Thursday, June 26, 2014

Terrorist Was Former Prayer Caller at Scottish Mosque...

A third jihadist featured in a recruitment video released by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been identified as a prayer caller at a city mosque in Aberdeen.
Abdul Rakib Amin settled in the northeast of Scotland with his family after travelling from Bangladesh.
As a teenager he attended the Aberdeen Mosque and Islamic Centre, where he volunteered as a "mu'adhdhin", someone who calls worshippers to prayer. 
Sources at the mosque have told Sky News that Amin "never, ever" showed radical tendencies. 
They say that if he had he would have been immediately reported to the police, with whom the mosque has a close relationship.
As a youngster, Amin also attended St Machar Academy in Aberdeen and friends in the city describe him as a well-integrated member of society who was a keen footballer player.
British jihadis
Amin appears alongside to Cardiff students in the ISIS video
Having grown up in the Froghall area of Aberdeen, he and his family moved to Leicester several years ago.
In the video posted on Youtube, Amin appears alongside two Cardiff students - Reyaad Khan and Nasser Muthana, both aged 20 - urging Westerners to join the fighting in Iraq and Syria.
ISIS has seized several cities and towns across northern and western Iraq in recent weeks in a lightning offensive which has put the Iraqi government on the back foot.
A member of Aberdeen's Muslim community who knew Amin told Sky News: "He was more of a lad than a regular attendee at the mosque. 
"He was a happy guy, played football - he was a good player and he supported Aberdeen. 
"I remember him as a hyper person, energetic and loud... not the type of person you'd expect to go and do this."
He said that the community wanted to distance themselves from Amin's actions in Syria.
ISI fighter stands guard at checkpoint near the city of Biji
ISIS fighters have captured many towns and cities in Iraq
"We don't want our community tainted because some idiot's gone commando."
Police and Cardiff's Muslim community have been trying to establish how Khan and Muthana were lured into fighting in Iraq and Syria.
Video has emerged of notorious Saudi cleric Mohammed al Arifi preaching at Cardiff's Al Manar mosque, attended by Khan and Muthana, as well as his brother Aseel who is also with ISIS.
Mr Arifi is banned from Switzerland for his extremist views - but has visited the UK several times.
However, trustees at the mosque have suggested the young men may have been radicalised online, rather than by members of Cardiff's Muslim community.
The parents of both young men have said they did not know of their sons' intentions to join the jihad and have pleaded for them to come home.
Meanwhile, Khalid Mahmood MP told Sky News that many more British Muslimsthan previously thought could have been recruited by Islamist militants.
"I imagine 1,500 certainly would be the lower end. If you look across the whole of the country, there's been a number of people going across," he said.

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