Teacher ‘backed brother’s suicide bomb attempt’

A MEMBER of the first British suicide bomb mission to Israel was encouraged to go by his sister, a court heard yesterday.

A week before Omar Sharif took part in an attack which killed three people, his teacher sister Parveen sent him an e-mail telling him to be strong, London’s Old Bailey was told.

On the day of the attack, the 27-year-old Derby man’s bomb failed to explode and he fled. His body was found in the sea off Tel Aviv 12 days later.

A second bomb was exploded by his accomplice Asif Hanif, 21, from Hounslow, west London, at the Mike’s Place bar which the two men had targeted.

Hanif died along with three other people. The blast on April 30, last year, also injured 65 people.

Parveen Sharif denies inciting her brother to commit an act of terrorism.

Jonathan Laidlaw prosecuting said the attack was sponsored and organised by Palestinian group Hamas.

Also in the dock were Sharif’s wife Tahira Tabassum, 28, and 37-year-old brother Zahid, both accused under the Terrorism Act.

The three suspects, who are all from Derby, deny failing to disclose information about terrorism.

Mr Laidlaw said Hanif and Sharif became the first British Muslims to give up their lives and considered themselves martyrs to Islam and the Palestinian cause.

Mr Laidlaw alleged that all three defendants knew of Sharif’s intentions to carry out a suicide bombing.

Parveen, he said, “actively encouraged her brother to carry out the bombing”.

He added: “They did nothing to seek to prevent the loss of human life.”

The three denied knowing about Omar’s plans and said they thought he had gone to Syria to study.

The case was adjourned until today.