‘Jihadi threatened to blow up Scottish mosque’, court hears
Yassin Idris is also alleged to have threatened an off duty police officer with a gun and punched him twice in October last year.
The 43-year-old is said to have told the officer that he was in a Somali gang and could “take him out”.
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Hide AdIdris is on trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court charged with acting in a threatening or abusive manner at Glasgow Central Mosque and assauling PC Safdar Sadiq.
Jurors heard PC Sadiq, 49, was at the mosque for afternoon prayer and his attention was drawn to Idris, who was allegedly intoxicated with a burst lower lip and “unsteady on his feet”.
PC Sadiq told jurors that Idris repeatedly interrupted a silent prayer by being “loud and annoying”.
He added that Idris left immediately after the prayer had finished but continued to murmur in another language.
PC Sadiq said: “He struck his right hand in the air like a fist and said ‘I’m a jihadi and I’m going to blow up this mosque’.”
The police officer said that he and his friend Junaid Shakoor escorted Idris to the foyer.
‘Melt like chocolate’
PC Sadiq told jurors that Idris was “reluctant” to put his shoes back on and was moving at a slow pace.
He added: “He said ‘I’m not a Muslim, I’m a Christian and I’m Somali, not a Pakistani’ – I can melt this place like chocolate. He said he would shoot me and said he was in a Somali gang and he could deal with me and take me out.”
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Hide AdPC Sadiq claimed he and Mr Shakoor attempted to restrain Idris but he struck out at him and punched him twice on the face.
A 999 call was made and Idris was arrested by police officers in the car park.
Lawyer Ian McClellan, defending, told jurors that he was cut to the lip after being pushed to the ground by PC Sadiq.
He added that Idris was thrown out of the mosque because he is Somalian.
Mr McLellan said: “He wasn’t shouting in a room full of people ‘I am a jihadi’, that’s the truth isn’t it?”
PC Sadiq replied: “If that was the truth I wouldn’t be involved from there on in.”
Mr McLellan told PC Sadiq there is a perception that the mosque is run by Pakistanis and believed he was being thrown out because he was Somali.
Idris denies the charges and the trial continues.