A British supporter of Islamic State has been found guilty of murdering an imam who had his head smashed a hammer in Rochdale a year ago.
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Giving evidence, Syeedy denied knowing anything about Uddin’s murder but said he was with Kadir before and after the attack.
On Friday, a jury at Manchester Crown Court sentenced 21-year-old Mohammed Syeedy, a former steward at Manchester United’s soccer stadium, to life in prison with no chance of parole for 24 years, reported The New York Times.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Mr Uddin’s killers planned the murder over several months and had grown to hate the imam because he practised a form of religious healing that is considered by supporters of IS to be punishable by death.
If you don’t agree with them, you’ve abandoned the faith.
He added: “It is really hard for us – she (his mother) lost her best friend, her husband”.
Syeedy and Kadir developed hatred for the imam after discovering that he performed something called “Ruqya”- a form of healing that uses amulets or “Taweez”- to ward off ill health and evil spirits.
Jalal Uddin, 71, was killed in a park as he made his way home from the Jalalia Jame mosque in Rochdale after evening prayers on 18 February.
Some consider the practice of taweez as positive but IS, which Syeedy and Mr Kadir were said in court to support, regards all “magic” as forbidden and believes those who practise it should be punished, often by death.
The ferocity of the attack meant his skull was driven down into his brain and his dentures were broken.
Uddin moved to Rochdale 15 years ago from Bangladesh.
The jury of six men and six women today found the defendant guilty of murder after four hours of deliberations.
He told jurors he did not agree with Jalal Uddin’s use of taweez because it was unsafe to meddle with the supernatural world, but that it was up to God to deliver the punishment.
During Syeedy’s trial, the court heard how among images found on phones and devices seized by police at his home was Jihadist material including him posing in pictures holding IS flags, wearing IS patches and raising index-finger salutes, commonly used by the terror group.
We offer our honest condolences and prayers to his family, friends and the wider community.
Their intention turned to murder after they saw a photograph of the former imam – who they regarded as a “magician” – with Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk at the end of past year.
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Uddin, a former imam at the Jalalia Jaame Mosque in Trafalgar Street, Rochdale, was found with serious head injuries in a play area in Wardleworth following what is believed to be a hammer attack.
