I was a soldier of the Queen... now I’m a soldier of Allah

[Zarvan]

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I was a soldier of the Queen... now I’m a soldier of Allah
By OLIVER HARVEY, Chief Feature Writer
Published: 01 Oct 2011
Add a comment (98)


CHANTING fundamentalist bile, extremist Abu Jibreel was on the front line battling police officers during a mock "funeral" for Osama Bin Laden.
With his beard and flowing robes, the follower of hate preacher Anjem Choudary was happy to tell anyone who would listen that he wants to bring down democracy and see adulterers stoned and drinkers flogged.

It is only when Jibreel's head scarf shifts to reveal a St George Cross and the word "England" tattooed on the nape of his neck that he betrays another life lived.

The Sun can reveal that the 39-year-old Muslim convert was born Paul Steven Mellor in Cheshire.

And just a few short years ago he was serving Queen and country as a Lance Corporal in the elite Irish Guards regiment — rather than trying to establish an Islamic state in Britain where women would be forced to cover up and music would be banned.

The former Church of England Sunday school boy even claims he guarded the royal palaces and marched in the Trooping the Colour in red tunic and bearskin during his nine-year Army career.

Jibreel's respectable family have turned their backs on him.

The dad-of-three told The Sun: "I was a soldier of the Queen, now I'm a soldier of Allah. I was on sentry duty at Buckingham Palace, I did Trooping the Colour. Now I'm against democracy. The system stinks.

"I was very happy when I heard Bin Laden had died because he got to be a martyr. I pray for him. But when one Bin Laden dies, there are any amount to replace him. For every one they killed another ten will rise, you understand?"

Well built Jibreel — who claims £58 a week in Jobseeker's Allowance as well as housing benefit for his modest flat in Leyton, east London — is muscle for Choudary's hardline Muslims Against Crusades (MAC) organisation.

He is campaigning for Sharia law and self-governing Muslim "states" to be established in Britain.

Jibreel, a one-time Liverpool fan who says he has burnt all photos from his Army days, said: "I used to have a pint when I was in the Army but I don't think it's excessive to lash drinkers."

Jibreel left the Army in February 1997 and became a labourer in a relative's building firm but couldn't get used to civvy street.


Protest ... Abu Jibreel with hate preacher Anjem Choudary, left, in May
Getty
When his half-brother, Ian, committed suicide aged 20, Jibreel turned to drink.

He said: "I was mixed up with alcohol. I was going down a slippery slope.

"One night I came out of a nightclub in Stoke-on-Trent and I was stumbling all over the place. A Muslim taxi driver approached me and started talking about Islam.

"I wasn't looking for Islam but it found me at the right time. It just made sense to me, a brotherhood that would always stick together. It was overnight, basically."

Jibreel supported Choudary's sick demand last year for a demo at Wootton Bassett, the Wiltshire town where bodies of servicemen killed in Afghanistan were repatriated. He said: "I fully agree with Anjem to do that march. It was a great idea."


'He was a real oddball' ... soldier who shared room with Abu
In May this year Jibreel was photographed bellowing at a mock "funeral service" for Bin Laden at London's US embassy after the terror leader had been killed by American forces.

The former guardsman, who served two tours of Northern Ireland, said of mentor Choudary: "He's an amazing man."

Macclesfield-born Jibreel's father David split with his mum Irene when Jibreel and his sister Sallyann were young.

Irene, who had children Andrea and Ian from a previous marriage, is now married to former mounted policeman Denis Roddy.


Conflict ... Abu Jibreel sports St George Cross on his neck
Jibreel had a "normal" childhood, supporting Liverpool FC and listening to Michael Jackson's music.

The extremist said: "I went to a Church of England Sunday school when I was younger but Christianity never really made sense.

"My mum worked hard to bring us all up. I still love my mum, although we're not in contact." His family now want nothing to do with him. Mum Irene declined to comment. Speaking at their semi-detached home in Biddulph Moor, Staffs, her husband Denis would only say: "We don't have anything to do with him."

His sister Sallyann, from Congleton, Cheshire, said: "He was in the Army but I've no idea what he's been up to. I haven't had anything to do with him for ten years."

Another close relative, who declined to be named, said: "Paul loved to talk about his Army days. He did tours of Northern Ireland. He had all sorts of stories about the Gulf War and being in Kuwait but we're fairly sure he has not set foot in the country.

"Paul has caused all sorts of problems for the family. His mum has had nothing to do with him for five years."

Jibreel left school at 16, passing five GCSEs, and completed his basic military training at Pirbright camp in Surrey. The Army confirmed he served with the Irish Guards between 1988 and 1997.

He added: "I really enjoyed my time in the Army. I travelled the world with them."


'They [9/11 terrorists] were totally right' ... Abu talks to The Sun's Oliver Harvey
One soldier who shared a room with him told The Sun: "He was a real oddball. He'd claim he could see Jimi Hendrix and speak to him. He was a crazy boy."

In 1994 Jibreel married Gaynor Hardman. The couple later had three children before divorcing.



He said: "I reverted. We believe all children were born as Muslims, without sin. I burnt all the photos of me in the Army. My life moved on."

He gave up booze and began growing a beard. Five years ago he got involved with Choudary's MAC organisation, formerly known as al-Muhajiroun before it was outlawed.

A close relative, who didn't want to be named, added: "Paul's bad news. He just does mad things like this. I'm not surprised he's joined some Islamic extremists — it's the sort of thing he does."

Jibreel refused to condemn the 9/11 terror attacks. He said: "I understand the brothers in what they did. They were totally right why they did it."

The extremist, who was on the march in Waltham Forest, east London, in July demanding Sharia law for the area, added: "I agree with amputation of the arms for thieves and stoning adulterers. People say it's a barbaric system but it will cut the ills of society."

Choudary gloated: "We have a former British Army soldier in our organisation. Next we want a policeman."

Ghaffar Hussain, of counter-extremism and pro-democracy think-tank Quilliam, said recently: "Muslims Against Crusades are a lunatic fringe of troublemakers not even taken seriously by genuine extremists, let alone ordinary Muslims."

[Uchiha]

How do you preach to a drunk guy in a taxi?

Does he realize that there are Muslims in the royal army too?

And the last line is pretty much self ownage

[Black Widow]

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I was a soldier of the Queen... now I’m a soldier of Allah
By OLIVER HARVEY, Chief Feature Writer
Published: 01 Oct 2011
Add a comment (98)


CHANTING fundamentalist bile, extremist Abu Jibreel was on the front line battling police officers during a mock "funeral" for Osama Bin Laden.
With his beard and flowing robes, the follower of hate preacher Anjem Choudary was happy to tell anyone who would listen that he wants to bring down democracy and see adulterers stoned and drinkers flogged.

It is only when Jibreel's head scarf shifts to reveal a St George Cross and the word "England" tattooed on the nape of his neck that he betrays another life lived.

The Sun can reveal that the 39-year-old Muslim convert was born Paul Steven Mellor in Cheshire.

And just a few short years ago he was serving Queen and country as a Lance Corporal in the elite Irish Guards regiment — rather than trying to establish an Islamic state in Britain where women would be forced to cover up and music would be banned.

The former Church of England Sunday school boy even claims he guarded the royal palaces and marched in the Trooping the Colour in red tunic and bearskin during his nine-year Army career.

Jibreel's respectable family have turned their backs on him.

The dad-of-three told The Sun: "I was a soldier of the Queen, now I'm a soldier of Allah. I was on sentry duty at Buckingham Palace, I did Trooping the Colour. Now I'm against democracy. The system stinks.

"I was very happy when I heard Bin Laden had died because he got to be a martyr. I pray for him. But when one Bin Laden dies, there are any amount to replace him. For every one they killed another ten will rise, you understand?"

Well built Jibreel — who claims £58 a week in Jobseeker's Allowance as well as housing benefit for his modest flat in Leyton, east London — is muscle for Choudary's hardline Muslims Against Crusades (MAC) organisation.

He is campaigning for Sharia law and self-governing Muslim "states" to be established in Britain.

Jibreel, a one-time Liverpool fan who says he has burnt all photos from his Army days, said: "I used to have a pint when I was in the Army but I don't think it's excessive to lash drinkers."

Jibreel left the Army in February 1997 and became a labourer in a relative's building firm but couldn't get used to civvy street.


Protest ... Abu Jibreel with hate preacher Anjem Choudary, left, in May
Getty
When his half-brother, Ian, committed suicide aged 20, Jibreel turned to drink.

He said: "I was mixed up with alcohol. I was going down a slippery slope.

"One night I came out of a nightclub in Stoke-on-Trent and I was stumbling all over the place. A Muslim taxi driver approached me and started talking about Islam.

"I wasn't looking for Islam but it found me at the right time. It just made sense to me, a brotherhood that would always stick together. It was overnight, basically."

Jibreel supported Choudary's sick demand last year for a demo at Wootton Bassett, the Wiltshire town where bodies of servicemen killed in Afghanistan were repatriated. He said: "I fully agree with Anjem to do that march. It was a great idea."


'He was a real oddball' ... soldier who shared room with Abu
In May this year Jibreel was photographed bellowing at a mock "funeral service" for Bin Laden at London's US embassy after the terror leader had been killed by American forces.

The former guardsman, who served two tours of Northern Ireland, said of mentor Choudary: "He's an amazing man."

Macclesfield-born Jibreel's father David split with his mum Irene when Jibreel and his sister Sallyann were young.

Irene, who had children Andrea and Ian from a previous marriage, is now married to former mounted policeman Denis Roddy.


Conflict ... Abu Jibreel sports St George Cross on his neck
Jibreel had a "normal" childhood, supporting Liverpool FC and listening to Michael Jackson's music.

The extremist said: "I went to a Church of England Sunday school when I was younger but Christianity never really made sense.

"My mum worked hard to bring us all up. I still love my mum, although we're not in contact." His family now want nothing to do with him. Mum Irene declined to comment. Speaking at their semi-detached home in Biddulph Moor, Staffs, her husband Denis would only say: "We don't have anything to do with him."

His sister Sallyann, from Congleton, Cheshire, said: "He was in the Army but I've no idea what he's been up to. I haven't had anything to do with him for ten years."

Another close relative, who declined to be named, said: "Paul loved to talk about his Army days. He did tours of Northern Ireland. He had all sorts of stories about the Gulf War and being in Kuwait but we're fairly sure he has not set foot in the country.

"Paul has caused all sorts of problems for the family. His mum has had nothing to do with him for five years."

Jibreel left school at 16, passing five GCSEs, and completed his basic military training at Pirbright camp in Surrey. The Army confirmed he served with the Irish Guards between 1988 and 1997.

He added: "I really enjoyed my time in the Army. I travelled the world with them."


'They [9/11 terrorists] were totally right' ... Abu talks to The Sun's Oliver Harvey
One soldier who shared a room with him told The Sun: "He was a real oddball. He'd claim he could see Jimi Hendrix and speak to him. He was a crazy boy."

In 1994 Jibreel married Gaynor Hardman. The couple later had three children before divorcing.



He said: "I reverted. We believe all children were born as Muslims, without sin. I burnt all the photos of me in the Army. My life moved on."

He gave up booze and began growing a beard. Five years ago he got involved with Choudary's MAC organisation, formerly known as al-Muhajiroun before it was outlawed.

A close relative, who didn't want to be named, added: "Paul's bad news. He just does mad things like this. I'm not surprised he's joined some Islamic extremists — it's the sort of thing he does."

Jibreel refused to condemn the 9/11 terror attacks. He said: "I understand the brothers in what they did. They were totally right why they did it."

The extremist, who was on the march in Waltham Forest, east London, in July demanding Sharia law for the area, added: "I agree with amputation of the arms for thieves and stoning adulterers. People say it's a barbaric system but it will cut the ills of society."

Choudary gloated: "We have a former British Army soldier in our organisation. Next we want a policeman."

Ghaffar Hussain, of counter-extremism and pro-democracy think-tank Quilliam, said recently: "Muslims Against Crusades are a lunatic fringe of troublemakers not even taken seriously by genuine extremists, let alone ordinary Muslims."

They are making life difficult for Liberal Muslims.