A radical Islamist cleric banned from Britain has been secretly recorded in a series of rants in which he calls on Muslims to behead their enemies and kidnap Westerners.

Investigators have discovered that Bakri encouraged a kidnapping terrorist act just months before he was banned from the UK last year. On another occasion, he specifically mentioned capturing a British Muslim serving in the Army.


Bakri, who has frequently suggested that “the enemy” are Westerners, particularly Americans and the British, says: “When you meet the enemy, slice their own necks. And when you make the blood spill all over, and the enemy becomes so tired, now start to take from them prisoners. Then free them or exchange them until the war is finished.

“Verily they remind the sunnah (actions/sayings of the prophet Mohammed) of removing the head of the enemy. They remind the sunnah of slaughtering the enemy. They remind the sunnah of how to strike the neck of the enemy. We saw him in his brother’s house. They removed the head of the enemy\u2026 Use the sword and remove the head of the enemy.”

In a separate rallying call over the internet last summer, Bakri encouraged terrorists to kidnap a soldier serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. “I hope they capture British Muslims who are in the Army over there,” he said.

Nine men were arrested on Wednesday as part of an alleged plot to kidnap a Muslim soldier, who was believed to have served in Afghanistan but who was back on home leave. The police think terrorists intended to torture and kill their victim before broadcasting their actions on the internet.

“We don’t make a distinction between civilians and non-civilians, innocents and non-innocents. Only between Muslims and unbelievers. And the life of an unbeliever has no value. It has no sanctity.”