You have to give Haroon Syed credit for good taste, but nonetheless, his remedy for this Elton John concert was a bit extreme.
“Judge Michael Topolski QC adjourned sentencing until June 8 for a probation and psychiatric report to be done.”
Of course, because Western authorities always assume that jihadis must be insane. They assume that Islam is a Religion of Peace, and so anyone who plots mass murder in its name has to be crazy, right?
“Teenager admits plotting terror attack on Elton John concert in Hyde Park,” by Tom Powell, Evening Standard, April 27, 2017:
A teenager faces jail after plotting a bomb attack on an Elton John concert in Hyde Park.
Haroon Syed, 19, from Hounslow, pleaded guilty on Thursday at the Old Bailey to a charge of preparation of terrorist acts between April and September last year after a last-ditch attempt to get his case thrown out failed.
The court heard how Syed tried to get weapons online, including a bomb vest or explosives, and trawled the web to find a busy area in the capital such as Oxford Circus to launch a mass casualty attack.
Syed was caught chatting online with officers from the British Security Service who posed as a fellow extremist who could help him source the weapons.
Judge Michael Topolski QC adjourned sentencing until June 8 for a probation and psychiatric report to be done. He said Syed faced a “discretionary life sentence”.
As Syed was being drawn in by agents, his older brother was jailed for plotting an Islamic State-inspired Poppy Day attack.
At an earlier hearing, the court heard how key evidence was gathered from Syed’s communications with the fake contact Abu Yusuf via mobile phone and social media.
Syed asked for “gear” for his “op” and when asked to give details, he said he needed a machine gun and an explosive vest “so after some damage with machine gun do martyrdom … that’s what I’m planning to do.”
When Abu Yusuf said it would be costly, the defendant told him he was “broke” but pressed on, saying: “You have to find out the price for the machine gun, any gun.”
Initially Syed cried off meeting his contact, complaining that he was being followed by police who will “have eyes on me if I come”.
An officer pretended to be Abu Yusuf when they did finally get together at a Costa Coffee in Slough and their conversation was taped.
Throughout August, the discussions continued about making or getting a bomb and acquiring a gun, even though Syed confessed he had never used one before.
On August 30, Syed stressed that he needed a “portable” device, saying: “I might put the bomb in the train and then I’m going to jump out so the bomb explodes on the train … So ask the brother if he can make that type of bomb with button.”
Meanwhile, he researched targets and they arranged to pick up the bomb in exchange for £150 the following week.
Syed asked Abu Yusuf to make sure there were lots of nails in it and added: “I was thinking of Oxford Street … If I go to prison, I go to prison. If I die, I die, you understand.”
He searched the internet for IS, past terrorist attacks, and potential locations which included an Elton John concert in Hyde Park on September 11 last year.
Police moved in to arrest the defendant at his home on September 8 and his phone was seized. Asked for the password to unlock the device, Syed said: “Yeah I.S.I.S – you like that?”
In legal papers prepared for his defence, Syed was described as “highly vulnerable due to family history, lack of education, addiction to violent online games and the arrest and imprisonment of his brother”.
He was groomed by radicals online but he never intended to carry out an attack as his chats with the agent were a “fantasy to see how far it would go”, according to his defence statement.
Syed entered his guilty plea in the wake of an unsuccessful attempt to either get the case thrown out, or exclude the key evidence from the online chat.
His lawyer Mark Summers QC argued he should have been given help by the Prevent de-radicalisation group rather than steered in the opposite direction.
He said: “The proper response of the State should have been to engage Prevent to help this young man, to steer him away from the path it was feared he was going down, rather than guiding him down it.”…
Jihadi John says
What a devout Muslim. He can do anything to please Allah.
What devotion, what commitment towards Allah SWT.
It brings water to my eyes.
Monty says
I’m with you on Elton John…….. but no, the method is unacceptable. Interesting how Muslims are presumed to be crazy. The Soviet Union decided that anyone who believed in God was insane and used that as an excuse to lock people up or send them to the gulags. That’s a great idea, I reckon. Declare all Muslims insane and send them to a Muslim country for therapy. If they are not born Muslims they may well recant. It won’t help much as they will be killed if they try to walk away from Islam. Any excuse to deport Muslims will do.
mortimer says
LIFE-STYLE JIHAD. He intended to punish Westerners for 1) performing MUSIC with MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS (haram!) and 2) allowing men and women to mingle unchaperoned and unveiled (double haram!)
The dirty kafirs don’t deserve to live!! All Mohammedans know that. A number of jihad attacks have occurred in discos and concerts for the above reasons.
If law enforcement and the legal profession do not STOP GUESSING and LEARN THE JIHAD DOCTRINE, such attacks will continue and they will continue to GUESS that the jihadists are ‘INSANE’.
They are NOT insane… they are INDOCTRINATED WITH SUPREMACISM.
Question for LAWYERS, JUDGES and POLICE DETECTIVES: “What is it that a SUPREMACIST wants?”
Ed Lee says
Robert, in your denigration of Elton John, you sound like the Christian preachers in 1956 and 1957 who were burning Elvis Presley records, claiming that rock ‘n’ roll was going to cause the fall of western civilization. You have pointed out here, many times, that Islamic authorities forbid any musical endeavors. You should be defending Elton (and all other musicians) not badmouthing him.
Karl says
Denigrating? Did Robert remove thae comments about Elton?
Boston Tea Party says
Now I’m not on board with Islam in pronouncing a death sentence, but in fairness, “Candle in the Wind” does at least warrant a beating.
Jeanette says
Because it lauds someone without enough sense to stay clear of Muslim men, or because you just don’t like it?
Just curious – I have little feeling about that song either way.
Boston Tea Party says
Ayatollah Khomeini said “There is no humor in Islam.” I, on the other hand, have a sense of humor. Also, that song blows, as does all of Elton John’s music.
Michael says
Boston, interesting that Khomeini said that. No humor in Islam. No humor, no life. Crush humor, crush laughter, and you crush life.
Stewart Davies says
It is abundantly clear to anyone with even half-a-brain that Robert was merely being facetious. To liken what he said to the sheer lunacy of bible-belt USA in the 1950’s re Elvis Presley et al is preposterous. There was no intended humorous content in their words and actions. Maybe you should lighten up a bit?
jayell says
Absolutely, Mr. Davies. Dr. Spencer is to be applauded for very nobly having regard for our aesthetic sensibilities, and I also regretfully have to concur with his sentiments. However, I seem to recall that Elton John spent quite a number of his formative years in the Junior section of the Royal Academy of Music. I wonder what went wrong.
marina says
His lawyer Mark Summers QC argued he should have been given help by the Prevent de-radicalisation group rather than steered in the opposite direction.
Does this lawyer know that de -radicalisation never works?
Richard says
Didn’t know Wolfman Jack had converted to Islam…
Oliver says
Isn’t Elton John one of the Muslim (and other lefty causes) defenders?
Karl says
No. Elton hates all religions.
Michael says
well, the infamous ‘psychiatric report’ will find him ‘unbalanced’ … sick, perverted, inhumane, obsessed with death and violence … enough to get a good Muslim off these days!
livingengine says
Elton John – Rock Star
Alien Republican says
Pleading for insanity is like pleading for not being fully human – subhuman.
Don Spitz says
Elton John, the sodomite, claimed that the Lord Jesus Christ was a homosexual just like Elton John himself. He refuses to retract what he said.
Jeanette says
How did he claim that he came by this information? He certainly wasn’t there at the time!
Or does he claim that he was there, and has been reincarnated as a pop songster?