Khaled Hajsaad, 24, was arrested at a pro-Palestine rally in London in November last year.
A man accused of wearing a headband in support of Hamas told police it was a “statement of faith”, a court has heard.
Khaled Hajsaad, 24, who has been living in Birmingham, wore the clothing at a pro-Palestine rally in central London where he was arrested by police, prosecutors say. The headband had the “Shahada” written on it – the basic statement of the Islamic faith, the court was told previously.According to a transcript of a police interview with Hajsaad the day after he was arrested, the defendant told officers he was wearing a headband with a Saudi Arabian flag.
The document, which was read to the court by prosecutor Gareth Weetman, detailed how Hajsaad told police: “I was supporting Palestine and I was wearing an item of Saudi Arabia.“I was wearing it because I am a Muslim and this is my statement of faith.”Hajsaad, described as an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK a year ago, said: “I don’t care about . I don’t support and I have never supported .
Experts called to attend the court were split on the headband’s likeness to either the flag of Hamas or Saudi Arabia.We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
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