Birmingham Terror Plot 2

MOSQUE LEADER PLANS TO VISIT TERRORIST PLOTTERS IN PRISON

19-02-2008

The Chair of Birmingham Central Mosque says he plans a prison visit to the extremist given a life sentence for plotting to behead a British Muslim soldier in the city. Dr Mohammed Naseem says he wants to meet Parviz Khan to understand him, and prevent another terrorist outrage.

Khan and his four accomplices, “have accepted their guilt and have confessed, so they deserve a just punishment” said Dr. Naseem.

But he added that he now wants to meet them, and will shortly make a request via the prison authorities: “It is important to understand why they acted like they did", he said.

"Are they influenced by outside forces? Or were they acting on their own?

“Sharia law makes it very clear that no individual has the right to organise an armed struggle. That is the duty of a head of state elected under a system based on fairness and justice, and has who shown piety and character.

“It is not up to any Tom, Dick or Muslim to decide it for themselves.

“What intrigues me is their claim to be serving Islam.

“I would like to see them and take time to understand their psychology and I will be seeking that meeting.

“Once I’ve understood them it will help me decide what action should be taken in the community.”

Although Khan and his co-conspirators (all from Birmingham) were detected thanks to bugging devices and long-term covert surveillance by the Security Services, Naseem argues that the spooks have too much power and are widely mistrusted.

He called on them to stop encouraging young Muslims to spy on their own community.

“Everything is in the hands of the Security Services, and that’s not healthy. Instead of trying to recruit in the universities, they should be coming to the community leaders and the mosques. These are the voices that are listened to.

“We would help out of a sense of duty. We don’t want all this Security work going on. It creates a perception that the Security Services are involved in these events and working to create a sense of terror.

“It’s not only me that’s saying that, but many non-Muslims.

"In New York in 2006, a survey showed that 80% of people did not believe the official version of 9/11.

"We need a full open independent enquiry into 7/7 and also the death of Dr David Kelly."