Birmingham robber given £10,000 to fight terror

Nov 29 2008

A CONVICTED robber who converted to Islam after being jailed for 12 months has been handed £10,000 funding by Midland police and council leaders.

Bilal Davis, aged in his 30s, was given the cash to set up Inner-City Guidance in Birmingham to prevent youth offending and radicalisation of vulnerable Muslim teenagers.

The company is currently £10,000 in debt due to rent arrears.

Mr Davis set up the firm after spending 10 years at the University of Medina in Saudi Arabia where he studied Salafi Islam.

The university is hailed as a leading centre for the study of the ultra-conservative Salafi interpretation of Islam followed by Al Qaeda members.

Prior to converting to Islam Mr Davis, who also uses the name Abu Hakeem Bilal Davis, freely admits he was a member of the Birmingham gang, Inch-Hi, which became the notorious Johnson Crew, for six years.

The Inner-City Guidance website says it supports young people through a number of street-based youth workshops including sports and parenting schemes, one-to-one sessions, conferences and seminars. It also works in Birmingham schools.

Police sources and council officials believe Mr Davis is an ideal person to exert positive influence on youngsters at risk of falling into crime or at risk of being radicalised.

But he told the Sunday Mercury that while his project had achieved a great deal of success, it was struggling financially and owed more than £10,000 in rent arrears on its premises. He said he had been told bailiffs might arrive at any point to seize the firm’s assets.

Birmingham Respect councillor Salma Yaqoob said: “On one level it would seem that this person may well be an ideal person to exert positive influence on young people at risk of reoffending or being radicalised.

“But I do have real concerns about the fact that taxpayers’ money is being given to someone who has said that his organisation is heavily in debt, and who says he will have to use the money to clear rent arrears.

“It is essential that public funds intended to help young people at risk are put to use in the way that was intended. Anything less is a waste of funds and potential mismanagement.”

Mr Davis set up Inner-City Guidance in Hockley in 2005. He initially approached