 A demonstrator who imitated a suicide bomber in a Muslim protest over cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad has been recalled to prison. Omar Khayam, 22, of Bedford, is a convicted drug dealer who was jailed in 2002 and released on licence last year after serving half his sentence. | I guess that's Britspeak for parole |
He was arrested and recalled to prison for breaching the terms of his licence. Khayam apologised for his "insensitive" protest on Monday but said he had been offended by the cartoons. | Yeah, and we've offended by you. |
A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said Khayam was arrested under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 at the request of the Home Office. He was given five and a half years in prison in December 2002 for dealing cocaine and heroin. Khayam apologised to those affected by the 7 July bombs, saying his protest was as "insensitive" as the cartoons. The MP for Bedford, Patrick Hall, who stood beside Khayam as he read his apology on Monday, said earlier he was unaware of the conviction but that he still took the apology at face value. "He acted on impulse - couple of friends, they got on the train and got to London, and I believe this was a impulsive, foolish reaction to what he saw was the offence of the publication of those cartoons." Khayam gave an explanation of his appearance as he apologised on Monday. "I found the pictures deeply offensive as a Muslim and I felt the Danish newspaper had been provocative and controversial, deeply offensive and insensitive." |