Somali-Norwegian Muslim arrested for planning to bomb St Paul’s Cathedral in London
The plan wasn’t hatched by some a pagan Norse Viking looking to attack Christians like what was commonly seen in centuries past; instead, the bombing was planned by a man who – according to his lawyer – believes in the Quran and aims to be a good Muslim, Document Norway reports.
The 23-year-old was arrested by the Police Security Service (PST) on September 5th, 2019 and was imprisoned the following day. Authorities have referred to the suspected terrorist as a “Norwegian citizen” and from Telemark, a region in Norway.
“Based on the material we seized and reviewed, we believe that he may be suspected of having participated in the terror organization Islamic State,” said police lawyer Bjørn Thune.
According to PST, the suspect had planned to carry out a terror attack against St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The plans have been discussed by the British press; however, according to Norwegian newspaper Nettavisen, the connection to Norway wasn’t known until just recently.
The man who is a Norwegian citizen is said to have grown up in Skien in Telemark and was born in Norway to Somali parents.
The 23-year-old Somali-Norwegian has been charged with terrorist associations, which involve planning or preparing a terrorist act by forging associations with someone to commit such an act.
Later, the charge was extended to address his participation in the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS). He is also accused of having destroyed evidence in a terror case in progress in Denmark, according to Nettavisen.
The suspect has remained in jail, and on Friday of March 6th, the Oslo District Court jailed him for another eight weeks. He has repeatedly denied criminal charges for terrorist activities.
He stands accused of having planned to bomb St. Pauls Cathedral together with a 36-year-old British woman whose name is Safiyya Amira Shaikh, but who was born Michelle Ramsden. Ramsden is said to have converted to Islam in 2007.
On February 21st, 2020, the 23-year-old Somali-Norwegian’s co-defendant, Safiyya Amira Shaikh, admitted to planning the terror attack at Old Bailey in London, stating that the goal was to kill as many people as possible in a suicide bomb attack on St. Paul.
The facts divulged in the courtroom were not opened to the public, but according to the prosecution’s case summary, Safiyya Shaikh stated that her main goal was to kill as many people as possible in a suicide attack at St Paul’s.
In an encrypted chat with an undercover officer last August, Safiyya said that she would “rather die young and get to Jannah (paradise) quickest way possible”.
“I always know I wanted to do something big… .killing one kafir (infidel) is not enough for me”, Safiyya said.
She expressed a desire to target a church on a day like Christmas or Easter to kill more people, according to the case summary.
Safiyya Amira Shaikh will receive her sentence on May 11th.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is the Anglican Protestant Bishop of London Cathedral and is one of the most iconic and famous buildings in the UK. The cathedral was the site of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding in 1981.
Source:
Voice OF Europe
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