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| Britain |
| Cleric Suspect Misses Hearing Due to Long Toe Nails |
| 2005-01-04 |
| Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri failed to appear before a British court Tuesday, complaining his toe nails were too long and he could not walk. Abu Hamza, who is also wanted by the United States over 11 alleged offences, was charged by British police last year on 16 counts including one terror-related offence. He had been due to make an appearance via video-link from the high-security Belmarsh jail in London where he is being held. "Hamza has physical difficulties. He is unable to walk. He has been perambulating barefoot around the prison," said defense lawyer Peter Hynes. Prosecutor Adina Ekiel added: "He is complaining that his toe nails are too long." Britain accuses Hamza -- who lost an eye and both hands in Afghanistan (news - web sites) fighting Soviet forces -- of 10 charges of using public meetings to incite his followers to kill non-Muslims. Four of the charges say he urged the killing of Jews. He is also charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting behavior with intent to stir up racial hatred, one offence of possessing threatening, abusive or insulting sound recordings, and one charge of possessing a "terrorist" document. Judge Peter Beaumont adjourned Tuesday’s hearing for two weeks and set the trial date for July 4. The Egyptian-born cleric, a former nightclub security guard, was already being held in a top security jail after being arrested on a U.S. extradition warrant. Tight legal restrictions mean details of the U.S. charges cannot be given. Abu Hamza was stripped of his British citizenship in 2003 and he was banned from speaking at his Finsbury Park mosque in north London although he continued to preach in the road outside until his arrest. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #2 Somebody want to trim them for the holy man? Preferably with a chain saw. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-01-04 10:54:24 PM |
| #1 This is a matter of great peril, for it is written in the Quran that if one has excessively long toe nails, than Allah will grant them a handsome excuse. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2005-01-04 10:51:32 PM |