A British Muslim who called for Sept. 11-style attacks across Europe during a protest outside London’s Danish embassy was convicted on Thursday of stirring up racial hatred.
But a jury at London’s Old Bailey was unable to reach a verdict on a separate charge of soliciting murder after he was said to have called for the “indiscriminate killing” of UK troops in Iraq. He had denied both charges.
Web designer Mizanur Rahman had also called for France to be bombed in a speech at demonstrations in February against the publication of cartoons in a Danish newspaper that many Muslims considered insulting to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad .
Prosecutors said a retrial was likely over the soliciting murder charge but they would leave a final decision until Friday. Rahman, 23, was remanded in custody pending the prosecution decision.
‘We want to see another 9/11’
Prosecutor David Perry had told the jury that Rahman’s words at the rally had been clear and unambiguous.
“What he said was this: ‘Oh Allah, we want to see another 9/11 in Iraq, another 9/11 in Denmark, another 9/11 in Spain, in France, all over Europe.
“Bomb, bomb France. Bomb, bomb France. Nuke, nuke France. Nuke, nuke France,’” Perry quoted Rahman as saying, adding that the reference to France may have been prompted by a French newspaper reprinting the Danish cartoons.
The demonstration, where some protesters dressed as suicide bombers and others waved placards praising the 2005 London bombings which killed 52 people, attracted widespread condemnation.
Politicians, the media and many prominent Islamic groups such as the mainstream Muslim Council of Britain called for those involved to be prosecuted.
Perry told the court Rahman had also called for “indiscriminate killing” of British troops in Iraq.
“‘We want to see them coming home in body bags. We want to see their blood running in the streets of Baghdad and Fallujah,” Rahman had said, according to Perry.
Muslims around the world demonstrated against the cartoons.