One has to wonder just what DOES it take to qualify to be considered a terrorist and stay convicted under Britain's Terrorism Act. The "Lyrical Terrorist" Samina Malik had previously been convicted, under the act, having been found with materials that could be used in the conducting or planning of an act of terrorism. Yesterday under appeal - her conviction was overturned.
So clearly what the court is now saying is that the below acts, committed by Ms Malik, do not constitute "collecting information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.":
-Malik wrote extremist poems praising Osama Bin Laden on the back of till receipts while working at W H Smith at Heathrow Airport. In one poem, called The Living Martyrs, she called for Muslims to rise up against the infidels and she wrote and "instructional poem" How To Behead where she warned that the victim should be bound and blindfolded.
-Malik possessed a number of documents related to terrorism including the al Qaida Manual, the Terrorist's Handbook and the Mujahideen Poisons Handbook.
-Malik was a member of an extremist group linked to Omar Bakri Mohammed, a UK muslim preacher who spouted hate of non-muslims and fled to Lebanon from Britain three years ago.
-Malik had a profile on the social networking website Hi-5, where she called for the execution of 'depraved' Westerners.
-Malik, a British-born Muslim, listed her interests as helping the Mujahideen 'in any way I can'.
It would seem to me that surely the above list would be legitimate reasons to consider that Ms. Malik was undoubtedly acting in a manner and collecting information that would be used in inciting/preparing and committing an act of terrorism.
It should also be noted that "Earlier this year five Muslim men had their convictions quashed after the Appeal Court ruled that possessing Islamist videos and downloading jihadi propaganda did not constitute terrorist offences."
According to the article Ms Malik " was not in court yesterday when the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, sitting in the Court of Appeal with Mr Justice Goldring and Mr Justice Plender, said: 'We consider that there is a very real danger that the (previous) jury became confused and that the prosecution have rightly conceded that this conviction is unsafe.'
Thus - like the 5 muslims men mentioned above - Ms Malik's prior conviction was overturned. The Appeals Court use of the term "the conviction is unsafe" is particularly ironic as those who are now really unsafe are the British people whose judicial system clearly refuses to convict terrorists & keep them convicted. Thus these courts refuse to keep the British people out of harm's way.
Partial article below - link to article in title:
First woman to be found guilty under Terrorism Act has her conviction quashed
By Lucy Ballinger
Last updated at 11:24 PM on 17th June 2008
Samina Malik, who called herself the 'Lyrical Terrorist', won her appeal against conviction
An airport worker who wrote poems about beheadings and dubbed herself a 'lyrical terrorist' had her conviction for terrorist crimes quashed yesterday.
Samina Malik was the first woman to be convicted under the Terrorism Act after she was found guilty of collecting information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
The 24-year-old's successful appeal is another severe blow to the government's anti-terror legislation.
Earlier this year five Muslims had their convictions quashed after the Appeal Court ruled that possessing Islamist videos and downloading jihadi propaganda did not constitute terrorist offences.
Malik's case was one reviewed after the hearing.
She wrote extremist poems praising Osama Bin Laden on the back of till receipts while working at W H Smith at Heathrow Airport, and possessed a number of documents related to terrorism including the al Qaida Manual, the Terrorist's Handbook and the Mujahideen Poisons Handbook.
The Crown Prosecution Service conceded the conviction was unsafe and last night said it would not seek a retrial.
I wonder what would happen if a member of the BNP or NF wrote a song claiming the holocaust never happened or that it's fun to slaughter Muslims?
Maybe poems praising Adolf Hitler?
Ah yes - jail.
Hatecrime you see.
Unless you are a Muslim.
Posted by: VampireJack | June 19, 2008 at 05:54 AM