Bomber's action stuns community

Nicky Reilly pleaded guilty to attempted murder at the Old Bailey

The arrest of Nicky Reilly following the bomb attack in Exeter in May stunned one of his fellow worshippers at the mosque he used in Plymouth.

Omar Siddiqui, who was president of the Islamic Society at Plymouth University, knew Reilly, 22, by his adopted name of Mohammad Rashid Saeed-Alim.

Mr Siddiqui said the city had a 3,500-strong moderate Muslim community with "no preachers of hate".

It was hard to believe Reilly was radicalised in Plymouth, he added.

Worshipping at the university's prayer room and the Islamic Centre at Greenbank Avenue, Mr Siddiqui said Reillym at 14st (89kg), 6ft 3in (1.9m) tall and white, stood out among the congregation.

I absolutely hate terrorism. Islam does not condone it Omar Siddiqui

He had grown a long beard in the past but in the months before the bomb attack, he was clean shaven.

Mr Siddiqui said Plymouth was a very peaceful city although there was "a lot of racial abuse in Plymouth".

"But we have always encouraged everyone to integrate with the local community," he added.

"I absolutely hate terrorism. Islam does not condone it. It says if you kill someone you are destroying a creation of God which is a major sin," said Mr Siddiqui.

"Terrorism is not an entry to paradise, it is to be punished and is an entry to hell.

"We do not go out to convert anyone to Islam or force our views on anyone but if someone wants to learn we can teach them."

Reilly stood out among the Muslim congregation in Plymouth

Mr Siddiqui said anyone who had taken advantage of Reilly was "quite sick".

"Mohammed prayed at the university sometimes or here at the Islamic Centre," he said

"He always struck me as being not quite well in the head but he seemed a nice guy. He was always polite and greeted me nicely."

Mr Siddiqui said Reilly appeared extremely religious after his conversion.

"I asked him why he converted and he said the whole beauty of Islam attracted him to the religion and when he converted he felt a lot more at one with God.

"We never discussed how he practiced his religion because I felt that was a personal matter."

Negative image

Reilly pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to attempted murder for the failed suicide bomb attack at the Giraffe restaurant on 22 May.

He will be sentenced on 21 November.

Reilly's actions provoked a backlash against the Kurdish community he was associated with, according to its spokesman Shoker Abobeker.

"The bombing caused a lot of problems for us," he said.

"The media reported that Reilly was mixing with Kurdish people and that led to us being called extremists and people shouting that we were suicide bombers.

"We had worked really hard to be part of the Plymouth community and this had such a negative impact."

Mr Abobeker said the Kurdish community had made a big effort to show people it was not associated with extremism and it was hoped Reilly guilty plea would help ease tension.

"We hope now to move on, carry on with our lives and take things forward in a positive way," he said.

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