Extremists 'planned chilling Poppy day attack'

Members of the armed forces at a rememberance Sunday parade
Paul Cheston12 October 2015
WEST END FINAL

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Three Islamic extremists inspired by a "chilling" IS fatwa plotted a terrorist attack in Britain, a court heard today.

The two Britons and a Pakistani passport holder downloaded "gruesome" images including beheadings with knives, the jury was told.

One of them had messages and images of the knife murder of Lee Rigby on the streets of Woolwich.

The fatwa was issued by IS in September last year and the suspects were arrested in early November, just days before Rememberance Sunday.

Max Hill QC, prosecuting, said that the fatwa was "truly chilling" and issued by IS spokesman Abu Muhammad Al Adnani.

Part of demands for its followers to attack Westerners stated: "Rig the roads with explosives for them. Attack their bases. Raid their homes. Cut off their heads. Do not let them feel secure. Hunt them wherever they may be. Turn their worldly life into fear and fire."

It went on: "Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him from a high place, or choke him, or poison him."

Said Mr Hill: "To people of a certain mind, by which I mean Islamic extremists such as these three defendants, the fatwa created a considerable stir.

"As we shall see they became aware of it on the day of its release and they discussed it at length in an online chatroom under a key message 'IS supporters to kill civilians everywhere in the West'.

"Therefore the fatwa was accepted as the catalyst for violence and the planning of violence, in the case of these defendants, by plotting to kill with knives in this country."

He told the jury they would see the defendants' messages and online images they had downloaded and discussed.

"Many of the images are gruesome in the extreme. They include many examples of beheadings by the use of knives."

Mr Hill said the defendants "clearly found them both fascinating and inspiring."

Haseeb Hamayoon, 28 of Hayes, Middlesex and cousins Nadir Syed, 22 of Southall, and Yousaf Syed, 20 of High Wycombe, have pleaded not guilty to preparing acts of terrorism with knives between September and November last year.

The case continues.

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