Abu Hamza

Abu Hamza is an Egyptian-born Muslim cleric. He is currently serving a seven year prison term in the United Kingdom on a variety of charges, including solicitation for murder, racial hatred and possession of a terrorist encyclopedia. He is a staunch supporter of Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden.

1. Full Name: Abu Hamza al-Masri
2. Nicknames: 'The Hook' or 'Captain Hook'
3. Born April 15, 1958
4. Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
5. School: Brighton University for civil engineering
6. Current Spouse: Nadjet Kamel Mostafa
7. Married: Valerie Traverso in 1980
8. Divorced: 1984 after obtaining UK citizenship
9. Charged with: 16 crimes, which included the murder of non-Muslims
10. Convicted of: 11 charges
11. Sentenced to: Seven years in prison
12. Convicted in Yemen for participation in a bombing campaign
13. Reported to have lost his hands and eye while in Afghanistan

1. May 16, 1980: Married Valerie Traverso
2. 1984: Divorced wife and became British citizen
3. 1990s: Lived in Bosnia
4. 1997: Returned to England, began preaching
5. February 4, 2003: Dismissed from the Finsbury Park mosque
6. May 27, 2004: Detained by British authorities
7. August 26, 2004: Arrested by British police
8. October 10, 2004: Charged with 16 crimes
9. July 15, 2005: Trial commenced
10. 2006: Found guilty on 11 counts

On May 27, 2004, Abu Hamza was detained as part of the process to extradite him to the United States. He faced indictment for reportedly attempting to establish a terrorist training camp in Bly, Oregon, alongside Earnest James Ujaama. The U.S. is seeking to try Abu Hamza on 11 terrorism-related charges.

• Google News: Abu Hamza
• BBC News: "Abu Hamza Faces Extradition to US" (February 7, 2008)
• FOX News: "U.K. to Extradite Islamic Preacher to U.S. on Terror Charges" (February 7, 2008)
• CNN: "Radical Cleric to be Extradited to U.S." (February 7, 2008)
• The Guardian: "Beheading Plot Trial Told of Abu Hamza Material" (January 31, 2008)
  • "Parviz Khan, 37, who has admitted his role in the planned beheading, had material by the jailed preacher in a hoard of extremist documents discovered at his home"
• Telegraph: "Abu Hamza Bullied in Prison, Says Wife" (September 7, 2007)
  • "The reason that his arm needed further amputation was because of the removal of his prostheses, resulting in him constantly putting pressure on the remainder of his fore limbs. As there is no soft furnishing in his cell, he has been suffering considerable pain...after surgery, before he had even recovered from the anaesthetic, he was returned to Belmarsh, only to be told he had to move from his cell to another one. He was so weak and unable to stand that he refused, resulting in him being put in solitary confinement...my husband says the racist bullying and Islamophobia against him have intensified"