‘Jihad by sword is a fundamental obligation in the Quran’

A mosque leader accused of encouraging terrorism told a court ‘Jihad by sword’ was a fundamental obligation in the Quran.

Abubaker Deghayes, 53, allegedly made a stabbing motion with his hands as he promoted Islamic extremist violence to his Brighton Mosque congregation on November 1, 2020.

Libyan-born Deghayes said: ‘Jihad is compulsory, upon you, you, you and you until the Day of Resurrection, whatever the British Government thinks, whatever Prevent thinks, whatever Israel thinks.

‘Jihad by fighting by sword that means this Jihad is compulsory upon you.’

Giving evidence wearing a ‘Free Palestine’ jumper, Deghayes said Jihad was not terrorism.

Asked if his speech was meant to endorse physical fighting or encourage terrorism, he said: ‘Fight who? No, of course not.’

He claimed that he was simply delivering the teachings of the Quran and that Jihad was part of that.

‘Jihad is part of the religion or Islam whether others like it or not,’ the mosque leader said.

‘You say why the British government, the British government brought me here and said I’m a suspect because I speak the truth.

‘British government will come prosecute me…because you are saying Jihad and the sword…you break the law.

‘Some lunatic crazy guy goes and stabs people in the street which has nothing to do with Islam no matter whatever reason.

‘Straight away “Jihad!”, “Jihad, Jihad, Jihad.”’

‘My father was killed by Gaddafi because he refused to live a hypocrite life.

‘He told him to his face, “What you are doing is wrong.”

‘Jihad by sword…is a fundamental obligation in the Quran.

‘Allah says fight those who fight you and do not transgress.

‘Fighting with the sword to protect yourself, to lift opportunity, to open the way for the message to be passed if blocked, to speak the truth in front of a tyrant.

‘Nobody can demolish, nobody can wipe out that.’

Deghayes, of Saltdean, Brighton, denied encouraging terrorism.

The trial continues.
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