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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24174764-421,00.html
Jihad manual 'was not written by accused'
August 13, 2008 02:48pm
A SYDNEY man accused of terrorist offences had compiled material authored by others which was freely available in the public domain, a jury has been told.
George Thomas, counsel for Belal Saadallah Khazaal, told the New South Wales Supreme Court jury today the material used in a book produced by his client was "not his original creative work".
He also told the jury Khazaal at no stage made any admission or confession about what his intention had been when he put the material together.
Khazaal has pleaded not guilty to knowingly making a document connected with assistance in a terrorist act, and to attempting to incite the commission of a terrorist act.
The first offence allegedly occurred between September
20 and September 23, 2003, and the second between September 22 and October 8, 2003, in Sydney and "elsewhere in the world".
Crown prosecutor Peter Neil, SC, said the document was just over 100 pages long and written in Arabic.
He said an expert had translated the book, including the title which he said was Provisions On The Rules Of Jihad – Short Judicial Rulings And Organisational Instructions For Fighters And Mujahideen Against Infidels.
Mr Thomas said the book was "heavy reading" containing many footnotes, references to speeches, news articles and even to The Grand Encyclopedia Of Jihad.
He told the jurors they would undoubtedly conclude some of the material contained "extreme statements", which he described as "unsavoury" and "against our sense of decency".
If Khazaal were the author, certain inferences might flow from some of the clearly more extreme material, he said.
"But if he is taking something written by somebody else and putting it together as some sort
of compilation to create the book, then some different inferences might flow."
Mr Thomas referred to the inherent biases everybody held, adding, "I don't even know why my client is wearing the thing on his head".
"To me, it's odd, to him it is perfectly normal," he said.
The trial is continuing before Justice Megan Latham and a jury of seven women and five women.
Jihad manual 'was not written by accused'
August 13, 2008 02:48pm
A SYDNEY man accused of terrorist offences had compiled material authored by others which was freely available in the public domain, a jury has been told.
George Thomas, counsel for Belal Saadallah Khazaal, told the New South Wales Supreme Court jury today the material used in a book produced by his client was "not his original creative work".
He also told the jury Khazaal at no stage made any admission or confession about what his intention had been when he put the material together.
Khazaal has pleaded not guilty to knowingly making a document connected with assistance in a terrorist act, and to attempting to incite the commission of a terrorist act.
The first offence allegedly occurred between September
20 and September 23, 2003, and the second between September 22 and October 8, 2003, in Sydney and "elsewhere in the world".
Crown prosecutor Peter Neil, SC, said the document was just over 100 pages long and written in Arabic.
He said an expert had translated the book, including the title which he said was Provisions On The Rules Of Jihad – Short Judicial Rulings And Organisational Instructions For Fighters And Mujahideen Against Infidels.
Mr Thomas said the book was "heavy reading" containing many footnotes, references to speeches, news articles and even to The Grand Encyclopedia Of Jihad.
He told the jurors they would undoubtedly conclude some of the material contained "extreme statements", which he described as "unsavoury" and "against our sense of decency".
If Khazaal were the author, certain inferences might flow from some of the clearly more extreme material, he said.
"But if he is taking something written by somebody else and putting it together as some sort
of compilation to create the book, then some different inferences might flow."
Mr Thomas referred to the inherent biases everybody held, adding, "I don't even know why my client is wearing the thing on his head".
"To me, it's odd, to him it is perfectly normal," he said.
The trial is continuing before Justice Megan Latham and a jury of seven women and five women.