Our old friend Abu “Hook” Hamza was today convicted on 11 of the 15 terror and hate-related charges he faced, and sentenced to 7 years jail.
The radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza was today jailed for seven years at the Old Bailey after he was convicted of a string of race hate and terror charges.Sentencing him, Mr Justice Hughes said he had “helped to create an atmosphere in which to kill has become regarded by some as not only a legitimate course but a moral and religious duty in pursuit of perceived justice”.The judge said: “No one can now say what damage your words may have caused. No one can say whether you audience, present or wider, acted on your words.”But he added that his views had caused “real danger to the lives of innocent people in different parts of the world”.Hamza, 47, described by security sources as a key figure in the global Islamic terror movement, was convicted of 11 out of 15 charges by the Old Bailey jury on the fourth day of its deliberations.What the jurors were not told was that the former Imam at the controversial Finsbury Park Mosque in north London is also wanted in the US where is accused of terror charges.They were also unaware that when police raided the mosque in January 2003, they found an array of terrorist paraphernalia, including nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protective suits, blank firing weapons, a stun gun and a CS canister.
I am sure many people are breathing a huge sigh of relief over this verdict. But not everyone.
