Enzo Almeni, a 32-year-old Christian convert of Iraqi-Syrian heritage, has been identified as the suspected bomber who blew up a taxi outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital on the morning of Remembrance Sunday. David Perry, who was behind the wheel of the taxicab, was fortunate to escape the explosion with relatively minor injuries, and is currently recovering at home. Perry’s wife, Rachel, has described her husband’s escape as “an utter miracle”. [1]
While the city of Liverpool reels from the despicable suicide attack, the atmosphere has been overshadowed by the mainstream media’s shocking and unrelenting biases. Numerous media sources have placed an absurd focus on Almeni’s former name, Emad al-Swealmeen, in addition to his apparent mental health problems. Indeed, almost all the major papers disturbingly deem it appropriate to refer to the bomber as ‘Emad al-Swealmeen’, despite the name change having occurred via deed poll many years ago. The name change was believed to have been inspired by the late Italian racing legend, Enzo Ferrari, whom Almeni reportedly admired as a motor racing enthusiast. The change was also apparently done so Almeni could “sound more Western” when applying for asylum in the UK. Ironically, Almeni’s claim for asylum was rejected in 2014, with an appeal dismissed in 2017. Despite all these background facts, on his demise, the mainstream media is still using his former name. Could this be in order to deflect from the fact that he was keen to embrace ‘Western’ culture? [2]
So the bomber is a christian convert named Enzo Almeni, but hardly any reports use his name, only his original name and ethnicity. Interesting.
— On mastodon social and bsky as – (@oolon) November 15, 2021
Almeni was a “genuine Christian”, according to Malcolm Hitchcott, a church worker and retired British Army soldier. Hitchcott, along with his wife Elizabeth, opened their door to the failed asylum seeker in 2017 and housed him for eight months. Hitchcott told BBC Radio Merseyside on Tuesday:
“He was on the streets, basically…he arrived here on April 2017, and he was with us then eight months. During that time, we saw him really blossoming as regard to his Christian faith. Every night we used to pray, my wife and him and if there was anybody else in the house we prayed for half an hour or so and studied the scriptures and we had a great time together. And I was in no doubt by the time that he left us at the end of that eight months, that he was a Christian.” [3]
The Right Reverend Cyril Ashton is the bishop who confirmed Almeni, and even once shared a picture with the suspected terrorist during a service at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral. In a statement, Ashton mentioned that he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident.
“His confirmation was one of hundreds I have conducted as a bishop so I have no specific recollection of the individual. The church takes confirmation seriously and I know that he would have been thoroughly prepared with an understanding of the Christian faith. It seems that sadly, despite this grounding, the bomber chose a different path for his life.” [3]
Investigators have said it could take weeks to determine the motive for Sunday’s heinous crime, with counter-terror officers speculating as to whether the main charge failed to detonate on the homemade bomb. In addition, analysis is being carried out to determine whether triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was used to make the device. One possible motive suggested is that the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral – which is a short walk from Liverpool Women’s Hospital – was the intended target. However, the Daily Mail notes that owing to traffic and road closures, Almeni was unable to reach this destination. [2]
British media organisations are also facing criticism after the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside Kim Johnson raised concerns in the Commons regarding a spike in Islamophobia following Almeni’s alleged attack.
Johnson, the city’s first black MP, told members of the house:
“Liverpool has always been a diverse and welcome city and we pride ourselves on being a city of sanctuary. Now, more than ever, we need to work together to support our communities, and show that we remain united against the attempts to divide us.
“Incidents such as these, while extremely rare, always provoke a spike in race hate, and particularly in the Muslim community. And my team have been hearing incidents where women wearing the hijab are facing abuse.” [4]
While others in the chamber nodded in support, the MP for Liverpool Riverside also added:
“I’m aware there is funding available through the Listed Places to Worship Scheme to help provide security against hate crimes, and the government provides community security with £40m of funding every year. I also note that the Muslim Council of Britain has repeatedly raised [that] funding they receive as being not proportionate to the risk they face, especially since the government’s latest figures show they [Muslims] receive 45 per cent of all religious hate crimes. This is the greatest percentage of any faith group and double the second-highest group.
“So will the minister take the opportunity and review the amount of funding all faith communities receive every year, to ensure that adequate proportional resources are allocated to protect communities, including at times of heightened risk such as these?” [4]
In wrapping up her remarks, Johnson ended on an optimistic note:
“…As we continue to search for the truth behind this appalling incident, we must remain alert but not alarmed, we must stay calm, look after each other and pull together as the great diverse city we are and not allow anyone to exploit this situation to divide us. In times like these we must stand in solidarity”. [4]
Source: www.islam21c.com
Notes:
[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-59308938
Oh they won’t struggle at all. They’ll just simply dismiss his conversion as a Trojan horse to launch an attack on Christianity and call this out as “once a Muslim, always a Muslim”.