UK Imam guilty of speaking up for IS
A BRITISH imam who told children that martyrdom was better than anything they would achieve at school has been found guilty of supporting the Islamic State terror group.
Kamran Hussain, 40, was recorded by an undercover officer making a series of radical sermons over four months last year, encouraging terrorism and supporting the terror group in Syria.
Following a trial at the Old Bailey, Hussain, from Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, was found guilty by a jury which deliberated for 10 hours of eight charges, two of supporting IS and six of encouraging terrorism on dates between June and September last year.
Hussain’s Friday lunchtime speeches at the charity-funded mosque in Tunstall High Street, were in front of around 40 worshippers, often including children aged under 15.
He was arrested after an undercover law enforcement officer secretly recorded sermons from June last year.
On September 2 last year, Hussain talked about martyrdom to a congregation of nine children and 35 adults.
Prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC had said: “Mr Hussain told his audience that martyrdom was the supreme success and was greater than any other success, such as school or college.”
In all, the undercover officer known as Qasim attended 17 sermons, 10 of which had “strayed beyond the mainstream moderate Islamic thought”, Mrs Whitehouse said. On June 24 last year, Hussain allegedly referred to IS in his sermon as “a small fledgling state who is standing in the face of a pompous and arrogant army”.
He called on the congregation of 10 men to pray for their victory and their oppressors to be “annihilated”.
On July 22, last year, he prayed for all to live under Sharia law and urged his listeners to stand against sinners, oppressors and infidels, the court heard.
He urged them to “finish them and remove their heads for what they do”, adding: “When you don’t fulfil the command of Allah, I’m coming to remove your head.”
On August 5 last year he spoke in favour of engaging in jihad to “take over a land” and “stand the black flag”.
Hussain’s barrister Michael Ivers QC argued there was “a place for criticism and unconventional views.” He told jurors: “My client does not have any obligation to join Prevent – he just does not.
“He does not need to channel everything he says just so it fits in with what other people think it should say.” Hussain was remanded in custody to be sentenced on September 28, and faces a maximum sentence of seven years in jail for encouragement of terrorism and 10 years for support for a proscribed organisation.