[DailyMail] An ISIS-inspired mosque teacher prepared his students for acts of terror with physical training and role playing classes as he plotted strikes on targets including Big Ben and the Queen's Guard, the Old Bailey heard.Umar Ahmed Haque, 25, allegedly planned atrocities across London when he was working at the Lantern of Knowledge Islamic boys secondary school in Leyton, east London, where he taught.
He denies showing videos of beheadings to pupils at the school or plotting terrorist acts, but admits training children at the Ripple Road Mosque in Barking, east London, where he also taught.
Haque, who allegedly planned attacks on Big Ben and the Queen's Guard, has confessed to having copies of the ISIS magazine Rumiyah.
Prosecutor Mark Heywood QC said Haque decided in 2016 and early 2017 to carry out one or more violent attacks in this country.
Haque became obsessed by the Westminster attacks of March 22 2017 in which which five people die and more than 50 people injured.
'It proved to be for him a subject of fascination and contemplation, as you will hear him say in due course,' Mr Heywood said.
In covert recordings with fellow accused terrorist Abuthaher Mamun, 19, Haque said, 'We are here to cause terrorism, we are a death squad sent by Allah.
Haque expressed fears of a 'snitch' and discussed the justification for killing civilians, jurors were told.
Mr Heywood said of Haque: 'There is justification of killing civillians, there is reference to the need to deter what Mr Haque calls 'the enemy'.'
Haque praised the late Osama bin Laden
... who is no longer with us, and won't be again...and IS fighters in Africa as well as Khalid Masood, and had told the police he was a 'loyal soldier' of Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling
Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not
reallyMoslems....
, the court heard.
On 11 April 2016 he attempted to fly from London Heathrow to Istanbul and was stopped by security officers.
He claimed he was going on a pilgrimage to Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
after a few days holiday in Istanbul.
Haque was in possession of two mobile phones which he had used to visit news sites about the terror attacks in La Belle France and Belgium and Syrian beheadings.
Haque is on trial with Nadeem Ilyas Patel, 26, who allegedly plotted with him together to obtain a firearm.
Patel denied that charge but admitted to having a Walther P99 handgun adapted to discharge a noxious liquid or gas.
Muhammad Abid, 27, denies failing to disclose information about Haque's terror planning.
Mamun, 19, denies trading in financial options in order to finance the attack allegedly plotted by Haque.
All four men were detained in a string of raids on May 17 after an investigation by MI5 and the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command.
Haque, of Forest Gate, east London, denies two counts of preparing to commit acts of terrorism, one count of dissemination of terrorist publications and one count of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
He admits to dissemination of terrorist publications, and four counts of collection of information likely to be useful to a terrorist.
Abid, of Manor Park, denies failing to disclose information about Haque.
Mamun, of Barking, denies preparation of terrorist acts.
Patel, of Forest Gate, denies conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He admits possession of a prohibited weapon.
The trial continues.