Thanks for all the links. Here is a small picture I found of him at The Telegraph site.
Posted on 08/09/2002 2:41:15 PM PDT by blam
Terror suspect cleared
(Filed: 09/08/2002)
An Islamic convert was tonight looking to rebuild his life after he was cleared at the Old Bailey of trying to recruit terrorists through his website.
Sulayman Zain-ul-abidin was the first Muslim to be tried in England under the Terrorism Act 2000 following the September 11 attacks in America.
He maintained he had been made a "trophy" scapegoat and was cleared by the jury after five days of deliberations. He said nothing as he left court after his release.
Zain-ul-abidin, 44, from Ryan Close, Greenwich, south east London, was accused of setting up a web site offering people arms training in America in a bid to recruit Islamic terrorists.
But he told the jury he had become a terrorist scapegoat for September 11.
"September 11 happened and they have got to show the public they are fighting Islamic terrorism," he said.
"At the magistrates' court, the prosecutor said they had got 40 anti-terrorism officers on this case working 24 hours a day, seven days a week in 55 countries.
"Now I have appeared before the highest court in the land and what evidence have they produced? What was in my house all the time.
"It's a joke - the bottom line is that if September 11 never happened I wouldn't be standing here and trying to justify trying to make a business. "I'm their trophy, I'm their prize. They have got to convict me.
" Zain-ul-abidin said he was running a security service and disregarded any inquiries which thought he was recruiting people for a holy war.
He was fighting a war of words against attempts in the media to demonise Islam.
He denied inviting another to receive instruction or training in making or using firearms or explosives between February 20 and October 2, last year.
The web site advertised "the Ultimate Jihad Challenge" and offered courses in America.
The prosecution had alleged it was launched to "assist or prepare for terrorism".
Zain-ul-abidin was arrested three weeks after September 11 and two weeks after going to a London police station to complain that he did not feel safe after a newspaper article outlined what he was doing.
His web site offered live firearms training on a £3,000, two-week course in the United States, Mark Ellison, prosecuting, told the jury at the start of the case.
Thanks for all the links. Here is a small picture I found of him at The Telegraph site.
No. I saw that too. May be we have him confused with another?
Great!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.