There was no doubt in my mind that he would be found guilty of at least some of the charges. The defence was pathetic. The question is, how long will he get?

He and his massive brood will still be living off the British taxpayer, whatever happens.

Posted by: Interested at February 7, 2006 8:55 AM

The best news I have heard all day. Now for a sentence commensurate with the offences.

And http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4687996.stm the protestor dressed as a suicide bomber is a convicted drug dealer out from prison on licence. Ie, pending his good behaviour. He is now returned to custody.

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at February 7, 2006 8:58 AM

A Muslim drug dealer? Surely not.

Posted by: Interested at February 7, 2006 9:02 AM

Throw away the key, and dont allow him to preach or recruit in prison...

Posted by: duh_swami at February 7, 2006 9:15 AM

Quote - In addition, the 47 year old was also found guilty of possessing a document to be used for terror purposes.... Unquote

Was that the koran, I hope? If so, it's about time someone had the guts to call that book what it really is.

Posted by: CelticCoyote at February 7, 2006 9:23 AM

Excellent news.

Now, I just hope the jurors don't become targets.

Posted by: Shinoliite at February 7, 2006 9:24 AM

No surprise to hear that MI5 was "very freindly" with the cleric, & gave full approval "provided no blood was spilt".

MI5 knew exactly what he was doing. And they thought it was just dandy. MI5, albeeb, Duke of Wales, Ian Blair, Tony Blair, Strawman, Redken... the British autorities are still in bed with the enemy.

The bigger scandal is not the true nature of Islam, as why, knowing what they must, do those charged with our protection continue to betray us?

Posted by: Animus Fox at February 7, 2006 9:27 AM

A terrorist called Shoudary from the UK Islamic Human Rights Commission was just given some airtime on UK Sky News.
Western double standards again... apparently incitement to murder is an expression of free speech.

We jail people who incite murder, but not people who draw cartoons.

Could not be more predictable.

Posted by: titfortat at February 7, 2006 9:34 AM

Good.
I must admit that I expected the opposite: Nick Griffin to go down and Hamza to walk. What is it they say -- 'Ensallah.'

Posted by: FallingProphet at February 7, 2006 9:38 AM

I'll bet you Brits are sorry you don't have the death penalty, aren't you?

What would it take to bring it back, even if only for this sort of thing?

If the US ever catches Osama, there won't be any need to worry about him preaching from prison or living off the taxpayers dollars because we're going to send him back to Saudi Arabia in a box.

(Now, if we just had the guts to embalm him with pig's blood and bury him under a walkway into the 9/11 memorial so everyone visiting would have to step on his grave on the way in and out.)

Posted by: Big G In TX at February 7, 2006 9:59 AM

From the BBC story:

"Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald QC said Abu Hamza had preached "a dangerous mix of hatred and violence" that "had nothing to do with the true teachings of Islam as it is practised peacefully and tolerantly by millions of people in Britain and around the world"."

Yet another clueless twerp.

Posted by: Anthony at February 7, 2006 10:00 AM

"The jury didn't buy Abu Hamza's defense that he was just teaching the Qur'an,"
"Hamza guilty of inciting murder,"

I guess the jury must have at least tacitly assumed that the Koran incites murder.

Posted by: Archimedes at February 7, 2006 10:07 AM

Titfortat,

The person you may be referring to could well be Anjem Choudary, spokesman of al-ghuraba an offshoot from al-mouhajiroun, which was led by Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad. He, who decided to desert his UK residence and scuttle off to Lebanon saving the British government from arresting him.

Choudary was one of the organisers who so admirably alerted most Britons and people throughout the rational secular world to the hate festering within radical Islam through their unmolested demonstration in London on Friday 3rd February. That this demo was allowed to proceed with its hate filled placards was as far as I am concerned a master stroke because - as no police action was taken at that time - it has enraged so many. However, the perpetrators can now be picked off one by one and dealt with. I see that soft lad crack and smack dealing fake suicide bomber has been lifted and thrown back in jail. Good job he’s not in any one of his fellows Muslim countries in’it?

Anjem Choudary also appeared on BBC's Newsnight on 6th of February with three other prominent Muslims and made an absolute idiot of himself as well as personally insulting and truly appalling his fellow Muslim guests.

Great exposure! Well done BBC. Put Anjem Choudary on every day. Oh and while you are at it repeat the interview post 7/7 with that smarmy Abu Izzedine. Let the nation get to know these people by name, by face and by their words. Let’s start to make things difficult for them. Lets make their lives a misery.

Posted by: Turbinehead at February 7, 2006 10:26 AM

"Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald QC said Abu Hamza had preached "a dangerous mix of hatred and violence" that "had nothing to do with the true teachings of Islam as it is practised peacefully and tolerantly by millions of people in Britain and around the world"."

I think it'd be a good idea to put the 'Prophet' himself on trial for hate speech and incitement to murder. The Qu'ran and Ahadith have ample evidence. Once that's done, why not try him for theft, murder, statutory rape...maybe once that's done the West won't see those cartoons as all too bad in the face of the leader they're caricaturing.

Posted by: L.A.P. at February 7, 2006 10:35 AM

apparently hamza was heard to say "he couldn't see the point of all of this and couldn't put his finger on the problem"

also the prosecution replied "we are happy with the result we wanted to get him hook or by crook"

Posted by: tancred at February 7, 2006 11:40 AM

"The jury didn't buy Abu Hamza's defense that he was just teaching the Qur'an..."

But that is exactly what he WAS doing! Nothing Cap'n Hook said could not be found in Islamic teachings!

I thought (and hoped) that he would get at least 20 years. 7 years, with parole for 'good behaviour', means he will probably be out in 3 or 4 years. Please bear this in mind over there in America - don't wait the full seven years to start your extradition procedures!

Posted by: Aardvark at February 7, 2006 1:57 PM

Turbinehead, I only regret that they cut Choudary short in the program after he declared that the whole globe belongs to Allah. I wish he had been allowed to produce a copy of the Koran and support his view with a few quotations. I guess this is what a couple of the others from the debate would find a bit embarrassing! I like what the UK Independent Party represenatative siad about multi-culti failure. Will have to find out more about my potential election candidate as i no longer trust either Labour nor Tories.

Posted by: Polish infideless at February 7, 2006 5:38 PM

Dear Polish infideless, greetings!

Do not worry or even think at this stage about not supporting the major UK political parties.... they are getting the message. My local radio talk show, on Monday - a BBC one by the way - seemed unprepared for the outrage (and I was also) and the eloquence of people standing against the fascists of Islam. People are learning fast. The political parties will adapt fast. Trust me. The word is getting around. Defenders of free speech are riled and are on the move. The Fascists of Islam damn themselves by their own words…and more people now see it.

This site is working.

Posted by: Turbinehead at February 7, 2006 6:44 PM

But our friend Hook WAS in fact practicing Islam. By the book!

Too bad the UK jury couldn't sentence Islam to death and subsequent oblivion for being the quintessence of absolute evil (which it clearly is).

For those who haven't noticed, Islam constitutes conspiracy to commit multiple homicides by western legal codes. Murder is in most western democracies a CAPITAL CRIME. Look it up.

Islam's defense of being a 'religion' cannot render it untouchable by western laws. Islam must be held accountable for the murders it commits.

Hook deserved what he got. And so do plenty of other imams across the globe. And they know it.

Posted by: pythagoras at February 7, 2006 10:57 PM

Abu Hamza was prosecuted to help him avoid extradition to the United States. His lawyers will now have more time to prepare their case against his extradition while raking in legal aid from UK tax payers. He was sentenced to 'seven-years', yet newspaper reports say he will only serve 20 months maximum.

Posted by: SleepyCat at February 8, 2006 2:51 AM

Oh, right, thanks for reminding me SleepyCat. This is the guy that's also facing US charges. If and when he faces extradition to the US, all the Brits reading here need to contact their representatives and ask them not to require the US to agree not to execute him as a condition of extradition. We don't want him preaching from our jails, either. All we want is a quiet, whispered "Allah Akbar" as the execution chemicals course through his veins.

Posted by: Big G In TX at February 8, 2006 10:06 AM