Stockholm suicide bomber ’stormed out of mosque over philosophical attitude to jihad’

LONDON - The Stockholm suicide bombings suspect, Taimour al-Abdaly, had reportedly stormed out of a British mosque where he worshipped after being confronted over his radical views.

Having moved to Luton to study in 2001, graduating three years later, Abdaly attended the town’s Islamic centre for a few months in 2007.

However, its Chairman, Qadeer Baksh, said that he tried to present a “distorted view of Islam”.

“We were challenging his philosophical attitude to jihad. He got so angry that he left. He was just supporting and propagating these incorrect foundations [of Islam], so I stepped in,” the Guardian quoted Baksh, as saying.

“I had no idea it would escalate to where it escalated. I thought that when he stormed off he was just angry at me. I heard afterwards that he was criticizing the mosque in general and me in particular at the university.”

“He said we were working for the British government and that we were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia. He was trying to defame our honour,” he added.

Despite the clashes, Baksh said that it was not his “job” to report Abdaly to the police or security services.

“It’s the police’s job, the intelligence service’s job to follow these people up, not ours. You can’t just inform on any Muslim having extreme views. In the past many Muslims have had extreme views, but have become good balance Muslims,” Baksh said. (ANI)