UK: Man Converts to Islam, Plans Attack on Muslim Cleric Critical of Jihadist Terrorism

Image: Jihad Watch

A Muslim convert who researched military sites and threatened to "flatten" a mosque in a potential terror attack has been sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 16 years.

Jason Savage, 35, was convicted in January for plotting to stab an Islamic cleric known for his outspoken criticism of terrorism. Jurors saw footage of him conducting a reconnaissance "mission" near a mosque and Islamic bookstore.

Savage, from Fourth Avenue, Small Heath, Birmingham, was sentenced at the city’s Crown Court after a judge noted that messages he had sent indicated he believed he would die while carrying out a terrorist attack.

Video footage released by West Midlands Police, following Savage’s conviction, showed him filming reconnaissance near a mosque on Wright Street, Small Heath, Birmingham, in March the previous year.

In the video, Savage was heard saying, "That seems like the best way to get away – the police will probably come from that way." He also charted different routes into the mosque and was overheard saying, "Just needs the means now. Ask Allah to give man the means bro."

Savage had also taken screenshots of police stations in Perry Barr and Stechford, West Midlands Police headquarters, and various military locations in Birmingham. He told an undercover officer that he was putting his neck on the "chopping block."

Prosecutors revealed that Savage, who converted to Islam in 2012, had conducted reconnaissance with plans to attack a cleric, bookstore, and mosque in Small Heath. The targets were linked to a version of Salafism that opposed Savage's own views. The mosque, bookstore, and publishing house promoted a form of Salafism that rejects political and social activism, while the cleric was a vocal critic of Islamist terrorism, arguing it contradicted the true essence of Islam.

Prosecutor Peter Ratliff also noted that Savage had previously set fire to furniture in his prison cell and expressed delight on social media upon hearing that prison staff had been “stabbed up” after what he claimed was a plot against Muslim inmates.

The court was also informed that Savage had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to childhood trauma.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)