"Neighbours of the Manchester synagogue attacker reported concerns to police about him and a family member being radicalised and attempting to preach the Qur'an to local children, the Guardian has been told. Police have said Jihad al-Shamie, 35, did not appear to be known to counter-terrorism officials before he attacked a Heaton Park synagogue leading to the deaths of two worshippers on Yom Kippur."
"However, people who knew the family said on Monday they had concerns about the apparently fanatical interest in Islam shown by the killer and another family member in recent years. One neighbour said everything changed during the Covid pandemic when Shamie and the other relative started wearing traditional Islamic dress, holding private gatherings in the garden and attempting to preach the Qur'an on their quiet suburban street."
Neighbours reported concerns to police that Jihad al-Shamie and a family member were becoming radicalised and attempted to preach the Qur'an to children. The family adopted traditional Islamic dress, held gatherings and changed behaviours during the Covid pandemic, prompting a report to Greater Manchester police in summer 2020 or 2021. Police said al-Shamie did not appear to be known to counter-terrorism officials before he attacked a Heaton Park synagogue on Yom Kippur, killing two worshippers. Witnesses heard him shout a grievance about 'killing our children' as he tried to break in armed with a knife; he was shot dead by police. The force said he may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]