UK: Imam recruits six family members to inflict ‘shocking violence’

One might almost get the idea that Talhat Mughal holds beliefs involving the justification and sanctification of violence. But that would be “Islamophobic.”

“Rotherham imam jailed after recruiting six family members to inflict shocking violence,” by Sarah Marshall, The Star, September 13, 2024:

A Rotherham imam and four of his family members have been jailed, after he ‘recruited’ them to ‘embark on a shocking piece of violence’ that left two men seriously injured.

Disgraced imam, Talhat Mughal, along with family members Muhammad Uwais Mughal, Mohammed Basharat Ali Mughal, Mohammed Tabarak Mughal and Ahmed Mughal, were all sent to begin prison sentences for their role in the violent brawl, during which one man suffered injuries requiring reconstructive facial surgery, while another sustained a stab wound.

Two more members of Talhat’s family, Wakaas Mughal and Hamza Mughal, also became involved in the disorder, but received suspended sentences during the same Sheffield Crown Court hearing held on September 13, 2024.

The court heard how the violence stemmed from a dispute that Talhat, who had held the esteemed religious role in the Rotherham area for more than two decades, had with one of the complainants, relating to a bullying allegation.

In the hours before the disorder erupted on February 21, 2021, Talhat was involved in a physical altercation with the first complainant in a Rotherham shop, but it was quickly brought to an end after staff intervened, the court heard.

Judge Peter Hampton said Talhat subsequently set about ‘recruiting family members to embark on a shocking piece of violence’.

Two hours on from the shop scrap, Talhat, Muhammad Uwais and Mohammed Basharat Ali descended on the street where the first complainant lived, in the Herringthorpe area of the town.

After the first complainant and a member of his ‘faction’ – the second complainant – came out onto the street, violence quickly broke out – all while a child was present inside the first complainant’s home.

Around four minutes after the arrival of the other defendants, Ahmed, Hamza, Mohammed Tabarak and Wakaas arrived in a separate car, and began to join the violence, which was captured on CCTV taken from the street.

“The violence was pre-planned, it was organised, it was serious group violence involving the use of weapons.

“It incorporated serious assaults on the streets of Rotherham.”

The defendants were described as having turned the street into a ‘boxing area’.

During the course of the brawl, one of the complainants retreated back into the house and reappeared with what Judge Hampton described as a ‘wooden item’.

Shocked residents observing the brawl reported hearing one of the defendants shouting ‘kill’ as the fighting continued, the court heard….