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'Most Muslims keep extremist literature'
25-10-2005
thisisderbyshire:
Muslims rarely throw away leaflets containing possible extremist references because it is forbidden by their religion, a childhood friend of a failed Derby suicide bomber told a court.
Irfan Bhatti, who befriended terrorist Omar Sharif when they were at Bemrose School together between 1988 and 1992, told the Old Bailey yesterday that he had such leaflets at home.
But he denied that it meant he or anyone else with the literature held those same extremist views, the court heard.
Omar Sharif, of Northumberland Avenue, Derby, failed to blow himself up in a busy bar in Tel Aviv in 2003.
His accomplice, 21-year-old Asif Hanif, of London, detonated his bomb, killing three people and wounding 65.
Omar (27) fled and his body was found washed up off the Tel Aviv shore 12 days later.
Omar's brother, Zahid (39), and sister Parveen (37) deny failing to disclose information relating to a terrorism act. Parveen also denies inciting terrorism.
The jury had heard that leaflets and other literature of an extremist nature were found during police searches of Omar's home, as well as Zahid's home in Upperdale Road, Normanton, and Parveen's home in Breedon Hill Road after the terror attacks.
But Mr Bhatti told the jury that the literature was forever being handed out inside and outside mosques.
He said that because many of the leaflets contained sections from the Koran, it was against their religion to discard them.
The court heard how Mr Bhatti and Omar were like brothers, even after they separated to go to different sixth-form colleges and when Omar moved to a London university.
He said Omar would often talk to him about marriage, religion and other issues and said he was surprised when he heard of his attempted terrorist attack, as previously Omar had seemed against such actions.
"We had a very good relationship," he added. "We'd discuss everything that was a major issue for him. But I didn't know he'd decided to become involved with suicide bombings.
"I would have expected him to tell me of something so important. It came as a surprise to me that he did what he did."
The court heard Mr Bhatti had once seen Omar helping on a stall run by extremist group Al-Mujaharoun in Derby but said it was because the group was trying to introduce non- Muslims to Islam, a step that his friend would have agreed with.
Mr Bhatti added that he knew Zahid well and Parveen had been extremely helpful when his own mother died.
He said he had heard Zahid discuss fighting on behalf of Muslims but told the jury he would always say that it was forbidden. The trial continues.
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