Muslim teen who tried to join Islamic State echoed Muhammad’s words about martyrdom

“He also posted an image on Facebook on August 31, last year, writing: ‘I wish I could fight in the cause of Allah and then be killed, and then fight, and then be killed, and then fight, and then be killed.'”

In saying that, Mahmood was echoing words attributed to Muhammad, the prophet of Islam: “Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, ‘By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Were it not for some men amongst the believers who dislike to be left behind me and whom I cannot provide with means of conveyance, I would certainly never remain behind any Sariya’ (army-unit) setting out in Allah’s Cause. By Him in Whose Hands my life is! I would love to be martyred in Allah’s Cause and then get resurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then get martyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred.'” (Bukhari 4.52.54)

If we didn’t have John Kerry and David Cameron and Pope Francis and the rest to set us straight, we might almost get the idea that all this had something to do with Islam.

“Brit teen ‘tries to join ISIS after becoming fascinated by sick beheading videos,'” by Rebecca Perring,Express, October 28, 2015:

Ednane Mahmood, 19, searched “British man beheaded” on his laptop before downloading the video showing the execution of David Haines, alongside fellow captive Alan Henning kneeling on the ground, Manchester Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Julian Evans told the jury Mahmood “undeterred by this graphic and violent imagery” began looking up cheap flights to Bulgaria and Turkey.

Not long after he fled his home in Blackburn, Lancashire, in the early hours to attempt to travel to Syria leaving a letter addressed, “to family”, stating his intentions.

But his family tipped off police who intercepted him and the teenager is now on trial charged with attempting to travel to Syria to commit acts of terrorism.

Mahmood denies the charge and also pleaded not guilty to two counts of providing others with internet links to speeches and propaganda.

Wearing a grey suit, he listened intently as jurors were told that he left his family home by taxi on September 18 last year to board a flight from Manchester Airport to Bulgaria.

Mahmood was then to purchase a return flight to the Bulgaria’s capital of Sofia on September 15, last year, so as not to arouse suspicions.

Mr Evans said: “Mr Mahmood planned to travel to Syria with the intention of committing acts of terrorism. That is the overwhelming inference to be drawn from the nature of the subjects he was researching and the material he was viewing in the lead up to his departure.

“He took that early morning flight intending to travel to Syria to engage in acts of terrorism, that is namely to fight in Syria with and on behalf of the group or organisation then known as ISIS.

“When he left he did so with little money, few possessions and did so with no means of communicating with others.”

The court heard how the teenager’s family were unaware of their son’s plans and on the day that the fled they reported him missing to the police, who found a latter explaining Mahmood’s intentions when they searched his home.

Mr Evans added: “He was telling his family in the clearest terms that he was leaving the comforts of his life in the UK in order to fight abroad on behalf of Allah and on behalf of Muslims.

“He did not care what others might think of him and his decision and he was well aware that he was putting himself in harm’s way and that he might die as a consequence.”

Mahmood’s interest in the terror group and Syria was said to have developed some time from 2012.

But in the months before he fled, his searches became “increasingly acute”.

In one private Facebook message, promoting ISIS as unstoppable, he wrote: “I love this vid.”

An examination from the Toshiba laptop found at his family home showed that he posted links to ISIS videos showing militants shooting soldiers and suicide bombers.

And in August last year he appeared to describe ISIS as the “victorious group”.

The court heard how later that month he searched YouTube for terms over the American journalist James Foley, who was brutally executed by the sick jihadis.

He also posted an image on Facebook on August 31, last year, writing: “I wish I could fight in the cause of Allah and then be killed, and then fight, and then be killed, and then fight, and then be killed.”