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Abu Hamza al-Masri

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Abu Hamza al-Masri
An early picture of Abu Hamza al-Masri -- prior to losing an eye to an explosion.
Born (1958-04-15) April 15, 1958 (age 66)

Abu Hamza al-Masri (أبو حمزة المصري Abū Ḥamzah al-Maṣriy) (15 April 1958) is a Sunni Muslim who lives in the United Kingdom.

Early life

Abu Hamza was born Mustafa Kamel Mustafa in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1958. He is the son of a middle class army officer. In 1979, he entered the UK on a student visa.[1] He studied civil engineering at Brighton Polytechnic.[2]

On May 16, 1980, he married Valerie Traverso (now Fleming), a Catholic convert to Islam,[3] and had a son, Mohammed Mustafa Kamel. He acquired British citizenship following three years of marriage. In 1984, he divorced his wife, because she had failed to divorce her previous husband until 1982. The marriage was void. It is not known whether Abu Hamza was aware of this; yet if he was, his British citizenship could be invalidated.

In 1984, he married Nadjet, with whom he has seven children.[4]

Following his radicalisation, he took their three-year-old son Mohammed to Egypt, saying his father was ill. The child did not see his mother again until his father was convicted in Yemen for taking part in a bombing campaign (Mohammed was sentenced to three years in prison). His stepson, Mohsin Ghalain, was also arrested in connection with the charges.

In the early 1990s, he lived in Bosnia, with an identity document under the name of Adam Eaman, where he fought in the Arab mujahidin against the Serbs and Croats.[5][6]

Abu Hamza lost both his hands and the use of his left eye, allegedly as a result of wounds sustained in Afghanistan during a de-mining project around 1993.[7] He now uses a distinctive hook as his right hand. He claims to have lost his hands and eye as the result of helping clear land mines in Afghanistan left behind by the Soviet Union.[8] On a special edition of the BBC's Newsnight program broadcast 16 November 2006 a Moroccan-French spy known by the pseudonym Omar Nasiri[9] claimed that he was told by one of his teachers in Afghanistan that he [the teacher] was present when Abu Hamza lost his hands in a nitroglycerin accident, in an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. [citation needed]

Preaching

Abu Hamza, formerly the imam of North London Central Mosque in Finsbury Park, North London, runs "Supporters of Sharia", a group dedicated to the rule of Islamic law. In 2003, he addressed a rally in central London called by the radical Islamic group al-Muhajiroun, where members spoke of their support for al-Qaeda.

On 4 February 2003 (after being suspended since April 2002) Abu Hamza was dismissed from his position at the Finsbury Park mosque by the Charity Commission, the statutory organisation that regulates charities (and hence most places of worship) in England and Wales. After his ejection from the mosque, he preached outside the gates until he was imprisoned on remand.[10]

Abu Hamza has publicly expressed support for al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and against the UK government's involvement in the War in Iraq. He wrote a paper entitled El Ansar ( The Victor ) in which he expressed support for the actions of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) in Algeria.[7]

Extradition

The Yemeni authorities have requested his arrest and extradition, claiming he is linked to plots to bomb targets there, but the British authorities have not complied claiming he will not get a fair trial.

Abu Hamza was naturalised as a British citizen when he married Valerie Traverso, who was a British citizen by birth. However, it appears that this marriage was a bigamous one as Traverso was still married to her previous husband at the time. When this was discovered, the Home Office began the procedure to remove his British citizenship.

When Abu Hamza applied for legal aid to oppose this procedure, his application was rejected. His legal team has prolonged the fight by seeking a judicial review, and he could still appeal to the Court of Appeal or the Lords, which could take years to come to a decision. Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said, "This man has alienated the public from Muslims with his vile rants. British Muslims are growing impatient that he is still able to tarnish them with these remarks. He is not welcome at any mosque in the country and we have nothing to do with him."

On 27 May 2004, Abu Hamza was detained by British authorities and is to appear before magistrates in the start of a process to extradite him to the United States, where he has been named in an indictment of participating with Earnest James Ujaama in his attempt to establish a terrorist training camp in late 1999 and early 2000 near Bly, Oregon, and providing aid to al-Qaeda.

However, as a member state of the European Union, the United Kingdom is party to an agreement whereby extradition must be refused to any country which has the death penalty and where the suspect is to be tried in a capital case.[11] This will not prevent his extradition to the United States, but it will prevent any court from imposing a sentence of death, should he be found guilty. The courts of Britain have recently permitted his extradition to the US as of November 15.

Arrest and conviction under the Terrorism Act 2000

Abu Hamza was arrested on a US request on terrorism charges brought in New York. The British police acted to a case built by the FBI.[citation needed]

On 26 August 2004, Abu Hamza was arrested by British police under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 which covers the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. He was released on 31 August 2004.[12]

On 19 October 2004, Abu Hamza was charged with 16 crimes under the provisions of various British statutes, including encouraging the murder of non-Muslims, and intent to stir up racial hatred.[citation needed]

The trial initially commenced on 5 July 2005 was adjourned and resumed on 9 January 2006. On 7 February 2006, Abu Hamza was found guilty on eleven charges and not guilty on four:

  • Guilty of six charges of soliciting to murder under the Offences Against The Person Act 1861; not guilty on three further such charges
  • Guilty of three charges related to "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with the intention of stirring up racial hatred" under the Public Order Act 1986, not guilty on one further such charge
  • Guilty of one further charge of owning recordings related to "stirring up racial hatred"
  • Guilty of one charge of possessing "terrorist encyclopaedia" under the Terrorism Act, s58

The charges related to his possession of the Encyclopedia of Afghan Jihad, a Al Qaeda Handbook and to propaganda materials produced by Abu Hamza.

Following his trial, Abu Hamza was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment to run concurrently for eight counts and 21 months for the others, giving a total of 57 years and 11 months. He has already been in jail since May 2004. In sentencing, Mr Justice Hughes said Abu Hamza had "helped to create an atmosphere in which to kill has become regarded by some as not only a legitimate course but a moral and religious duty in pursuit of perceived justice". Abu Hamza is currently being held in Belmarsh Prison.

The verdict came soon after the acquittal of British National Party member Nick Griffin on two charges under the same provisions of the Public Order Act and with a possible retrial on two more where the jury failed to reach a verdict. This has led to comparisons between the two cases within the broader debate of free speech in the UK.[13][14]

On 18 January Lord Justice Hughes made the order for the recovery of the full costs of the defence of the race-hate charges, estimated in excess of 1 million pounds. This judgement was based on his view that "the story I have been told today (by Abu Hamza) is simply not true" that he had no share in a £220,000 house in Greenford, west London. Abu Hamza had claimed it belonged to his sister. The court also found that Abu Hamza was contributing £9000 a year for private education for his children.[15]

Quotations

Abu Hamza claims that the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster was a sign from God:

"These missions would increase the number of satellites for military purposes. It would increase the slavery of governance of other countries by America. It is a punishment from God. Muslims see it that way. It is a trinity of evil because it carried Americans, an Israeli and a Hindu, a trinity of evil against Islam. The fact that the motor of the craft fell on Palestine [a town in Texas] – all these are messages from God. It is a strong message, for the Israeli, to be taken up there to space and he spoke about the Holocaust, to try to make religious advancement from it and gain some moral high ground, hence you have seen this message over Palestine."

"Killing of the kafir (non-believer) for any reason you can say it is OK, even if there is no reason for it." He called on his followers to poison, ambush and kill non-believers and added: "You must have a stand with your heart, with your tongue, with your money, with your hand, with your sword, with your Kalashnikov. Don't ask shall I do this, just do it."[16]

Of licensors for alcohol sellers he said: "Make sure that the person who gave him the licence for that wine shop doesn't exist any more on the Earth. Finish him up. Give him dawa (inviting non-Muslims to accept the truth of Islam). If he doesn't respect dawa, kill him."[17]

He suggested that people coined the term suicide attack to put others off it. "It is not called suicide - this is called shahada, martyring, because if the only way to hurt the enemies of Islam except by taking your life for that, then it is allowed," adding: "The person who hinders Allah's rule, this man must be eliminated".

In January 2006 while on trial, he accused the Jewish people of being "blasphemous, treacherous and dirty" and explained that this was "why Hitler was sent into the world".[18] He also called for "a world dominated by a caliph, sitting in the White House".[16] Whilst under cross-examination Hamza claimed the Jews control the Foreign Office, the media and the money supply in Britain and the USA.[19]

Profile

He has become something of a hate figure in the tabloids. He was featured in the Daily Mail and The Sun which often called for his deportation, up to his eventual conviction. He was nicknamed "The Hook" and "Captain Hook" by some British tabloid newspapers because of the hook on his right hand. He apparently enjoys provoking outrage and has readily posed for photographs holding his "hook" right hand to his eye.

Abu Hamza was briefly interviewed by John Safran in the comedy documentary John Safran Vs God regarding Fatwas.

See also

Abu Hamza was also mentioned in the fictional movie The Kingdom.

References

  1. ^ Brooks, Libby (Thursday 1 May 2003). "5 tough questions about asylum - part 2". The Guardian - Society. Retrieved 2009-03-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Lawson, Tracy (21 January 2003). "As a fundamentalist cleric reviled and revered for his preaches of hate". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  3. ^ "Hamza's ex-wife life threatened". BBC News - Online international version. BBC. Wednesday, 8 February 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Profile: Abu Hamza
  5. ^ Nun, Jan (February 08, 2006). "U.K.: Muslim Extremist Preacher Gets Seven Years In Jail". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 2009-03-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Naughton, Philippe (February 7, 2006). "Profile: Abu Hamza". Times Online edition. The Times. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  7. ^ a b The Algerian Question, Algeria: Anger of the Dispossessed, Yale University Press, John Phillips and Martin Evans, 2007, pg. 222.
  8. ^ "Profile: Abu Hamza". Sky News. BSkyB. Tuesday February 07, 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ "UK 'ignored spy's al-Qaeda fear'". BBC. 16 November 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  10. ^ Casciani, Dominic (27 May 2004). "Profile: Abu Hamza". BBC News online. BBC. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  11. ^ Hayes, Ben. "The new UK-US Extradition Treaty" (PDF). Statewatch analysis (17). Statewatch. ISSN 1756-851X. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  12. ^ "Muslim cleric Hamza de-arrested". BBC News online. BBC. 31 August 2004. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  13. ^ Macintyre, Ben (February 8, 2006). "Sworn enemies find a common cause". Times Online. The Times. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  14. ^ "Muslims react to Hamza conviction". BBC News online. BBC. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  15. ^ "Abu Hamza must pay £1m for trial". BBC News online. BBC. 18 January 2007. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  16. ^ a b "Hamza's sermons". Telegraph Newspapers. 08 Feb 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Press Association (7 February 2006). "The preachings of Abu Hamza". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  18. ^ "Hamza 'urged followers to murder'". BBC News online. BBC. 11 January 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  19. ^ "Media controlled by Jews - Hamza". BBC News online. BBC. 24 January 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-22.


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