THE ZIONIST MEDIA

An "Extremist plot" unfolds...

You may remember I was asked if I had any pictures of these guys outside Finsbury park mosque a while back. I wasn't really keen on combing through footage to sell to TV news. Having started in 2003 with high hopes of making a TV documentary which would be useful, informative and above all, a step in the direction of some kind of peace process, for me, in 2007 to be looking through tapes for stills of people who have tried to blow up feels like a personal failure.

Nevertheless, its been an interesting experience as one of the first to contact me was Daniel Sandford from the BBC. I remembered Daniel from the first time I was in Finsbury park. It was very easy to see him through the eyes of the locals- one of the smart suited "Zionist media" enemy lined up against humble local Muslims. Such a long time later I was interested to see what I would make of him away from the mosque, and after a couple of emails he very graciously invited me in to the BBC and gave me the full tour includng a look in the newsroom and the edit suites around it as news was being made. I resisted temptation to sit in the chair and ask for the autocue to roll.

In his own "mission control" I laughed when I saw a signed picture of the then home secretary John Reid, thinking what the Islamists I had filmed would make of that. Up on the wall was also a picture of Goya's collosus.

"There was a reason for that but I can't remember it now.."

Looking along the wall, past pictures of the "Crevice" guys, the 7/7 bombers and the 21/7 plotters I eventually came to Abu Abdullah and Hamid. They didn't have any pictures of the others convicted with them. I must have pictures of them but I still don't know which ones they are.

Daniel said that focusing on Abdullah I had chosen the "most fun character" to do, and I can see why. He also thought Abdullah to be the least likely to have terror in his heart. Though the others in the newsroom were obviously busy they were all welcoming and I recognised one of them from the Hamza trial.

We had quite a frank discussion about perceptions of Finsbury park mosque. I put to him the Supporters of Sharreah's complaints, namely that Hamza on the street was preaching very strongly against terrorism and he wouldn't report it. He said that he thought Hamza spoke with a forked tongue. He'd say something which wasn't threatening and straight away add something which was.

"You've seen my examples?" I asked.

He seemed quite familiar with my stuff, including all the old stuff on Socialistwanker but didn't agree with my point of view.

"For me, the Hamza I saw on the street wasn't a preacher of hate. His defence in court was context, but he was judged in a post 7/7 context. " I think I said. Something along those lines anyway.

He didn't agree with that either and knew the guys who wrote The Suicide Factory personally, one of whom has since died. Yet as a fellow enthusiast for "the story" I felt he was still very much encouraging me to follow my own path in all this and sat without hurrying me for 2 or 3 hours giving me advice, which as I had all but given up, was very timely.

In conversation he told me that the Hamza story was no longer under subjudacy which hit me pretty hard as if I had known I would have tried to contact the Hamza family ages ago.

"If Mrs Hamza wants to talk she had better step on it as the extradition hearing could resume at any time.."

I'm on the case but I'm not hopeful.

We spoke a bit about the disturbingly catchy "Dirty Kuffar" song and Daniel said he often came away from the trials singing it. Daniel Sandford singing "Dirty Kuffar" as a "piece to camera" would be just the sort of thing I'd like to include in a film.

On the way out he took me throught the BBC canteen, past a load of media students on a tour. I was really embarrassed as the look of recognition came across people like a wave..

"Ah..Thats Daniel Sandford" and then they would look across and their face would say "WHO THE FUCK IS THAT???"

The next day I went round to Hajj's place.

"No one is going to speak out now." he said, as did another guy who was round who I never met before, but said he knew Abdullah.

"Hajj, he's facing 100 years. If there are people who can vouch for him, its now or never. I got the impression Daniel Sandford said the things he said about Hamza because that is what he believes, yet he still seemed to be saying to me -if you think you can get the other side, then go for it."

Hajj said he would contact the Hamza family.

"Still his children cry themselves to sleep since the day he was arrested. Why did they have to break into his house in the night with guns? He was a public character, they come like a thief in the night."

"Well Hajj, if you guys think so, then say so. Talk to the family, we'll see what we can do."

An idea occurred to me.

"Listen Hajj, if I asked Daniel to give you the same tour of the BBC he gave me, and you guys sat and had an informal chat, putting your views of all this to each other off the record, would you do it?"

His eyes bulged a bit at the idea of going into the "Zionist media epicentre" but he didn't say no.

"Look Hajj, I've always thought you could be central to some kind of solution with all of this which is why I've stayed in contact with you.."

"I just don't want you to go to hellfire, which is where you are headed.." he retorted.

"Look Hajj, I respect that coming from you as I know you care about me, so I'll try and explain to you my beliefs about God and why I hold them.."

I started explaining but he soon lost interest and started dozing.

I hadn't found any images of the 21/7 guys for Daniel, but over the next week or so I started to find quite a few lost bits on the end of tapes, so when someone from Channel 4 emailed I thought I might as well take the tapes in for them to look through for themselves. Compared to the BBC "news hub" Channel 4 is more ramshackle with the staff still living out of boxes after some sort of unfinished reorganisation. As a lot of my tapes were recorded long play we spent most of the time looking for a firewire lead.

I ended up in the newsroom at a desk behind Jon Snow. I've always wanted to meet him, but as he looked round curiously at 6:45, with the news starting at 7 it didn't seem to be the best time to try and introduce myself.

Shame.

Oh and I haven't got any pictures of the 21/7 guys.