The Bradford man accused of murdering shopkeeper Asad Shah has unusually issued a statement in which he admits killing the Glasgow shopkeeper because he claims “Mr Shah claimed to be a Prophet.”
Tanveer Ahmed, 32, from Bradford, is accused of killing Mr Shah outside his shop in Glasgow on the 24th March.
Mr Shah, a member of the Ahmadiya Muslim community was killed just hours after he posted an Easter message on Facebook.
The message said: "Good Friday and a very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nationx"
Tanveer Ahmed made no plea during a private court appearance but instructed his lawyer to release the following statement to the press:
"This all happened for one reason and no other issues and no other intentions.
"Asad Shah disrespected the messenger of Islam the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Mr Shah claimed to be a Prophet.
"When 1400 years ago the Prophet of Islam Muhammad peace be upon him has clearly said that 'I am the final messenger of Allah there is no more prophets or messengers from God Allah after me.
"'I am leaving you the final Quran. There is no changes. It is the final book of Allah and this is the final completion of Islam. There is no more changes to it and no one has the right to claim to be a Prophet or to change the Quran or change Islam.'
"It is mentioned in the Quran that there is no doubt in this book no one has the right to disrespect the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and no one has the right to disrespect the Prophet of Islam Muhammad Peace be upon him.
"If I had not done this others would and there would have been more killing and violence in the world.
"I wish to make it clear that the incident was nothing at all to do with Christianity or any other religious beliefs even although I am a follower of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him I also love and respect Jesus Christ."
Following Mr Shah’s killing the local Ahmadiya Muslim community in Bradford sent a letter to local MP Naz Shah ahead of their peace conference this coming weekend, in the letter they ask the MP to press the Government to do more, “Whilst our community has faced severe persecution and violence in other countries, most notably Pakistan, we are shocked that this has happened here. We have been seeing the signs of increasing extremism in the UK and have been alerting Government and the authorities of our concerns for 30 years. What this murder shows that the Government needs to do more so that extremism is not allowed to take root and result in such barbaric killings.”
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