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Soldier's brother condemns 'plot'
The brother of the first British Muslim soldier to die on active duty condemned the alleged Birmingham kidnap terror plot and insisted extremism would not triumph.
Nine men were arrested on Wednesday over an alleged Iraqi-style plan to abduct a Muslim soldier serving in the British Army and film his beheading.
Security sources said it could have mirrored the kidnappings of British hostages Ken Bigley and Margaret Hassan by Iraqi insurgents.
But the brother of Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, who was killed in Afghanistan last July, said the plot, if true, was a crime "with no justification".
Zeeshan Hashmi, a former soldier, said if the atrocity had been carried out, it would have had negative repercussions on Muslims worldwide. He said such extremist thinking was not the answer.
"One of the main reasons why my brother and I went into the military - apart from being British and feeling a sense of duty to the country - was because of the position of global politics and the clash between East and West," he told the Daily Mail.
"Because we are British and Muslims, we thought we could be of benefit by taking part and perhaps ensure greater understanding through our position. What I would say to the extremists is that extremism does not help change anything. If you really want to make a change and be effective, I would say it's best to be part of the system and work peacefully within, not be outside it."
Police continued to question the nine suspects as searches continued on the 12 properties raided.
Specialist forensic officers in black suits spent the night searching the eight houses in the Sparkhill, Washwood Heath, Kingstanding and Edgbaston areas of Birmingham. Four commercial premises have also been secured and sealed off.
All nine were arrested under the Terrorism Act - meaning police have a maximum of 28 days to hold them. They are being held at police stations in the West Midlands. Those being held are said to be British men of Pakistani descent. The alleged plot was for the soldier to be taken from the Birmingham area to a secure location, filmed and then beheaded, with the footage released on the internet, sources said.
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rocol you will always be in my thoughts god bless ya hunni
Cuando amor no es locura, no es amor.
(When love is not madness, it is not love.)
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