Terror suspect a 'hero' of London bombings

Jonathan Este / The Australian | August 18 2006

ONE of the terror suspects detained in Britain last week over an alleged plot to bomb transatlantic flights was involved in helping victims of the July 7 bus and tube bombs in London last year.

Umar Islam, then a ticket inspector on London buses, helped search for bombs on other buses and assisted victims of the Tavistock Square bus bomb to safety.

Further details emerged yesterday of some of the 23 British Muslims arrested under Britain's new anti-terrorism laws last week.

The Sun newspaper reported that the actions of Islam, 28, a former Rastafarian who converted to Islam, had been "at dramatic odds" with allegations he was involved in the latest terror plot.

"Immediately after the bombs, he was sent to Liverpool Street - which could easily have been another target area because it is in the financial district," the newspaper quoted a colleague as saying.

"It was where buses were terminating and he joined others in checking under the seats for suspect packages.

"He was briefed in evacuation and security procedures, and was making sure the public did not go where they shouldn't. Basically, he was helping to marshall the buses and trying to sort-out the chaos. Whatever his beliefs, he did a great job. He was certainly committed to what he was doing, you couldn't fault him at all. On that day he was trying to save lives, not destroy them."

Another of the people detained last Thursday, Tayib Rauf, was described by a business associate yesterday as an "ordinary" young man who worked in his father's cake shop and had been delivering confectionery to supermarkets until late the night before he was arrested.

However Rauf's brother Rashid, who was arrested in related raids in Pakistan, is alleged by authorities in that country to have links to al-Qa'ida.

Newspapers also published the photograph of Abdul Waheed who, as Don Stewart-Whyte, had smoked cannabis and drunk at nightclubs until his recent conversion to Islam.

Ruth Kelly, the minister for communities, yesterday met leaders from the Islamic community who urged her to consider the introduction of "sharia" family law for Muslims in an attempt to prevent them joining extremist groups. The group also asked Ms Kelly for separate public holidays for Muslims.

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