EXCLUSIVE: Woolwich atrocity was a state hoax, say university extremists

• Monday 3 June 2013 11:41 BST

A major London university’s Islamic society promoted a video that claimed the Woolwich killing was a Government hoax, the Evening Standard can reveal.

Hours after Lee Rigby, 25, was stabbed to death, a Muslim student group at London Metropolitan University  circulated a six-minute clip casting doubt on whether the soldier had even died.

The video — “Woolwich false flag bullshit. Masses are in a state-sponsored trance” — claimed the crime scene was covered in “fake blood” and accused the investigating officers of being freemasons.

The day after Drummer Rigby’s death, members of the LMU Islamic Society also posted another video on its Facebook page that promoted a speech by an extremist preacher who has reportedly praised the Taliban and labelled non-Muslims as “evil”.

The disclosures have raised new fears that London’s universities are being targeted by extremists.

Rupert Sutton, of anti-extremism think-tank Student Rights, said: “That a video like this was shared by students the day after a soldier was killed like that on London’s streets is deeply concerning, and highlights the ease with which social media allows material like this to be accessed.

“We’ve seen in the past how students can be led towards violence by online material, and for this reason university authorities should be increasingly aware of this kind of activity.”

The video about Lee Rigby’s killing, which has been viewed by almost 300,000 people on YouTube, was uploaded to the Islamic society’s Facebook page on May 23. An editor added appalling subtitles to the now-infamous clip of the terror suspects before police arrived at the scene. The video showed one of the terror suspects Michael Adebolajo with added subtitles asking: “Where is the blood on his hands that is seen on most of the other videos?”

The pictures then show a journalist describing the incident, with the additional statement: “Now add some fake blood and a fake media whore (reporter) talking shit, stating the obvious just in case you don’t get it and we got the made up news lol.”

Later, the subtitles added: “I  need proof and not fabricated ‘bs’ (bullshit).” The film then shows a policeman desperately asking members of the public to “move back” from the crime scene. 

The subtitles said: “Yes listen to the masonic copper, move back before you film anything incriminating against their false flag charade.” During an interview with a witness describing the scene, the subtitles said: “Makes sense to you? Sounds staged to me!!!… are you buying this?” The video has echoes of 7/7 and 9/11 conspiracy theories circulated by Islamic extremists.

Another video posted by the LMU Islamic Society the day after Drummer Rigby’s death shows a speech by Riyadh Ul-Haq, a Leicester-based preacher who has previously been linked to extremist views.

In 2000, he reportedly made a speech in support of the Taliban, stating they are “the only group of people upon the earth who are establishing the Sharia and the law of Allah”.

It is not the first time the LMU — based in Whitechapel — has been linked to radicalised Muslim students. In 2010, Waheed Zaman, a former president of its Islamic society, was one of three men convicted of the failed airline liquid bomb plot.

Last year, the Home Office temporarily revoked LMU’s licence to admit foreign students because so many failed to turn up for classes.

An LMU spokesman said: “The views expressed by individual students or student societies, including on social media, do not represent those of the university.”

A member of the LMU Islamic Society, Sanah Nawab, said she was not responsible for the videos and claimed that others were but refused to elaborate. She directed the Evening Standard to the president, Bileh Elmi, who refused repeated requests for comment.

Sheikh Riyadh ul-Haq also failed  to respond to requests for a  comment.