Teacher planned wave of gun and bomb attacks with ‘mini militia’
AN UNQUALIFIED teacher who trained a “mini militia” of children for terrorist attacks in London has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 25 years.
Islamic State (IS) fanatic Umar Haque, 25, planned to use guns and a car bomb to strike 30 highprofile targets including Big Ben, the Queen’s Guard and Westfield shopping centre.
He enlisted helpers at the Ripple Road mosque in Barking, east London, where he secretly brainwashed 16 children as young as 11 through terrorism roleplay and exercises.
The boys have been left “traumatised” from being shown gory IS propaganda by Haque.
The defendant had also admitted playing an IS film to pupils at the Lantern of Knowledge feepaying school in Leyton where he had worked, the Old Bailey heard.
Sentencing, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said Haque wanted to do “something big” and his ambition was “extreme and alarming”.
The worst aspect was the deliberate and sustained grooming of children to join a “mini militia” unbeknown to their parents who had paid for after-school classes at the mosque.
He is a “very real” threat to the young and old alike, the judge said.
“Haque was a dangerous liar. He is intelligent, articulate and persuasive with an easy smile. He is narcissistic and clearly enjoys the power he wields over others.”
The judge told Haque: “You have violated the Koran and Islam by your actions as well as the law of all civilised people.” HUNDREDS OF children and teenagers from Yorkshire and the North-East were referred to the Government’s anti-radicalisation programme in 2016/17.
A total of 236 under-15s from the region were among 773 people referred to the Prevent programme, a fall of 39 per cent. About one in five of those referred were women or girls, the Government figures show.
The most common concern was over those with extreme Islamist views, followed by extreme right-wing views.
The number of referrals to Prevent is expected to rise again when the 2017/18 figures are released.