Manchester imam praised 'jihad' at mosque where arena bomber Salman Abedi prayed, recording reveals

Didsbury Mosque statement says sermon did not call for military attack and denies any link with Salman Abedi's radicalisation

The imam of a mosque attended by the Manchester bomber praised “jihad for the sake of Allah” at a sermon months before the atrocity, it has emerged.

Didsbury Mosque insisted there was no call for “military” jihad but rather a struggle for the oppressed, and denied any links between its teachings and Salman Abedi’s radicalisation.

The 22-year-old’s family used to pray at the mosque, with his father sometimes performing the call to prayer before moving to Libya during the country’s revolution.

Police are reviewing a recording obtained by the BBC of a sermon given by imam Mustafa Graf in December 2016, days before Abedi bought a ticket for the Ariana Grande concert where he would detonate a suicide bomb that killed 22 victims.

The attack, which was claimed by Isis, was the deadliest of five terrorist atrocities that struck the UK last year.

It was unclear whether Abedi was at Friday prayers when Mr Graf told worshippers: “Jihad for the sake of Allah is the source of pride and dignity for this nation… brothers and sisters, it is time to act, not only to talk.”

The speech, which came during the Syrian government’s siege of rebel-held Aleppo in Syria, continued: “We ask Allah to grant the mujahideen, our brothers and sisters right now in Aleppo and Syria and Iraq, to grant them victory.

“Lots of brothers stay behind unfortunately – they love Islam and Muslims but they do nothing about the support of their brothers and sisters.”

Mr Graf claimed that Europe, the US and the “civilised world” were doing nothing to stop civilian deaths, adding: “In fact they help the Russians and the Iranians and others, the militias, to kill Muslims over there.”

The speech was interpreted by two Islamic scholars to call for followers to travel to Syria and Iraq, as well as creating a “narrative of us against them”.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “We have been handed the material from the BBC following their broadcast and will now review it to establish if any criminal offences have been committed.”

Mr Graf refused to be interviewed by the BBC but denied calling for armed jihad.

The imam, who like the Abedi family is of Libyan origin, travelled to the country in 2011 during the revolution that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi and appeared in a video wearing military fatigues.

Mr Graf later became part of a group called the Libyan 17 February Forum, which held protests against a general who was fighting Islamist militias in the ongoing civil war.

Abedi was filmed at one of the group’s demonstrations in London, smiling and appearing relaxed as he stood outside the United Arab Emirates’ embassy in September 2015. Mr Graf was not present at that protest.

A statement from Didsbury Mosque said the speech had been taken “out of context” but that it had launched an investigation into the sermon.

The statement added that the prayer was “encouraging the worshipers at the centre to donate generously” to charity appeals raising money for humanitarian aid in Aleppo following a chemical attack.

“There would have been many such passionate speeches in support of the Syrian people amongst the Muslim community at that time,” the statement said.

“The term ‘jihad’ was used in its wider meaning ‘to strive and struggle’ and in this case aid to those being oppressed. There was no call for any military jihad.

“Nor was there any comment which could in any way be construed to suggest that Britain or British people should be targeted or attacked. The focus was on the behaviour of the Syrian regime and its victims.”

Didsbury Mosque said it “does not encourage anyone to go and fight in any military struggle”, adding: “We refute strongly any suggestion that there is a link or association between our preaching and the criminal actions of Salman Abedi or his radicalisation.”

Beverley Hughes, the deputy mayor of Greater Manchester, said “these serious allegations are very concerning for us all”.

She added: “The mayor and I are clear: we will always act on any evidence of the incitement of hate and violence whenever it happens and from wherever it comes. And, as we made clear in our response to the Commission on Tackling Violent Extremism, we expect all communities in Greater Manchester to do the same.”