Preacher of hate 'who praised 7/7 bombers' is arrested

Abu Izzadeen, 31, a London-born convert, was being questioned over a speech he made apparently praising the London bombers and mocking victims of suicide attacks.

In an address in Birmingham last July, later posted on the Internet, he is said to have made fun of non-Muslims as "animals" and "cowards".

VIDEO: Watch one of Abu Izzadeen's speeches below. You may find some of his comments offensive.

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• Profile of an Extremist

Izzadeen, who has previously described the London bombers as "completely praiseworthy", identified with the views of Mohammad Sidique Khan, the ringleader of the London attacks.

He is claimed to have contrasted the supposed bravery of Khan's suicide to the "kuffar" (non Muslims) who are characterised as debauched binge-drinkers who vomit and urinate in the street.

The speech was peppered with jokes that brought laughter from his audience at a community centre in the Small Heath, five days before the first anniversary of the 7/7 bombings.

At one point he said that the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre "changed many people's lives". After a pause, he is said to have brought the house down by adding: "Especially those inside."

His comments came at a private meeting, thought to have been organised by the Islamic Research Forum.

But his speech reached a far bigger audience because a video was posted on an extremist group's website ahead of a memorial service for the 52 people killed by four suicide bombers on London transport.

After an investigation by Scotland Yard's Counter Terrorism Command, he was detained in Leyton, East London, Thursday.

Tensions increased in some sections of the Muslim community over police anti-terror tactics. Questions were asked about the timing of Izzadeen's arrest.

It follows the release of two men who were arrested in Birmingham in connection with an alleged plot to kidnap and behead a Muslim soldier.

Hours before Izzadeen was arrested, one of the nine suspects held over an alleged beheading plot claimed Britain had turned into a "police state for Muslims".

Abu Bakr spoke out after he and another man were released without charge after spending a week in custody.

Inayat Bunglawala, assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "Abu Izzadeen is a character who has made some incendiary remarks in the past. He is someone who the mainstream Muslim community has kept at a distance because of his attempts to create mischief.

"This arrest does not come as a surprise to many, I expect, however he is entitled to a fair trial and if police believe he has broken any laws he is entitled to due process."

But he added: "I think there will be some cynicism about the timing of this arrest, coming 24 hours after two men arrested last week were released without charge."

Radical Muslim leader Anjem Choudhury responded to news of Izzadeen's arrest by saying Muslims were now the subject of a "witchhunt".

Despite the Government's attempt to crack down on the "preachers of hate", Izzadeen, a former electrician born into a Christian family of Jamaican origin, has continued to speak out publicly.

Last September he interrupted the Home Secretary's speech at a public meeting in Leytonstone, East London.

John Reid asked Muslim parents to keep a close eye on their children and act if they suspected they were being radicalised. In front of TV cameras, Izzadeen shouted: "How dare you come to a Muslim area when over 1,000 Muslims have been arrested?

"You are an enemy of Islam and Muslims, you are a tyrant. Shame on all of us for sitting down and listening to him. State terrorism by British police."

Before being led from the building by police and stewards, Izzadeen said Dr Reid, Tony Blair and George Bush could "all go to hell".

Izzadeen came to prominence after refusing to condemn the 7/7 bombings. He is a former spokesman for the radical Islamic group Al Ghurabaa, an offshoot of Al Muhajiroun - both of which are now banned in the UK.

A separate video, apparently recorded by Izzadeen in 2004 and discovered on a password-protected extremist website, has been passed to police, who will assess whether his comments have broken the law.

Izzadeen, born Trevor Brooks, was arrested for an offence which carries a maximum seven-year jail sentence.