Totally Jewish reports that one of the suspected terrorists being held in Guantanamo Bay is a former pupil of a Jewish school. As amazing as this sounds, what I find more amazing is the reaction of his childhood friend:
A British man being held at the US detention centre in Guantanamo Bay on terrorist charges is a former pupil of a Birmingham Jewish school it has emerged.
Moazzem Begg, 35, attended King David Jewish primary school, which admits non Jewish pupils who are taught alongside Jewish students, more than 20 years ago.
The story of his Jewish schooling was revealed by a former classmate, Mischa Moselle, who wrote to the Guardian newspaper after recognising the Brit in a newspaper photo.
In the letter Moselle, who is currently living in Hong Kong, expressed surprise that Begg, “my old mate”, was being tried by the Americans.
The letter read: “I realise it is possible for a person to change over 24 years. It has been that long since I saw my primary school friend Moazzam Begg, currently a detainee in Guantanamo Bay and facing a possible death sentence from the US government.
“However, I feel it is impossible that this organiser of a charitable school in Afghanistan took away none of the liberal ideas imparted by the King David Jewish junior and infants school in Birmingham.
“I would urge all those in a position to do so to put as much pressure as possible on the relevant authorities to see that my old mate “Mozambique” gets a fair trial. My thoughts are with Moazzam and his family.”
I suspect that Mr Moselle harbors a perverse fondness for the idea of being a Jewish “mate” to a suspected Muslim terrorist. How else can you explain his totally inappropriate comments? If he truly wanted to express his hope that Begg receive a fair trial, I am sure he could have articulated this in a less offensive way.
Perhaps Mr Moselle can start thinking about the victims of the terror crimes of which his “old mate Mozambique” stands accused.
