A Moslem accused of taking part in an attack on a
A Moslem accused of taking part in an attack on a Hindu
temple in East London, told a jury today (Wed) he was ‘scared’
when a gang of Asian youths stopped his van in the street.
Ahmed Raza, 21, now living in Bradford is alleged to have
passed a metal bar to the arsonists enabling them to smash windows
and pour petrol into the Shree Kutch Swaminarayan Temple in
Shaftesbury Road, Forest Gate.
The ensuing blaze was fortunately quickly extinguished
although over pnds stlng 2,000 worth damage was caused.
The December last year attack came at a time when more than
thirty Hindu temples were targetted by moslems across England in
response to the religious violence sweeping India.
But giving evidence at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Raza, of
Gower Road, Forest Gate, denied having anything to do with the
arson attack.
The market stall holder said that at about 11pm on December
8 last year he was driving along Shaftesbury Road, when some young
Asian men, aged between 16 and 20, stopped him.
Raza claimed that one of them opened his door and grabbed a
metal bar: ‘I asked him, ”why are you taking this?” he said
”don’t worry, you’ll get it back.
”
‘I was scared.
As soon as they moved out of the road I
just drove off,’ claimed Raza.
He told the jury that he went straight home but returned
to the scene with a friend to try and recover the bar which was
part of his market stall.
‘We went back there and we saw fire engines and police cars.
I just drove past them.
‘
Raza said he did not stop because he was worried that the
officers would not believe his account.
But minutes later he was arrested at the wheel of the van.
He maintained that he knew nothing about the attack on the
temple.
Raza said that at Forest Gate police station a detective
told him to reveal the names of those involved in the arson:
‘He was saying.
”if you don’t tell me their names you will
go to Brixton Prison for 14 years.
”
His defence counsel Mr Yasin Suri, (correct) asked: ‘Were
you involved in the burning of that temple in any way?’
He quietly replied: ‘I wasn’t even there when the temple was
burnt.
‘
Raza denied knowing any of the ‘boys’ who took the iron bar
from him and poured petrol through the temple window.
He told the court that during his police interview he
considered making up some names for the arsonists after being
told he could get 14 years.
Mr David Barnes, prosecuting, has alleged that Raza was an
‘accessory before the fact’ and had known arson was going to be
committed when he provided youths with the metal bar to break
windows with.
Raza, who has been living with his family in Whitby Road,
Bradford, West Yorkshire, denies arson and damaging property.
The jury will go out tomorrow (Thurs) morning to consider
their verdicts.
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