'Arrogant' Muslim preacher jailed

Top row: Izzadeen, Keeler, Muhid. Bottom row: Saleem, Hassan, Hussain

Muslim preacher Abu Izzadeen and five other men convicted of supporting terror during speeches at a London mosque have been jailed.

A judge described 33-year-old Izzadeen as "arrogant, contemptuous and utterly devoid of any sign of remorse".

He sentenced him to four-and-a-half years in prison on charges of inciting terrorism and terrorist fundraising.

Izzadeen made the news in 2006 when he heckled then Home Secretary John Reid during a speech in London's East End.

The sentencing was delayed after one of the guilty men, who had jumped bail for 10 days, turned himself in on Friday morning.

Shah Jalal Hussain, 25, surrendered at Kingston Crown Court after he went missing when the jury began deliberations on 8 April, prompting the court to issue a warrant for his arrest.

He was convicted of terrorist fundraising and breaking his bail conditions and jailed for two years and three months.

Extremist group

The defendants were all members of an extreme Islamist group known as Al-Muhajiroun, which has since been banned.

They made speeches on 9 November 2004 outside the Regents Park Mosque in London - at the same time as US and British soldiers fought fierce battles against insurgents in Falluja, Iraq.

I am left in no doubt that your speeches were used by you as self-aggrandisement and not as an expression of sincerely held religious views Judge Nicolas Price

The court heard the men urged their audience to join the fight against coalition forces, and to donate money to insurgent groups.

Izzadeen, from east London, was tried under his real name, Omar Brooks. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years for fundraising and four-and-a-half years for inciting terrorism overseas. His sentences will run concurrently.

Izzadeen was also recorded voicing his support for al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

Judge Nicolas Price told the defendants that, while freedom of speech was a central tenet of democracy, they had "abused" those rights in promoting terrorism.

'Leading lights'

He said Izzadeen and fellow Muslim convert Simon Keeler, 36, were "leading lights" of terrorism fund-raising and support.

Keeler, 36, received the same sentence as Izzadeen - two and a half years for terrorism fund-raising and four and a half for inciting terror overseas.

Judge Price questioned Izzadeen's motives, saying: "I am left in no doubt that your speeches were used by you as self-aggrandisement and not as an expression of sincerely held religious views."

Shah Jalal Hussain turned himself in on Friday morning

Abdul Saleem, 32, was sentenced to three years and nine months for inciting terrorism overseas and Ibrahim Hassan, 25, was jailed for two years and nine months on the same charge.

Both men were cleared of fund-raising for terrorists.

Abdul Muhid, 25, was found guilty of fund-raising for terrorists, and sentenced to two years in jail.

Kingston Crown Court heard that speeches and calls for funds were made both inside and outside the Regent's Park Mosque , despite the opposition of the institution's authorities.