Radical Muslim Afsor Ali guilty of possessing ‘terrorist manuals’

 
Guilty: Afsor Ali, 27, of Bethnal Green has been found guilty of terrorist offences (Picture: Getty)
getty images
Alexandra Rucki8 August 2014
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A London underground security worker has been found guilty of possessing terrorist manuals.

Afsor Ali, 27, of Bethnal Green, claimed the 9/11 attacks were a blessing and kept a library of terror manuals, including tutorials with radical preacher Omar Bakri, the Old Bailey has heard.

The court heard he also made YouTube videos where he warned of a terrorist attack during Prince William and Kate’s wedding and called for a Burn American Flag Day.

Ali was on trial for having the al-Qaeda magazine Inspire and terrorist manual “39 Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad” on his computers and MP3 player.

He was originally arrested in December 2011 while he was leading a violent protest against drone strikes in Pakistan.

A residential address was searched as part of the investigation and officers found documents deemed likely to be useful to terrorists.

After a search of another two east London addresses Ali was charged with possession of documents or records containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The court heard he was spokesman of banned extremist group Muslims Against Crusades, receiving personal counselling from by Bakri, the militant cleric dubbed the Tottenham Ayatollah.

Commander Duncan Ball, of counter terrorism command, said: "Afsor Ali has been found guilty of being involved in terrorism offences. We continue to target those who support, or are involved in terrorist acts and where there is evidence to support prosecutions we will put those responsible before the courts."

Ali has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on August 12 at the Old Bailey.

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