Birmingham brothers 'fighting for Taliban'

Dec 6 2009 by Ben Goldby, Sunday Mercury

THE former Midland recruiting chief of radical Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir has revealed how he recruited hundreds of Midland students – including six who went on to fight for the Taliban.

The 29-year-old says he signed up Muslims attending Aston University, University of Birmingham and the University of Central England.

He also claimed half a dozen Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) recruits went to fight as Taliban soldiers against UK troops in Afghanistan, warning that others could still join terror groups.

Earlier this year, the Sunday Mercury reported that British troops had discovered an Aston Villa tattoo on the body of a dead Taliban fighter in the battlefields of Hellmand province.

UK soldiers also said they heard Brummie accents amongst the enemy, adding to fears that brainwashed Birmingham Muslims are fighting against our boys.

And in an exclusive interview the former HuT recruitment chief, who now opposes the extremist party, said his former recruits had become Jihadists.

“I remember one group of members from Birmingham, including two brothers from Perry Barr, who went to fight in Afghanistan,’’ he recalled.

“They were recruited by HuT and given their extremist ideology.

‘‘They believed it was their religious duty to fight against British soldiers invading Muslim lands. No one could stop them, they wanted to take part in Jihad.’’

He added: “People radicalised by HuT go on to join Jihadi organisations, I have seen it happen. There is a strong ideological connection with terror groups.

“There will still be individuals who start in HuT and go over to fight in Afghanistan and become terrorists.