Hamza 'a recruiting sergeant for terrorism'

Alleged race hate cleric Abu Hamza was a recruiting sergeant for terrorism and murder, Old Bailey jurors were told today.

Prosecutor David Perry said: “He used the most dangerous weapons available - a great religion, Islam, his position as a civic leader and the power of words, his own words.”

He alleged that when Hamza gave evidence in his defence, “he did everything in his power to avoid answering questions”.

“Not only that, you may also think he betrayed his true nature and his own recognition of the fact that in his talks he was preaching terrorism, homicidal violence and hatred.”

Hamza made clear encouragements to kill when he gave lectures and sermons to various audiences, Mr Perry alleged as he began his closing speech for the prosecution.

The preacher had linked religious duty with a promise of spiritual reward.

“The defendant was a recruiting sergeant, a recruiting officer, for terrorism and murder,” Mr Perry told the court.

“In addition to his role as recruiting officer for homicidal violence, we say he was also preaching hatred.

“Through his threatening, abusive and insulting words, he preached hatred against Jews as a racial and ethnic group – not limited to Zionist Jews, or Jews in Israel, if that would not be bad enough. He preached hatred unqualified of the Jews.”

The jury has seen videos of Hamza preaching at the Finsbury Park mosque in north London.

“You may think, having seen these lectures and sermons, that for him Islam is not the inclusive, moderate and tolerant religion practised by millions, but a religion of bitterness, resentment and hostility.”

Hamza, 47, from west London, faces nine charges under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 alleging that he solicited others at public meetings to murder Jews and other non-Muslims.

He also faces four charges under the Public Order Act 1986 of “using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with the intention of stirring up racial hatred”.

A further charge alleges Hamza was in possession of video and audio recordings, which he intended to distribute to stir up racial hatred.

The final charge, under section 58 of the Terrorism Act, accuses him of possession of a document, the Encyclopaedia of the Afghani Jihad, which contained information “of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism”.

The cleric denies all the charges.