAwakening websites. He graduated from the University of Central England with a 2:2 degree in business information technology and worked for a year as a junior development analyst at the Dorset County hospital in Dorchester.

The court heard he had also posted on Facebook a link to YouTube where he recorded a video saying: "My message to the West. You are all going to die." He was in possession of electronic copies of books called 39 ways to serve and participate in jihad and Zaad-e-Mujahid: Essential provisions of a mujahadid as well as a magazine, Inspire, which instructs English-speaking young Muslims in how to train and organise violent jihad at home.

Imran Khan, defending, said Ahmad had fallen in with members of al-Muhajiroun when aged 16 at college because he felt excluded from mainstream society. His growing interest in Islam had been at odds with the non-religious upbringing of his parents.

"During the period that someone has been indoctrinated they lose the ability to know right from wrong. It was wrong, it was perverted and it's one he now absolves himself from completely. He was a follower and not a leader," said Khan.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/29/radical-muslim-bilal-ahmad-jailed


We're sadly all too aware of the potential consequences of the actions of extremists

Extremists of any kind, religious or political can be very dangerous. The internet can be a wonderful source of endless information and gives you the ability to reach large numbers of individuals worldwide. When it is misused it can have devastating effects

In cases like this I'd be more than happy to deport them to wherever is available. Failing that, a human shield for our troops, or just drop him in the ocean- don't worry, Allah will protect him

12 years is actually tough though thesedays, so glad to see we are making a stance against religious hate for once- notably though, when our political elite are the targets.

eilzel wrote:In cases like this I'd be more than happy to deport them to wherever is available. Failing that, a human shield for our troops, or just drop him in the ocean- don't worry, Allah will protect him

12 years is actually tough though thesedays, so glad to see we are making a stance against religious hate for once- notably though, when our political elite are the targets.

Hi Eilzel, I see your darker side is coming out

I think he'll be in for a rough time in prison but bearing in mind the potential consequences of his actions I have little sympathy

Feelthelove wrote:

Hi Eilzel, I see your darker side is coming out

I think he'll be in for a rough time in prison but bearing in mind the potential consequences of his actions I have little sympathy

Somedays I have a very short fuse FtL; I've been having those days for about two weeks now

I mean it though, in light of recent events we need to clamp down on this kind of nonesense immediatley, from the extreme Right, Islamists or wherever else it may come from.

eilzel wrote:

Somedays I have a very short fuse FtL; I've been having those days for about two weeks now

I mean it though, in light of recent events we need to clamp down on this kind of nonesense immediatley, from the extreme Right, Islamists or wherever else it may come from.

Me too at times Eilzel. Hope you're ok x

Well, there are two examples here from either end of the spectrum which show just exactly how dangerous extremism can be

If the loony left had not been so obsessed with creating a multicultural hell hole in what used to be Britain and had not encouraged the mass infestation of our country by scum like Ahmad, we would not have this serious terrorist and criminal problem. So put the blame squarely where it should be, at the door of the limp wristed, anti British cowards of the loony left.

fred bloggs wrote:If the loony left had not been so obsessed with creating a multicultural hell hole in what used to be Britain and had not encouraged the mass infestation of our country by scum like Ahmad, we would not have this serious terrorist and criminal problem. So put the blame squarely where it should be, at the door of the limp wristed, anti British cowards of the loony left.

NO!

The blame lies with hateful twisted RW extremists who think to get their own way they should be allowed to go round shooting people to death. Already many, including that moronic thug Lennon of the EDL, has suggested such an attack here in as little as 5 years. Do we give these people what they want an expel all muslims? Do we reward threats of terrorism by heeding to the demands of a rioting tiny minority?

You might be for appeasing extremism and blaming everyone but the perpetrators when it comes from a camp you support fred but I and most others are not.

He was jailed for "soliciting murder" apparently. Funny how the article didn't even mention that. The Metro has done a more detailed piece.

The 24-year-old from Wolverhampton used Revolutionmuslim.com's messageboard to call for 'the knife of jihad' to be raised against almost 400 MPs.
An online extremist is starting a 12-year prison term An online extremist is starting a 12-year prison term

He urged readers of the radical website to follow the example of Roshonara Choudhry, who stabbed Labour MP Stephen Timms at a surgery in his constituency.

Ahmad's posting was accompanied by advice on how to find out when MPs who had backed the invasion of Iraq were holding meetings and a link to a website selling knives.

West Midlands Police carried out a full investigation into Ahmad's online activities following his arrest and he was subsequently charged with soliciting to murder and three counts of collecting information likely to be of use to terrorists.

He was also charged with intent to stir up religious hatred against Hindus, in relation to another messageboard posting.

Ahmad pleaded guilty to all charges last month and at a hearing at Bristol Crown Court today, was jailed for 12 years.

Mr Justice Royce described Ahmad's opinions as 'corrosively dangerous' and told him: 'Whatever our views on the Iraq war, we are a democracy. You purport to be a British citizen but what you stand for is totally alien to what we stand for in our country.

'You became a viper in our midst willing to go as far as possible to strike at the heart of our system.'

Detective Chief Superintendent Kenny Bell, head of West Midlands Police's Counter Terrorism Unit, revealed his team had help from security services in the UK and US to build their case against the 'serial online extremist'.

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/870850-online-extremist-bilal-zaheer-ahmad-jailed-for-soliciting-murder-of-mps#ixzz1Ta5NxoS7

Why would he be tried in Bristol and not the West Midlands though?

eilzel wrote:

NO!

The blame lies with hateful twisted RW extremists who think to get their own way they should be allowed to go round shooting people to death. Already many, including that moronic thug Lennon of the EDL, has suggested such an attack here in as little as 5 years. Do we give these people what they want an expel all muslims? Do we reward threats of terrorism by heeding to the demands of a rioting tiny minority?

You might be for appeasing extremism and blaming everyone but the perpetrators when it comes from a camp you support fred but I and most others are not.

Grasping at straws again Eilzel !. You well know that I have no time for terrorists and murderers, no matter from which side of the political divide they come, you just cannot come to terms with any poster critical of the loony left's supportive stance on mass uncontrolled immigration and the ruination of the British way of life. So get a life and look outward and see that there is a big world out there away from the narrow confines of the loony left guardian.

fred bloggs wrote:



Grasping at straws again Eilzel !. You well know that I have no time for terrorists and murderers, no matter from which side of the political divide they come, you just cannot come to terms with any poster critical of the loony left's supportive stance on mass uncontrolled immigration and the ruination of the British way of life. So get a life and look outward and see that there is a big world out there away from the narrow confines of the loony left guardian.

You're waffling now fred, none of that is relevant. My life is great, but if you talk **** I will address that here.

You are trying to cast off anger at a mass murdering right wing retard by boring on about immigration. Good for you, after all, wasn't your kids being shot up in Oslo was it. Just go about you merry little way until something begins to effect you and your ignorant little self

eilzel wrote:


You're waffling now fred, none of that is relevant. My life is great, but if you talk **** I will address that here.

You are trying to cast off anger at a mass murdering right wing retard by boring on about immigration. Good for you, after all, wasn't your kids being shot up in Oslo was it. Just go about you merry little way until something begins to effect you and your ignorant little self

Have we all noticed how often this poster, when he is truly out of his depth, comes off the topic of the thread and instead resorts to personal abuse. Something to do with lack of intellect, I suppose. Still we must make allowance for the disadvantaged.

fred bloggs wrote:If the loony left had not been so obsessed with creating a multicultural hell hole in what used to be Britain and had not encouraged the mass infestation of our country by scum like Ahmad, we would not have this serious terrorist and criminal problem. So put the blame squarely where it should be, at the door of the limp wristed, anti British cowards of the loony left.

Mass immigration has been a major issue all across Europe and not just the UK. Australia too has had a fair amount of immigration and new stricter guidelines on immigration has got them in trouble for being so-called racist.

I doubt whether the undemocratic policy of allowing huge numbers of peoples from a different culture and ideology had much to do with British politics. More and more of how countries govern themselves is slowly being given over to pressure from an international mindset it seems.

I mean look at Italy attempting to defend it's homogeneity. Italy being staunchly Catholic objects to homosexuality and many Italians I have met are openly racist to North African immigrants yet the International Community is pressurizing them to concede.

Cases of openly inciting murder have become more prevalent I think every since Choudary began barracking our returning soldiers from Iraq and received little or no criticism from the establishment. Since then there have been cases of poppy burning with little or no comeback either.

Meanwhile on the other side small minded nutters have been flushed out by this obvious hypocrisy and a fair few English lads have found themselves breaking the law and facing what sometimes is perceived as unfair punishment. I recall some dimwit sticking flyers up saying Sharia Law, blah blah, get out etc and was sent to jail.

But fast forward a few years and we have young women being bullied in Tower Hamlets for NOT wearing Islamic headwear, religious teachers being beaten almost to death by Islamic extremists upset at him teaching the National Curriculum to young Muslim girls, and now Sharia Law leaflets FORBIDDING stuff which are legal here in Britain - Pornography, Alcohol, Gambling and Free Mixing of the Sexes.

Britain historically does not DO terrorism. We have had countless uprisings but a guy plants a cowardly bomb under Parliament and he is derided and despised for centuries. Other people who have stood up to be counted are remembered and revered.

I predict that we will trundle on for a few years and each side will produce small minded, ineffective terrorist types who will be jailed. They will most likely as many extreme jihadists as there are British guys.

Who knows what the future holds but as the cuts kick in our society has become more volatile it seems. Thousands of people previously "on the sick" are now kicked off and are now on a much reduced lifestyle. Who knows how long the huge underclass will put up with this before grudgingly they decide to return to the workforce? But when they do these jobs will have to be wrested away from the immigrants who hold them. I don't see these guys using bombs and scary internet blogging against a local factory employing purely immigrant labour. Isn't the British way now is it?

People regularly trot out figures of 2.5 million Muslims living in Britain and countless thousands of Eastern Europeans arriving here to do the many factory jobs.

Nobody, the Guardian nor the RW press, ever address the 8 million inactive Brits in this country or the huge numbers of WWC whose lifestyles have been squeezed and squeezed over the last few years.

Glad this evil twisted idiot has been locked away.

Though am interested what ill happen to this EDL member, who threatened George Galloway?
Not that I like the man or anything, but is this not the same?

A DEATH threat to George Galloway is being investigated by police in London.

Mr Galloway asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate after a threat was posted online by a member of the far-right English Defence League (EDL).

He contacted the police at Streatham near his south London home after a senior EDL member Daryl Hobson, who has boasted of the group’s links with Norwegian killer Anders Breivik, posted a message reading “Kill George Galloway” on his own Facebook page.

Mr Hobson, who organises EDL demonstrations, encouraged others to add comments. One claimed he would kill the controversial former MP.

Mr Galloway said: “This is a clear incitement to murder me and I have passed on, through my lawyer, my complaint to the Metropolitan Police. Hobson admits that the crypto-fascist EDL have had extensive links with Breivik so I would be mad not to take this threat seriously.

“I have, in the past, been attacked at a meeting by EDL thugs. But they will not silence me or anyone else campaigning against their vile, violent, racist methods.”

Officers from Streatham Police office visited Mr Galloway’s home yesterday and have arranged to interview him today.

A Met spokesman confirmed that officers were investigating the internet threat.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/news/home-news/police-to-probe-facebook-death-threat-to-galloway-1.1114395

Well, I am very glad that Ahmad was put away, and I think it should have been for longer. Extremists from both side are a blight on our society, so I hope the idiot EDL bloke who threatened Galloway is jailed as well. Whether we agree with him or not (Galloway) is not the point, if the EDL bloke threatened him he was doing exactly the same as Ahmad.

fred bloggs wrote:


Have we all noticed how often this poster, when he is truly out of his depth, comes off the topic of the thread and instead resorts to personal abuse. Something to do with lack of intellect, I suppose. Still we must make allowance for the disadvantaged.

You forget though Fred, that anyone who's not happy with having multiculturalism forced on them against their will, is just supposed to shrug their shoulders and smile sweetly and just swallow anything that the Left does to either them, their Culture or their Country, as the Left always know what's best for us, don't they and not us "horrible Nazi's"!