An Imam in Manchester reportedly ‘called for armed jihad’ at the mosque where Salman Abedi, the Manchester Arena bomber, regularly attended 6 months before the attack.
That’s the verdict of Muslim scholars after BBC News obtained a recording that reportedly suggests the Imam, Mustafa Graf, said: “We ask Allah to grant them Mujahideen – our brothers and sisters right now in Aleppo and Syria and Iraq – to grant them victory.”
Graf is also reported to have said: “Jihad for the sake of Allah is the source of pride and dignity for this nation.”
10 days after the sermon Salman Abedi is thought to have bought a ticket to the Ariana Grande concert. He would go on to murder 22 people, including many children.
Muslim scholar Shaykh Rehan said: “He’s giving them the narrative of them against us.
“He is psychologically and practically brainwashing young people into either travelling or to do something to take action.”
Mustafa Graf denies calling for armed jihad.
According to the BBC, at least 5 men from the Didsbury Mosque in Manchester who have attended prayers, have either travelled to Syria or have been imprisoned for terrorism offences in the past.