REVISIT

The internet was down for a bit, it comes back on and the whole world is revisiting my story.

WikiLeaks: Guantánamo Bay terrorists radicalised in London to attack Western targets
Islamist extremism: so did we cure the problem? (Andrew Gilligan, interesting article)
Why does Britain have an Islamist problem while America doesn't? Answer: the welfare state (Stupid question, stupid answer, as America has been revealing its own small scale Islamist problem and the very different methods they use to try and contain it)
'35 terrorists incarcerate at Guantanamo sent to fight West'
'Al-Qaeda assassin worked for MI6', secret cables claim

WikiLeaks: how Britain 'became a haven for migrant extremists’

'Guantanamo prisoners held ties to BBC'
London Mosques Train Muslims for Terrorism

US feared London mosque was extremist 'haven': WikiLeaks

US tipped off about al-Qaida cell that did not exist

How political correctness encouraged British-made Islamism (very funny)

Nothing new or surprising really. Hamza was recruiting people to train for Jihad in Afghanistan. The Americans picked up a lot of international Jihadis there. Nothing connecting Hamza with attacks on the west yet, but I suppose once people are out there they must be introduced to the theory. Hajj always said Hamza was against attacks on the west, and the Police have never picked him up yet.

Everyone I met in Finsbury said they just wanted a fight back for Islamic law in Muslim countries. This is consistent with what he has said in his defence and even on the sometimes chilling tapes which have since become famous. In his defence Mohammed Hamid referred to a debate going on at Finsbury as to whether attacks on the west were justified.

Its still impossible to tell what has really been happening as regards to Hamza, especially when the US wikileaks also contains stories like this

Wikileaks: 255 Guantanamo Bay detainees incriminated on claims of eight inmates

This is what I was picking up in 2003. Hamza said this all the time in front of very impressionable young Muslims and it never ever got to TV. Everyone will draw their own conclusions based on what they think already. The story for me is something from the past until Atilla wants to speak I suppose. Meanwhile the banned Islam4UK have metamorphosed into Muslims Against Crusades and are warning everyone about an imminent Al Qaeda inspired attack tomorro..



UPDATE: I thought this was quite funny from the Pakistan Observer who reckon the intelligence community run the lot.

THE NORMAL PEOPLE IN COURT

Once Atilla and the crew had been seen off from Finsbury I never went back or was ever really curious about the new trustees. Some company approached me about using my footage in conjunction with a proposal they were doing about filming the new posse. I forget what happened. Well obviously it didn't happen but I don't know why not.

Anyway it was very interesting to see them all up close in Episode 3 of the BBC's excellent series See You in Court. I didn't really develop any more opinion about them from watching this than I did on the street when I saw them, but you can't watch this series without developing really strong opinion about lawyers. Trial watching over the years I have never got a good feeling from either prosecution or defence. The system feels alarming in all sorts of ways.

I do remember the Newsnight piece about these Policy exchange people though. I am glad this doco gave the mosque the publicity of seeing those worms wriggle out of the situation by legallese rather than standing up in court even though it cost them so much money.

Anyway as a blast from the past- here is my film from the first Friday the new trustees took over. I only ever really revisit these films myself to clean the youtube numbskulls comment-turds up.

MY BROTHER THE ISLAMIST

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b010758h/My_Brother_the_Islamist/

Do check out this doco as it is great. Just the sort of thing I wanted to make all those years ago. Because the guy is the film makers brother he is allowed to tell a realistic story about the good and the worrying things about his brother rather than one wrapped up in a load of crap. Good on him.

More about the experience here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12900460
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