Pakistan gunmen kill Christian priest on way home from Mass

Gunmen have killed one Christian priest and wounded another as they were driving home from Sunday Mass in Pakistan’s north-western city of Peshawar, police said.

Father William Siraj, 75, was shot multiple times and died instantly in the ambush in the Gulbahar neighbourhood, while Father Naeem Patrick was treated briefly in hospital for a gunshot wound to the hand, officer Iqbal Shah said.

A third priest in the car was unharmed.

No-one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest on Pakistan’s tiny Christian minority that has been targeted several times by militants in recent years.

Militant violence has seen a broader increase since the Pakistani Taliban ended a ceasefire with the government last month.

A memorial service for Father Siraj will be held on Monday at Peshawar’s All Saint’s Church, which was brutally attacked by militants with bombs and gunfire in 2013.

More than 70 worshippers were killed and 100 wounded.

Police said they were reviewing CCTV footage to locate the attackers, who witnesses said escaped on motorcycles.

Chief minister Mahmood Shah of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province condemned the attack, urging police to find the culprits as soon as possible.

Bishop Humphrey Peter also condemned the killing, saying it aimed to harm interfaith harmony.

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Categories: Christian priest, Father William Siraj, Mass, Pakistan

Ex-soldier Lisa Smith married a member of al Qaida while in Syria, court hears

Former Defence Forces soldier Lisa Smith married a member of al Qaida and stayed in a “bombed-out” house where militia and rebels held meetings when she was in Syria, her trial has heard.

The Co Louth woman, 39, has pleaded not guilty to charges of membership of the illegal organisation, the so-called Islamic State, and of providing funds to benefit the group.

Giving evidence on Thursday, Tanya Joya told the Special Criminal Court that she and her then-husband John Georgealis had met the accused through his Islamic Facebook group We Hear, We Obey.

Ms Joya, originally from London, was born a Muslim and said she had become “radicalised” after the September 11 terror attacks in 2001.

She met Mr Georgealis, a US man who converted to Islam, online and the pair subsequently married, and travelled to numerous Muslim countries.

They met Smith in Turkey in 2013, but crossed the border into Syria when they were unable to find housing due to an influx of refugees into the country.

Ms Joya told the court that Ms Smith was “excited” to be in Syria, and that she had told her she was planning to die there and become a martyr.

She told the court she was initially happy to meet Smith because she “seemed nice” and was able to help her with her four children.

But she said that shortly after Smith arrived in Turkey “it got a bit ugly”.

She said: “She wanted to go to Syria.

“All Muslims felt an obligation to help the rebels, because they were being oppressed.

“They were brainwashed into thinking if you became a martyr you get to go to paradise.

“Who wouldn’t want that?”

Ms Joya said they had respected Smith “because she had training in the army”, and “she wanted to hep the rebels”.

She added: “Lisa Marie wanted to go to Syria.

“She was determined, it was her goal.

“I was opposed to it because I was afraid.

“I didn’t want to go into a war-zone with my kids.”

The court heard that while Ms Joya was fearful about the war, her husband and Smith would “crack jokes about how close we were to Syria”.

She said the trip “wasn’t planned”, but because they were unable to get housing in Turkey they had taken an overnight bus into Syria.

“John promised it was only for a couple of weeks. We stayed in a building that was bombed out, it was owned by a Syrian general,” she said.

Ms Joya said the house had no electricity, the windows had been smashed, there were bullet holes in the walls and that it was “very dirty”.

She added: “It was where the militia, the rebels had meetings.

“People entering the country would stay there.”

She said they had stayed there for one week, before they went to stay “with a really fanatical Syrian women” at another location.

It was here that Smith met a Tunisian man named Ahmed, a member of al Qaida, who she wanted to marry.

Ms Joya told the court that she had advised Smith to marry for her own protection.

However, she said she was opposed to her marrying Ahmed because they did not know each other or speak the same language.

“I didn’t like it that Lisa Marie wanted to marry Ahmed.

“I thought it was batsh*t crazy” she said.

She said of Smith that “everyone loved her”, while Ahmed was “handsome and charming.”

Asked why she thought Smith wanted to marry him, Ms Joya replied: “Because he was hot, that’s why.

“And he was a fighter.”

“She didn’t know him, but he had a cute smile and he was very shy,” she added.

Ms Joya told the court the pair got married in Syria, but that she had refused to attend.

“She knew I thought it was ridiculous. She didn’t care. To her I wasn’t a good Muslim, and I wasn’t. I didn’t want to be a Muslim,” she said.

Ms Joya told the court that around this time she got her hands on a “burner” mobile phone, called her husband’s mother and told her to report him to the FBI.

She made plans to leave Syria and Smith asked her if she planned to tell the authorities about her.

“I said yes, I had to,” Ms Joya told the court.

“She just shrugged.

“She didn’t argue with me.

“She knew I was going to do what I had to do.”

She said Smith had blocked her on Facebook after that conversation.

She said the accused stayed in Syria when she made her journey back to the UK, and then to the US.

“She (Smith) was not going to leave. It was never her intention to leave. I didn’t care.

“It was like, good riddance. I just wanted to look after my kids,” she said.

Ms Joya told told the court she believed Smith had been “indoctrinated”.

“She was told what to think.

“She obeyed because she believed in God” she added.

The case received widespread attention in 2019 when it emerged that Smith, a former Air Corps soldier who had worked on the Government jet, had been detained in Syria over alleged links to IS.

Smith was arrested at Dublin Airport in 2019 on suspicion of terrorist offences after returning from Turkey in November with her young daughter.

She had travelled to Syria a number of years ago after she converted to Islam.

Smith is charged under Section Six of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 which makes it an offence to join a foreign unlawful organisation.

It is alleged that between October 28 2015 and December 1 2019 at a location outside the State, she was a member of a terrorist group styling itself as the Islamic State.

She has also been accused of financing terrorism by sending 800 euro (£670) in assistance by Western Union money transfer to a named individual in 2015.

The trial will resume at 10.30 am on Friday.

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Categories: Al-Qaida, Dublin, Lisa Smith, Syria, Tanya Joya, trial

Customers stand up for Muslim woman abused in Northampton cafe

A Muslim family enjoying a New Year’s walk faced abuse from a female customer when queuing for hot drinks at a café in Northampton.

Agreeing to have their story told based on anonymity, they described how the length of the queue was awkward for customers and staff, as the mother, who wears the hijab, politely apologised to one member of staff after making way for them to use a door.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, she then described how a middle-aged white woman with red hair crept close to her before whispering in her ear, “That’s what not you’re meant to do.”

Understandably perplexed by their actions, the Muslim woman asked the red-haired woman several times to repeat her statement before she aggressively stated that “it’s called being KIND”.

Being the only ethnic minority in the room, she felt singled out because of her ethnicity and hijab, which she maintains she wears with pride.

The aggression did not go unnoticed by other customers who defended them.

At this moment, she realised a racist motive was at hand when speaking about the support given, noting how a customer behind them challenged the perpetrator and said, “we were just as close to the door; why didn’t you say that to us?” – to which the perpetrator had no reply.

She expressed her immense gratitude for the upstanders who defended her, including those who comforted her as she got teary-eyed, with one fellow customer telling her, “Don’t waste anymore time on her”.

The tears carried over when leaving the café, but she remained resolute in challenging this, and with their informed consent, Tell MAMA will write to the café to raise awareness and protect their identity further, will not disclose its name for now.

There is a vast body of academic research and literature on the harms and impacts of microaggressions. And how they commonly occur: as microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations, which can prove mentally draining, increase stress, and result in poor mental health outcomes. Further studies found how anti-Muslim and Islamophobic microaggressions manifested as harmful stereotypes about terrorism amongst university students in parts of Canada. A different study looked at religiously-motivated microaggressions (where a Muslim student described being othered by a group of Christian students for practising the “wrong religion”). Other studies explored the intersectionality of how microaggressions target Black and South Asian Muslims in particular ways. Equally, some Black Muslims on majority-white campuses struggled to get their peers to acknowledge their ethnic and religious identities.

Tell MAMA continues to educate the public about how they safely intervene and avoid being bystanders – from calling the police on behalf of individuals (if they request to do so), speaking with those impacted before or after when the perpetrator(s) leave, and offering reassurance to challenging the perpetrator when safe to do so.

You can get advice from our confidential and free helpline on 0800 456 1226. Or through our free iOS or Android apps. Report through our online form. Or message us on WhatsApp on 0734 184 6086 or message us on Twitter or Facebook by following @tellmamauk.

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Categories: cafe, Hijab, microaggressions, News, Northampton

Lisa Smith ‘enveloped herself in the black flag of Islamic State’, court hears

Former Defence Forces soldier Lisa Smith “enveloped herself in the black flag” of the so-called Islamic State, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

The Co Louth woman, 39, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of membership of the illegal organisation and of providing funds to benefit the group.

Sean Gillane SC, for the prosecution, told the court that the accused’s conduct during the period between 2015 and 2019 when she travelled to Syria could “prove membership” of the terror organisation.

He said the court would hear evidence that Smith had taken part in “hijrah”, or migration to territories controlled by the Islamic State.

“Hijrah in this context is a central act of allegiance to this proto-State, without which the organisation cannot survive. It is the very lifeblood of the Islamic State,” Mr Gillane told the court.

“IS needed fighters but also those who could give sustenance and vitality to the group.”

He said that participation in that act of hijrah was to “self-identify as a member” of the organisation.

Mr Gillane added: “There is no duality or split between a good Islamic State and a bad one, into which one might fall through happenstance or misfortune.”

He said the evidence would show that Smith willingly remained in Syria, married there and that her movements mirrored that of the terror group when they lost territories in the region.

The prosecutor said there was a “reciprocity” to Ms Smith’s allegiance to IS, in that she had received “protection” while in the region.

“Ms Smith specifically addressed, assessed and answered the call to migrate to territory controlled by IS,” Mr Gillane said.

“Every inch of that territory was won by a targeted campaign of violence.”

Mr Gillane said the evidence would show that Smith was part of a Telegram group in June 2015 that discussed a video by the Islamic State showing the drowning of five men in a cage.

He said the members discussed why they had been drowned, with Smith responding: “OK, I understand why they were drowned. I didn’t know half of the story.”

The court heard that the accused had begun her trip to Syria October 2015, and that she had lied to family members about her destination.

Smith bought a one-way ticket from Dublin to Istanbul, which was paid for in cash, the court heard.

From there, she crossed the border into Syria and IS-controlled territory.

When she arrived, she was instructed to change the security settings on her phone, and to join another group on the private messaging service Telegram, the court was told.

Around this time, Smith “made clear to her family her desire to stay”, the court heard.

On Tuesday the court heard from the first witness, Una McCartney, from Dundalk, a friend of Smith’s for between 15 and 20 years.

She told the court that she and Smith had had plenty of discussions about religion around the time of her conversion to Islam around 2007.

Ms McCartney described them as “normal discussions” regarding different beliefs in Catholicism and Islam.

She said Smith had discussed moving to a Muslim country because she wanted to be “surrounded by people who were the same faith as her”, but said she did not recall Smith stating any intention to travel to Syria.

Under cross-examination by Michael O’Higgins SC for the defence, Ms McCartney said Smith has a troubled background.

“I don’t think her home life growing up was too great. Her dad was an alcoholic, I think he probably was a bit violent,” she told the court.

“We all enjoyed drinking, partying, myself included. We were probably a bit wild.”

Ms McCartney added: “Drink didn’t really suit her.”

The witness told the court that she believed Smith’s interest in Islam would “fizzle out” over time.

“She would go hell for leather with things in the beginning and then it would fizzle out. I thought this would fizzle out as well.”

Ms McCartney agreed with Mr O’Higgins that the accused had been “vulnerable” at the time.

“My impression was she needed help or counselling. She had burned bridges with some of her friends,” the witness said.

Ms McCartney said the accused may have turned to Islam to find some solace.

She recalled her Garda interview in which she described Smith as “very naive and easily taken in by somebody promising her something”.

The case received widespread attention in 2019 when it emerged that Smith, a former Air Corps soldier who had worked on the Government jet, had been detained in Syria over alleged links to IS.

Smith was arrested at Dublin Airport in 2019 on suspicion of terrorist offences after returning from Turkey in November with her young daughter.

She had travelled to Syria a number of years ago after she converted to Islam.

Smith is charged under Section Six of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 which makes it an offence to join a foreign unlawful organisation.

It is alleged that between October 28 2015 and December 1 2019 at a location outside the State, she was a member of a terrorist group styling itself as the Islamic State.

She has also been accused of financing terrorism by sending 800 euro in assistance by Western Union money transfer to a named individual in 2015.

Smith has denied the charges.

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Categories: Hijrah, Islamic State, Lisa Smith, Syria

How Nazi Ben John went from having to ‘read classic lit’ to prison for terror offence

Neo-Nazi extremist and convicted terrorist Ben John, 22, received an immediate custodial sentence after the Court of Appeal quashed the original suspended prison sentence – which included John reading literary classics from white authors like William Shakespeare and Jane Austen.

Lord Justice Holroyde ruled the original conviction was unlawful – as per the Sentencing Code, a prison sentence above two years is above the threshold for a suspended sentence – as John’s original sentence stood at three years.

The Sentencing Code came into effect on December 1, 2020, in England and Wales and consolidated existing sentencing procedural laws into a singular Sentencing Act. When dealing with adults above the age of 21, section 277 of the Act clarifies that a suspended sentence does not exceed two years or various aggregate sentences go above the two-year threshold.

John will be one extended licence for one year after leaving prison.

Lord Justice Holroyde said: “We are satisfied that there must be a sentence of immediate imprisonment.”

The Solicitor General Alex Chalk QC MP personally presented the case at the Court of Appeal, who referred to the case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. Tell MAMA was one of the various organisations that raised concerns about the lenient nature of the original sentencing. Assistant Chief Constable at Lincolnshire Police, Kerrin Wilson, thanked the “tenacity” of those “challenging the first sentence so that we continue to protect our communities.”

John, who appeared via video link, had to surrender to Lincolnshire Police by 4 pm yesterday (January 20).

The terrorism offence he was jailed for concerned possessing the Anarchist’s Cookbook – an act of terrorism under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act.

Lincolnshire Police uncovered various white supremacist and neo-Nazi materials at their home address – including a video of Adolf Hitler, white supremacist hate music, and a poster of the proscribed terror group National Action.

The 2020 trial revealed that John possessed 67,788 documents on various hard drives, including racist materials about Jewish people broader white supremacist materials.

Last year, Judge Timothy Spencer QC told John: “Have you read Dickens? Austen? Start with Pride and Prejudice and Dickens’s A Tale Of Two Cities. Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Think about Hardy. Think about Trollope.”

The judge’s challenge was to engage with the above texts as a condition of avoiding prison, but did he? Harry Shukman of Scout tracked John down a month before his return to court, where he admitted to the journalist that he had read none of the books, despite now owning copies.

At the review hearing in early January, Ben John stated: “I enjoyed Shakespeare more than I did Jane Austen, but I still enjoyed Jane Austen by a degree,” with the judge at Leicester Crown Court described being “encouraged about what you have written out for me.”

However, at the High Court, Alex Chalk QC MP detailed that John had positively engaged with neo-Nazi materials within days of avoiding prison last year.

In a press release published on the GOV.uk website, the Solicitor General Alex Chalk QC MP said: The Government is committed to confronting terrorism in all its forms, including from the Extreme Right Wing. We remain focussed on disrupting the activities of the most dangerous extremists, supporting those who stand up to their hateful rhetoric, and protecting vulnerable people being drawn into terrorism.

I referred Ben John’s sentence to the Court of Appeal, and chose to personally present it, because I believed it to be unduly lenient. I am pleased that the Court of Appeal agreed and chose to increase his sentence today.”

Detective Inspector James Manning,  of the Counter-Terrorism Policing East Midlands (CTP EM), who led the investigation in partnership with regional and national agencies, said: “This was a long and complex investigation and I welcome the court’s decision today to impose a stricter sentence on Ben John, sending a clear message to anyone with similar ideologies that they will be dealt with as strongly as possible,” adding, “Ben John is a convicted Right Wing Extremist who was in possession of a document which in the wrong hands could cause incalculable damage.”

The Court of Appeal judges took just over two hours to quash the original verdict and impose the prison sentence.

 

 

 

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Categories: Attorney General, Ben John, Lincolnshire Police, Neo-Nazi, News

Man guilty of promoting ‘jihad by sword’ in mosque speech

A father whose two sons died fighting in Syria has been found guilty of encouraging violent jihad in a speech at his local mosque.

Abubaker Deghayes, 53, promoted “jihad by sword” when he addressed worshippers at the Brighton Mosque and Muslim Community Centre.

The defendant, who originally comes from Libya, had denied intending to encourage terrorism in his speech to around 50 people, including children and young adults.

On Wednesday, a jury at the Old Bailey found him guilty of the charge.

It can now be reported that two of Deghayes’ sons were killed fighting for Islamists in Syria and he lost a third in a stabbing in the East Sussex city.

Abdul – who had become embroiled with drugs and was murdered by a dealer in 2019 aged 22 – was the twin brother of Abdullah, who was killed fighting in Syria in 2016 aged 18.

Their brother Jaffar, 17, was killed in 2014 while trying to overthrow Bashar Al-Assad’s government.

Amer, another son and former finance student, who also travelled to Syria, is understood to be continuing to fight for the cause.

During his Old Bailey trial, jurors were played a video of Deghayes’ speech at the mosque on Sunday November 1 2020.

In it, he was seen to make a stabbing gesture when talking about jihad.

He told worshippers: “Whose power is more powerful than us? Allah is more powerful than you. You, idiots. You kuffar (non-believers)… The non-believer is an idiot. He’s stupid.”

He went on: “Jihad, jihad, jihad. Jihad is compulsory. Jihad is fighting by sword. That means this jihad is compulsory upon you, not jihad is the word of mouth but jihad will remain compulsory until the Day of Resurrection…”

Prosecutor Ben Lloyd told jurors that the speech was not given “innocently or naively”.

He said: “The prosecution case is clear. By the defendant’s words and gestures he was encouraging people to undertake violent jihad.

“The defendant’s speech demonstrates him to be an Islamic extremist. He is someone who believes in the use of violence in the cause of Islam.

“Or, at the very least, he was reckless in giving his speech as to whether people would be encouraged.”

The defendant, of Saltdean in East Sussex, denied wrongdoing, saying he was explaining the meaning of Jihad by the sword as self-defence.

The gesture he made was a “dance of the blade”, he claimed.

He also referred to Prime Minister Boris Johnson as wearing a face covering now after describing Muslim women as “letter boxes”.

The jury was told nothing about the Deghayes family background.

In 2017, a serious case review identified missed opportunities to prevent Deghayes’ sons from being radicalised before they were killed in Syria.

There was also little understanding of the part religion played in the lives of Abdullah and Jaffar, who were believed to have been with the al Qaida-affiliated Al-Nusra Front when they died, the review added.

The report also contained allegations that their father would wake his children up at 4.30am to study the Koran and would whip them with electrical wire or hand out other punishments if he felt they were not doing this properly.

After the review, their uncle Omar Deghayes – who was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 and spent five years in Guantanamo Bay – hit out at police, claiming they took “no action whatsoever” while his radicalised young nephews were being racially abused.

Following Deghayes’ conviction, he was granted continued bail ahead of sentencing at the Old Bailey on February 25.

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Categories: Abubaker Deghayes, Brighton, Brighton Mosque, Kuffar, News, Saltdean

Racist couple with “extreme racist attitudes” avoid prison over racist attack

A racist couple who the judge described as having “expressed extreme racist attitudes” and violently assaulted a British-Iranian couple outside of a hotel in Sheffield avoided prison.

The sustained racist attack occurred on the evening of September 25, 2020, outside of the Leopold Hotel at around 10pm, YorkshireLive and the Rotherham Advertiser reported.

Brittney Peterson, 23, broke the women’s nose after repeatedly punching them in the face following a deluge of racist abuse towards the couple waiting outside the hotel – who came to the city on a trip.

Ms Peterson and her 34-year-old partner Alan Smith had earlier been drinking at a bar in Leopold Square when they confronted and abused staff, with Peterson telling one staff member, “Don’t talk to me like I’m Black,” according to the prosecution.

CCTV tracked the couple to the hotel where they conversed with them, with Ms Peterson subjecting the woman to a torrent of racist abuse after learning their backgrounds, after asking them where they are from. The couple replied: “the Middle East”, to which Peterson aggressively responded, “Oh, the f******* Middle East”.

Intimidating the couple further, Peterson and Smith made further racist comments, informing them to “go back to your own country”.

When the couple attempted to leave and enter the hotel reception, Peterson began punching the woman as Smith attacked the man.

The prosecution further outlined how the man had put himself between the racist couple and his partner to protect them, but the racist couple continued their attack.

Security staff at a bar close intervened to stop the racist violence.

YorkshireLive reported that the female victim sustained a broken nose and facial bruising, as her partner suffered head injuries.

A victim’s personal statement read to the court from the man and detailed further by the Rotherham Advertiser stated: “It makes me very angry and upset as I am a British citizen and I do not expect this to happen to anyone because of their race.”

The defence argued that Smith and Peterson were remorseful and regretted their behaviour.

Peterson would later admit racially aggravated GBH as Smith, who is based in Rotherham, admitted racially aggravated wounding.

Judge Sarah Wright passed 13-month prison sentences respectively, suspended for two years, with “onerous” conditions attached, as the couple had come “close” to custodial sentences.

The judge called on the racist couple to “educate themselves” and “reflect on their behaviour”.

Both must now complete 25 days of rehabilitation, pay their victims £500 each, perform 180 hours of unpaid work, observe a curfew of 8 pm to 6 am and wear electronic tags.

Tell MAMA will be raising our concerns about the lenient nature of the sentencing with the relevant authorities.

You can get advice from our confidential and free helpline on 0800 456 1226. Or through our free iOS or Android apps. Report through our online form. Or contact us via WhatsApp on 0734 184 6086.

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Categories: CPS, hate crime, News, Sheffield, South Yorkshire police

Ex-Defence Forces soldier in bid to have Islamic State terror charges dropped

A former member of the Defence Forces is seeking to have charges of being a member of so-called Islamic State (IS) and financing terrorism dropped at the Special Criminal Court.

Lawyers for Louth woman Lisa Smith, 39, have made an application for the case against her to be dismissed.

It is expected that they will argue there is not sufficient evidence to convict their client on any of the charges.

The case received widespread attention in 2019 when it emerged that Smith, a former Air Corps soldier who had worked on the Government jet, had been detained in Syria over alleged links to IS.

Smith was arrested at Dublin Airport in 2019 on suspicion of terrorist offences after returning from Turkey in November with her young daughter.

She had travelled to Syria a number of years ago after she converted to Islam.

Smith is charged under Section Six of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 which makes it an offence to join a foreign unlawful organisation.

It is alleged that between October 28, 2015 and December 1 2019 at a location outside the State, she was a member of a terrorist group styling itself as the Islamic State.

She has also been accused of financing terrorism, by sending 800 euro in assistance by Western Union money transfer to a named individual in 2015.

She has denied the charges.

The trial was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, but the non-jury court will first have to deal with pre-trial application.


Read more: IS Bride, Lisa Smith, Was Not A Member of a Terrorist Group, Solicitor Claims

The post Ex-Defence Forces soldier in bid to have Islamic State terror charges dropped appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Islamic State, Lisa Smith, News, Syria

Primary school teacher banned after sending thousands of pounds to terror groups

A primary school teacher has been banned from teaching after sending thousands of pounds to individuals and groups linked to terrorism.

Miriam Sebbagh, 52, who worked at Hunwick primary school in Crook, County Durham, has been prohibited “indefinitely” from any classroom by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).

It came after she was found to have made five payments worth £2,500 to a person linked to banned terrorist organisation Al-Muhajiroun (ALM), as well as sending extremist videos promoting violent jihad.

In July 2017, Ms Sebbagh was arrested by Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE) but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided there was “insufficient evidence” to charge her.

CTPNE “maintained a high level of concern” regarding Ms Sebbagh’s state of mind, her opinions and her actions as a teacher, and submitted that her conduct should be considered by the TRA.

A witness statement provided to the panel said: “Ms Sebbagh initially came to the attention of CTPNE following receipt of financial intelligence, which indicated that she had made several payments to an individual linked to Al- Muhajiroun, which is a proscribed terrorist organisation.

“The investigation identified that Ms Sebbagh sent five payments [of ] £2,500 from her account to the individual.”

A further seven payments totalling £1,310 were made between January 27 and July 5 2016 to an individual who is suspected to have left the UK and join the terrorist group calling itself Islamic State.

In 2017, a payment of £100 was made to an individual believed to have married a suspected ALM member and there was an unsuccessful payment in 2015 to an individual arrested over terrorism offences, the panel was told.

Police discovered £4,670 in a safe at her address in 2018 which was intended to fund terror attacks.

The money was forfeited under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 and Ms Sebbagh was also ordered to pay costs of £12,654.

During a police interview on May 8 2018, Ms Sebbagh said she regularly donated to good causes including Muslim charities as part of her faith and denied making payments to those linked to terrorism.

A witness statement to the panel said: “Despite Ms Sebbagh’s assertion that the payments she had made were charitable in nature, the only ‘charitable’ aspects of those payments were to support fellow extremists whilst under criminal investigation for terrorist-related offences and/or to fund travel to join Isis or others who espouse hate.”

The panel also heard Ms Sebbagh had “strongly-held views” that violent jihad was the “correct interpretation of Islamic teaching”.

She had liked a number of pages on Facebook including those of individuals linked to IS, extremist views and hate speech, and had been trying to radicalise a friend with her beliefs about “violent jihad”.

Ms Sebbagh also sent four “extreme and concerning” videos to someone, one of which would be classified as a criminal offence to disseminate contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006.

Alan Meyrick, on behalf of the Education Secretary, made the decision to ban Ms Sebbagh due to the “seriousness of the allegations found proved against her”.

Ms Sebbagh did not attend the hearing, which took place on December 21.

The post Primary school teacher banned after sending thousands of pounds to terror groups appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Al-Muhajiroun, Hunwick primary school, Miriam Sebbagh, News, Teaching Regulation Agency

Far-right terror teen who wanted to attack mosque avoids prison

A far-right terrorist who wanted to indiscriminately murder Muslims at a mosque and kill “10,000 people” avoided a prison sentence, receiving a 24-month youth rehabilitation order instead.

The 17-year-old from Wiltshire, who maintains legal anonymity due to their age, was given the sentence at Southampton Youth Court.

The sentence mirrors that given to a neo-Nazi terrorist, who came to the attention of authorities aged just thirteen before receiving their rehabilitation order in February 2021.

He pleaded guilty to possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The investigation began when the public contacted the authorities following a slew of racist comments on online message boards – including a desire to murder Muslims with a gun at a mosque, a chilling reminder of the lingering influence of the white supremacist terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019.

On June 18, 2021, an arrest resulted in police finding a handwritten note at their home address called “The Big Plan”.

A spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) revealed that in contained information and “details of how to make a bomb,” identifiable locations and individuals they believed to be “aspirational targets” amidst an intention to kill over 10,000 people.

Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes, who leads the CTPSE, thanked those who reported the individual to the anti-terrorism hotline. In a statement, she said: “Having read the vile racist abuse online, they chose to ACT; they contacted the Anti-Terrorism Hotline and shared their concerns with us, and as a result, we were able to intervene before the situation escalated any further.”

CTPSE have also documented “an increase in the proportion of our investigations from the threat from extreme right-wing terrorism.”

Deb Smith, Wiltshire Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, said: “I hope that our communities feel reassured that we acted swiftly, in conjunction with our partners, to ensure that this individual was detained and could no longer pose a risk to the wider public.”

Tell MAMA will be raising our concerns about the lenient nature of the sentencing with the relevant authorities.

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Categories: Christchurch, Far Right groups, mosque, News, terrorism, Wiltshire