London Stabbing: Sudesh Amman’s Mother Blames Internet For Son’s Radicalization

Haleema Faraz Khan said her son, Sudesh Amman, was radicalized after watching terror-related material on the internet. Amman was shot to death by London police on Sunday after he stabbed two people in Streatham.

According to The Guardian, Khan said her son watched terrorism-centric material online, which resulted in his radicalization. She added that Amman also changed a lot from being a “nice, polite boy” when he was imprisoned in Belmarsh in 2018.

Amman’s previous imprisonment was in November 2018, after he pleaded guilty to multiple counts related to terrorist activities such as disseminating information focused on terror acts. He was then sentenced to three years in prison days ago.

Minutes before he was shot dead by armed police, Amman, who reportedly has family in Sri Lanka, donned a fake explosive vest and stole a kitchen knife from a convenience store near Streatham High Road. He later stabbed two people and was shot to death by police who followed him around, the Times of India reported.

Aside from possessing terrorist documents, Amman was also found to have discussed his beliefs about the Al Qaeda propaganda to his family. The discussions took place on a WhatsApp group where his younger brothers were also part of.

A year before his arrest and imprisonment, Amman posted a photo of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the infamous Islamic State leader who was killed last October.

Among the suspect’s belongings were explosive-making guides and several manuals that taught lessons on knife-fighting. He also possessed Islamic State videos that showed graphic scenes of hate and violence.

The two victims who were stabbed by Amman on Sunday was a woman in her 50s and a man on his 40s. The man, in particular, was said to have been in serious condition but has since been stable after receiving prompt treatment.

Amman had extreme beliefs that he also discussed with his girlfriend. At one point, the 20-year-old convicted terrorist encouraged his girlfriend to behead her parents, Reuters reported. He also told one of his brothers that he wanted to die a martyr.

Meanwhile, British Justice Secretary Robert Buckland is expected to provide a statement on terrorism convictions in the House of Commons later Monday. He is also expected to announce a legislation related to the case of released convicted terrorists.

Questions have been on the rise regarding Britain’s punishment for convicted terrorists following Amman’s case and that of Usman Khan, who was the perpetrator in November’s London Bridge stabbing.