Hamara Youth Access Point
Encyclopedia
The Hamara Youth Access Point (Hyap) is a drop-in
centre for teens in Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
, operated by the Hamara Healthy Living Centre, an Islam
ic charity partly funded by the UK government. The drop-in centre was frequented by several of the suspects in the 7 July 2005 London bombings
, and is believed to have been where some were recruited into the terrorist
cell.
Both Shehzad Tanweer
, 22, and Hasib Hussain
, 19, who have been identified as probable suicide bombers, frequented the Hyap, according to police, as did Naveed Fiaz, another man with connections to the suspects. Fiaz has been arrested and is being questioned, but it is not known what his role was; his brother, Ejaz Fiaz, was initially thought to have been one of the four bombers, but has disappeared. The Leeds teacher Mohammed Sadique Khan, 30, also identified by police as a suicide bomber, acted as a mentor to youths at the centre.
The centre is directly across the street from a mosque, which is said to have asked Khan and others to stop having political activities there, including community meetings opposed to UK policy in Iraq
, which they then moved to the centre.
Police have searched the premises and confiscated for forensic investigation items such as computers.
The home of at least one worker at Iqra has been searched for possible connections to the bombings. One of the Iqra workers is Naveed Fiaz.
Drop-In
Drop-In was a Canadian television series for youth broadcast on CBC Television from 28 September 1970 to 1974. Various hosts were featured throughout the course of the series to present a variety of topics....
centre for teens in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, operated by the Hamara Healthy Living Centre, an Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic charity partly funded by the UK government. The drop-in centre was frequented by several of the suspects in the 7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
, and is believed to have been where some were recruited into the terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
cell.
Both Shehzad Tanweer
Shehzad Tanweer
Shehzad Tanweer was one of four men who detonated explosives in three trains on the London Underground and one bus in central London during the 7 July 2005 London bombing...
, 22, and Hasib Hussain
Hasib Hussain
Hasib Mir Hussain was one of four homegrown terrorists who detonated bombs on three trains on the London Underground and one bus in central London during the 7 July 2005 London bombings....
, 19, who have been identified as probable suicide bombers, frequented the Hyap, according to police, as did Naveed Fiaz, another man with connections to the suspects. Fiaz has been arrested and is being questioned, but it is not known what his role was; his brother, Ejaz Fiaz, was initially thought to have been one of the four bombers, but has disappeared. The Leeds teacher Mohammed Sadique Khan, 30, also identified by police as a suicide bomber, acted as a mentor to youths at the centre.
The centre is directly across the street from a mosque, which is said to have asked Khan and others to stop having political activities there, including community meetings opposed to UK policy in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, which they then moved to the centre.
Police have searched the premises and confiscated for forensic investigation items such as computers.
Iqra bookshop
The Hyap's status permitted it to apply for grants from the UK government for various program monies totalling more than £1 million. Among the programs funded this way was the Iqra bookshop, which sold Islamic materials, including religious tracts and political videos and DVDs, claimed to be anti-West propaganda. The Leeds suspects are believed to have watched some of the DVDs with graphic footage of civilian deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the West Bank.The home of at least one worker at Iqra has been searched for possible connections to the bombings. One of the Iqra workers is Naveed Fiaz.