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| Britain |
| The London bombers |
| 2005-07-14 |
| "He was a quiet boy, kept to himself"... Hat tip Jihad Watch By Russell Jenkins, Dominic Kennedy, David Lister and Carol Midgley of The Times SHEHZAD TANWEER, ALDGATE He may have been a good-looking, sporty lad with a lean physique and fashionably dyed hair but Shehzad Tanweer had no interest in chasing girls and was happier devoting his spare time to prayers. In the past six months the 22-year-old suicide bomber had travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan, bringing him into contact with al-Qaeda trainers and propagandists. In his final months, the cricket and ju-jitsu enthusiast, nicknamed âKhakaâ, was said to have turned into a quiet loner, always politely eschewing company by saying he was on his way to a mosque or a prayer meeting. An uncle, Bashir Ahmed, 52, said he feared that the large, close, extended family would now have to leave Leeds, the city they have made home for a generation after leaving the Faisalabad area of Pakistan for a better life. Mr Ahmed, speaking outside the fish-and-chip shop run by Shehzadâs father, Mumtaz, said the young man had done a âterrible thingâ. But he did not blame his nephew for the bombing, saying instead that it was the fault of âforces behind himâ. He said: âShehzad had never been in trouble before. So what drove him to do it? It canât be him. It must be something else behind him. âIt has come as a complete shock. He was respected by everybody and respected everybody in return. We were respected by the community â but how is the community going to treat us now?â Shehzad never expressed an interest in politics but was a devout Muslim. Saj, a friend bearing an Arabic-script tattoo on his arm, said Shehzad âwas a quiet lad, religious. He used to go to every mosque in Beeston and there are loads of mosques around here.â Mahmood Khan, who worked in the chip shop, South Leeds Fisheries, said: âShehzad was very religious. He used to go to the mosque a lot. He didnât like girls. He didnât have many friends but he was a nice, quiet person.â Shehzad, who lived at 51 Colwyn Road, Beeston, used to volunteer to play sports with children at a local community centre. In the period leading to his death, Shehzad and a friend left Leeds for days at a time, but nobody knew the purpose or destination of their travels. Arif Butt, a community elder at Stratford Street mosque, said: âI feel for all the family. They are a very well-respected family. Shehzadâs father is a very well-respected businessman.â MOHAMMAD SIDIQUE KHAN, EDGWARE ROAD Mohammad Sidique Khan had a trusted job as a primary school teaching assistant working with children from poor and vulnerable families arriving in Britain. Khan, 30, who ran an Islamic bookshop, was employed as a âlearning mentorâ in an inner-city district with a high proportion of asylum-seekers, homeless families and battered wives. His mother-in-law, a highly respected Asian volunteer worker, was invited to Buckingham Palace to be honoured by the Queen for a lifetime of community work, particularly with women. Khan was one of two learning mentors employed at Hillside Primary School in Beeston, which had such a high turnover that 75 per cent of pupils could change in a year. His task was to liaise with childrenâs previous schools on their special needs and to assess their learning skills. On their first day at school, children would rely on Khan, who was their official âbuddyâ. He was given the privileged position of sitting, with the head teacher, through interviews with new families to the area. Many were single mothers, fresh immigrants, refugees or victims of domestic violence. In 2002 he gave an interview to The Times Educational Supplement about his unusual job, claiming his role helped children to settle. âA lot of them have said this is the best school they have been to,â he said. He also gave a fascinating hint of his own smouldering political anger and dissent. As a Beeston resident, he expressed his discontent with the communityâs squalor, saying he believed it would be many years before regeneration cash would transform the area. Khan moved to a council house in Lees Holm, Thornhill, Dewsbury, six months ago and became a liaison officer in another local school. His wife, Hasini Patel, is said to have held anti-Taleban, pro-women views at odds with her husbandâs version of Islam. She also worked in education as a âneighbourhood enrichment officerâ. They had a baby daughter in May last year. But the pressure on their marriage was too strong and the couple were said to have separated. They previously lived in Dewsbury, in a bungalow with his mother-in-law, Farida Patel, and members of the extended family. That home was raided by 50 police officers on Tuesday morning. As a dinner lady and sports superviser, Mrs Patel became well known and popular in Dewsbury before her retirement. She also worked as a bi-lingual teacher. The Patels were known opponents of Muslim extremism and supporters of womenâs rights. They have been devastated to learn of Khanâs role. Khan, born in Leeds, has never been seen in the local Daulim Mosque in Dewsbury and his fanatical religious views have come as a surprise in the locality. HASIB HUSSAIN, No. 30 BUS The youngest suicide bomber was sent to his familyâs native Pakistan after becoming a troublesome teenager. Hasib Hussain returned a disciplined, chastened young man. Hussain 18, came from a respectable household in a back-to-back terrace. But he faced a bleak future when his school withdrew him from all GCSE examinations after he went through what was said to be a disruptive stage. Religion inspired his change of heart. He made the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca as well as visiting Pakistan. Police will be trying to discover whether Hussain, who blew himself to pieces along with 12 passengers on the No 30 bus in Tavistock Square, adopted his radical views at home or abroad. Neighbours in the Leeds inner-city community of Holbeck, a poor area behind the central business district by-passed by motorways and fly-overs, were stunned yesterday by the news that he had made the transformation into a suicide bomber. Before he visited the Middle East, Hussain lived in a close-knit world of friendly faces. He was born on September 16, 1986, into the Victorian redbrick house in Colenso Mount where his family still lives. Yesterday the area was sealed off by armed police. He grew up playing football with other children in the back alleys under their mothersâ gaze. He went to the Ingram Road nursery, around the corner from his home, progressed to the primary school a few yards further away, and then the Matthew Murray high school, renamed South Leeds High School. None was more than a five-minute walk from the house of his parents, Mahmoor and Maniza. His journey always took him past the corner shop run by Ajimal Singh, who looked drawn and saddened yesterday. âHe used to come in here for sweets and pop when he was a schoolboy,â Mr Singh said. âHe is from a very good local family. He has a brother who is a very nice man.â South Leeds High School said, in a statement through Leeds Council: âHe was a good attender and there is nothing unusual about his school records except he was withdrawn by the school from all of his GCSEs, except GNVQ business studies.â Hasib used to make a seemingly unnecessary 20-mile round trip to Dewsbury to worship. Mohammad Sidique Khan, the oldest suicide bomber, had a home in the town. Last week Hussain, who was unemployed, told relatives that he was going to London to attend a religious lecture. When he failed to return, his family, frantic with worry and in complete ignorance of his mission, contacted the police casualty bureau to report him as a missing person. His driving licence and cash cards were found in the wreckage of the bombed-out bus. The find led police to the Leeds suicide bomb cell. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #10 Shehzad never expressed an interest in politics but was a devout Muslim ie: wanted to kill anyone who isn't a Muslime. Saj, a friend bearing an Arabic-script tattoo with the name of his goat herd on his arm, said Shehzad âwas a quiet lad, religious, you can tell he killed infidels, you call them humans. He used to go to every Islamic mosque in Beeston and there are loads of whores in the mosques around here.â Mahmood Khan, who worked in the chip shop, South Leeds Fisheries, said: â He didnât like girls.â You just can't make this crap up. Arif Butt, a Muslime community elder at Stratford Street sand people mosque, said: âI feel for all the family. They are a very well-respected family. Shehzadâs father is a very well-respected businessman.â Note that Arif Butt as a good Muslime didn't mention the victims of this rock ape! |
| Posted by: Ebbineck Flatle3247 2005-07-14 20:17 |
| #9 An uncle, Bashir Ahmed, 52, said he feared that the large, close, extended Camel family would now have to leave Leeds, the city they have made home for a generation after leaving the dirtbag area of Faisalabad, Pakistan for a better life. Mr Ahmed, speaking in giberish outside the fish-and-chip shop run by the turd bugger Shehzadâs father, Mumtaz, said the young man had done a âterrible thingâ but Allah was surely pleased. But he did not blame his nephew for the bombing, saying instead that it was the fault of âforces behind him. His butt was always bleeding, the Mullahs never let him be on topâ. |
| Posted by: Wheng Spiper1901 2005-07-14 20:14 |
| #8 "Im leaning toward the notion of shutting these extremist wahabi institutions, and deporting their imams. For the good of the other muslims, as well as everyone else." Not bad - you've come a long way, baby. Like li'l Danny Pipes. So, um, what about their "followers? You DO know, of course, that any Muzzy can be an imam, right? If someone is willing to attend their "prayers" then they are "imams" - just like Muzzy "clerics" - any "pious" Muzzy can be a "cleric". So when you dump the imam, one of his lieutenants steps forward and, now armed with the emotion of the freshly departed asshat, steps up the volume and virulence of the same message... y'know the message the other guy was pitching that these followers found palatable enough to attend in the first place. You follow me, buddy? C'mon, take one more step toward the reality. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-14 19:43 |
| #7 If Islamofascist imams are dangerous enough to be deported, that's the same as sending criminals to the next town instead of jailing or executing them. This War requires a radical re-thinking of how we deal with group leaders who plan and advocate the initiation of force against the West. Israel has learnt certain lessons. When shall we? |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2005-07-14 17:07 |
| #6 This is a deadly cancer in our midst. Youre damned right, and as you point out its out in the open. Its not all that hard for experts to discern which the fanatic ultra-Wahabi mosques are. We need to open a new front in the War. What to do with these mosques and madrasas? Im leaning toward the notion of shutting these extremist wahabi institutions, and deporting their imams. For the good of the other muslims, as well as everyone else. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-07-14 16:17 |
| #5 Is anyone monitoring such Moslem groups and the locations of their mosques? We need to open a new front in the War. What to do with these mosques and madrasas? |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2005-07-14 15:59 |
| #4 interesting comment NT. In the past six months the 22-year-old suicide bomber had travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan, bringing him into contact with al-Qaeda trainers and propagandists I thought that an odd comment. Ahhh..yes, a little trip here (pakistan) and there (afghanistan) where one comes in contact with AQ trainers and propagandists. yep, yep, all to be expected on a sporty looking lad's little trip away from home. Here is a quesetion. How do the security services not notice the said sporty looking lad's been to both Paksistan and Afghanistan. Is there no system in place to raise a red flag? I realize it's hindsight - but not exactly rocket science, if you know what I mean. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-07-14 14:02 |
| #3 Do any muzzie men under the age of 35 work at all? Except has freelance boomers? Is it the smell or is it the fierce weirdness in their eyes? That certain illogic noted by all but the truly comotose? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-14 12:59 |
| #2 "In the past six months the 22-year-old suicide bomber [Shehzad Tanweer] had travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan, bringing him into contact with al-Qaeda trainers and propagandists." "Hasib used to make a seemingly unnecessary 20-mile round trip to Dewsbury to worship." "They previously lived in Dewsbury... Khan, born in Leeds, has never been seen in the local Daulim Mosque in Dewsbury and his fanatical religious views have come as a surprise in the locality." Never been seen by whom? I'm betting they've all spent time in the Dewsbury mosque. You want to know more about the problem? Read this: http://www.meforum.org/article/686 It will scare the Hell out of you! Excerpts: "These pilgrims are no ordinary Muslims, though; they belong to a movement called Tablighi Jamaat ("Proselytizing Group"). They are trained missionaries who have dedicated much of their lives to spreading Islam across the globe." "As early as 1978, the World Muslim League subsidized the building of the Tablighi mosque in Dewsbury, England, which has since become the headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat in all of Europe." "The West's misreading of Tablighi Jamaat actions and motives has serious implications for the war on terrorism. Tablighi Jamaat has always adopted an extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam, but in the past two decades, it has radicalized to the point where it is now a driving force of Islamic extremism and a major recruiting agency for terrorist causes worldwide." This is a deadly cancer in our midst. |
| Posted by: Neutron Tom 2005-07-14 10:12 |
| #1 In the past six months the 22-year-old suicide bomber had travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan, How exactly does one go from Britain to Afghanistan these days? I don't think British Airways has a direct flight. Gotta connect through Karachi or Islamabad (there's a name) or somewheres. "Hokay, Mr. Tanweer, you're booked on BA flight 123 to Kabul via Karachi, seat 17A. That's a window seat. Will you need a return flight?" "Um, depends. Say, how much luggage can I bring home?" |
| Posted by: Steve White 2005-07-14 09:57 |