One of Kirklees’ leading Muslim scholars, Mufti Mohammed Amin Pandor, has spoken about the “tragic” circumstances that led a Huddersfield suicide bomber to launch an attack in Iraq.
Abu Musa al-Britani, 27, known to his family in Crosland Moor as Mohammed Rizwan Awan, is believed to have carried out an attack on behalf of the so-called Islamic State (IS) group on Monday.
As many as 30 people are said to have died in the attack after the convoy left Ain al-Assad military air base and was heading towards Kubaysah in the north-west of Anbar province.
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The Awan family did not wish to discuss the matter today with the dead man’s father Mohammed Idrees politely but firmly declining any more press interviews since he issued a statement to the BBC.
They say they instantly recognised the photograph of al-Britani released by IS and said they “knew in their hearts” it was him.
Mr Pandor said: “It’s really tragic that people do that (carry out acts of suicide bombing). We would want to avoid anyone doing that sort of action.
“I would be fascinated to know what lures them there. We have been doing a lot of work as a community in Kirklees to combat the narrative that ISIS put out.”
And he had praise for this country’s tolerance of political ideology and religious faith saying: “this country is probably a lot more accommodating when it comes to religious freedom than some of our countries such as India and Pakistan.
“I would love to sit down with some of these people and find out what it is that drives them to do these things. It’s ludicrous and misguided.”
