|
From Birmingham bakery to Pakistani prison, the mystery of Rashid Rauf
Before dawn most mornings, a van loaded with pallets of goods from nan bread to muffins leaves the Rauf family bakery to deliver to supermarkets and grocers in Birmingham. Since it was established 25 years ago, the bakery in the Bordesley Green area has prospered through the hard work of its owners, meeting the demands of a diverse city by producing items from Asian sweets to iced sticky buns.Until 2002, the delivery round would have been completed by Rashid Rauf, the eldest son of the firm's founder, Abdul Rauf, a devout Muslim who came to Britain from rural Pakistan in the early 1980s. Rashid's work was interspersed with visits to the nearby mosque, starting each day at 5am, and sessions at a gym. Like the rest of his family, he was unobtrusive and polite. Rashid, 25, is now described with other labels among them "Mr Talibrum". He has been variously accused of being the "key player" , the "Mr Big" and the "mastermind" of the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic airliners, foiled 10 days ago by the police and security services in Britain and Pakistan. He was arrested on 7 August, two days before the operation that led to the detention of 24 people in Britain, including his brother, Tayib, as he tried to board a bus in Bahawalpur, a dusty backwater 300 miles south-west of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Posted by: john 2006-08-19 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=163419 |