Hamza 'unaware of bin Laden dedication'
Alleged race hate preacher Abu Hamza told jurors today that he was unaware that an encyclopaedia found at his house contained a dedication to Osama bin Laden.
The prosecution allege the “Encyclopaedia of Afghani Jihad” was a terrorism manual and included a passage suggesting a list of potential targets, including skyscrapers and Big Ben.
As he finished giving evidence in his defence at the Old Bailey, Hamza was asked about the encyclopaedia, which he said was given to him as a gift and had not read.
He said even if he had been aware of the dedication, bin Laden had not been a wanted man in 1994.
“He was not required by anyone. The Sudanese government even offered him to America. They said ‘we have a person here...’ They said ‘we do not need him’.
“He was only sought by the Americans after 1998.”
Hamza told the court he was interviewed at length by Scotland Yard officers about his sermons back in 1999.
He said subjects raised included “what provokes Muslims; what is so called suicide bombing evidence; the ideals of Muslims; who comes to this country; what would be provoking them; freedom of speech and the limits.”
At the end of his evidence Hamza again repeated his denial that he had either incited Muslims to kill or incited racial hatred.
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.
