A man who allegedly planned a Daesh-style terror attack involving an 18-inch sword and recorded a rap about “sending bombs” has gone on trial in the UK.
The Old Bailey in London heard how Sahayb Abu, 27, ordered a sword-like “Qama” knife, another smaller blade and a bulletproof vest online, while allegedly planning for an attack to be carried out in Britain during the coronavirus pandemic.
The court also heard how Abu, whose two brothers were killed fighting for Daesh in Syria, sent his surviving brothers raps about “eliminating foes” and seeing “many Lee Rigby’s heads rolling on the ground.”
British soldier Lee Rigby was murdered in London in 2013 by two Islamist extremists.
Abu is on trial along with one of his brothers, Muhamed Abu, 32, who denies knowing that Sahayb was planning an act of terror and failing to report it to the police.
Jurors in the trial were told how Sahayb discussed targeting a Shiite Muslim cleric in an extremist chat group online and allegedly praised the September 11 attacks, posting in the group: “We need a Sept. 11 2.0,” the Independent reported.
Prosecutor John McGuinness told the court that Sahayb had searched online for Daesh as well as terror attacks in the UK, France and Germany dozens of times, and had written that Islam was about “killing infidels.”
Last June, he also searched for embassy locations, including the US, Russian and Israeli embassies in London, jurors were told.
According to the prosecution, Sahayb made contact with an undercover police officer through an extremist chat group on the Telegram chat app called “Servants of the Unseen,” where he discussed purchasing guns, which were referred to in code as “toys” and “sweets.”
McGuinness added that Sahayb and his brother shared “extremist views and violent mindsets” and that they supported the “beliefs, aims and methods” of Daesh.
Following his arrest, Sahayb denied preparing for an act of terror and supporting Daesh.
He claimed to police he had ordered the knife because “it looked cool” and that he wanted to use it in rap videos known as “drill videos.”
The court also heard how Sahayb told detectives he had joined the extremist chat group to “flirt with girls,” and had been searching for Daesh online to find out what happened to his “martyred” brothers in Syria.
The trial continues.
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(c) 2021 the Arab News
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