Remembering Yassar

Cross posted from facebuk-

I am very very sad to hear of the passing of Yasar. The friendliest person I met with Abu Hamzas posse way back at the start of the Iraq war in 2003, guys who all had reason to distrust cameras at the time I started my Malung TV escapades.

Yasar always remained a very wise friend through the ups and downs of the Finsbury park story and my own ups and downs I had shared with him on occasions over the years since. I had seen him very irregularly over the last few years but I brought him some dates back last time I was in Saudi and was intending to this time. I pray he is enjoying dates somewhere inshallah and I will miss his laugh and his wisdom very much. He actually inspired one of the main characters of my frequently stalled cartoon and now I will never know if he approved or not.

I will post a link to the only video we did together below. He always laughed at how many Muslims came up to him referencing the video and he would complain about the title though he was always laughing about it as well and never asked me to change it.

I almost filmed more of his story many many times which I so much regret not doing as he was such a mine of information on the early UK jihadi scene, from reversion from a party lifestyle like mine he describes with such humour in the video through to a link up with Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal and on to Abu Hamza when el- Faisal challenged Hamza to a debate he allegedly failed to turn up to. We disagreed on so much which seems insurmountable in theory but as you will see in the video in conversation so much humanity would shine through and now it is gone. Bless you Yasar.

"if they allowed the TV all over the world to let people speak their real opinions we would sort out our trouble in no time. Get rid of these politicians" - Yasar.