Mosque's Bigley shrine wrecked (Home news)

Source:The Sun (London, England) (Oct 13, 2004): p.6. (250 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2004 News Group Newspapers Ltd.

Byline: John Scott

Thugs steal Ken's condolence book

CALLOUS thugs have wrecked Ken Bigley's shrine in one of Britain's biggest mosques.
They stole a book of condolence signed by 300 people in honour of the beheaded hostage.
And they also snatched a framed photo, sympathy cards and candles for Ken.
Another picture of the Liverpool engineer was turned upside down and posters were torn down at Birmingham Central Mosque.

Worshippers said an Iraqi-born man, upset by the tribute, had unsuccessfully tried to destroy it on Saturday -the day after official confirmation of Ken's death.

The book was stolen after being put on display at the weekend. It had been signed by the city's Muslim leaders and members of the public. Dr Mohammed Naseem, chairman of the mosque, said: "There's always an element who's not part of the mainstream and does what's wrong. They are sick people. It's very distressing both for us and Mr Bigley's family." Another official, AdamYosef, added: "It was a horrible and callous thing to do."

A new condolence book will be kept safe and sent to Ken's family once signed.
In March, a book of sympathy for the victims of the Madrid bombings was stolen from the same mosque.

Ken, 62, was beheaded by Jordanian-born extremist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi three weeks after being kidnapped.

Yesterday US war jets blitzed a terrorist "safe house" in Fallujah.

Intelligence sources said it was being used at the time by al-Zarqawi's cohorts.

CAPTION(S):
Targeted...the mosque and Ken Bigley, right

Source Citation:"Mosque's Bigley shrine wrecked." The Sun (London, England) (Oct 13, 2004):

Bigley's body was 'dumped south of Baghdad'

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2004 Newsquest Media Group

Byline: Cameron Simpson;

THE body of Ken Bigley, killed by his kidnappers last week after three weeks in captivity, was dumped just south of Baghdad on Friday, sources close to the insurgency said yesterday. Mr

Bigley, 62, was beheaded by followers of Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the Jordanian militant, on Thursday, and a videotape of the killing was handed to an Arabic television channel on Friday.

Insurgent sources said last week that Mr Bigley was killed in the town of Latifiya, about 20 miles south-west of Baghdad. Those reports have not been independently confirmed. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: ''At the moment we haven't got or found the body.

We are making efforts to find it.'' He declined to comment on where they were looking. The British embassy in Baghdad had no information. In Birmingham, the Central Mosque said a book of condolence for Mr Bigley had been stolen, and other tributes to the British engineer had been destroyed. Muslim leaders set up tributes at the city's main mosque to express the community's horror.


All the imams and Muslim leaders from around Birmingham, which has a large Muslim population, signed the book and cards. Candles and pictures of Mr Bigley had been placed outside.

Adam Yosef, mosque spokesman, said: ''On Saturday evening there were a few problems with a few individuals who were threatening to take the book away. ''On Sunday morning the caretaker found the book was gone. ''The following day the tribute was also damaged and ruined. Parts of it were stolen, posters were removed and signs were ripped off. It's a disgusting thing to do.''

A second book of condolence has been opened and will be forwarded to the Bigley family in Liverpool along with other tributes.

Source Citation:"Bigley's body was 'dumped south of Baghdad'." The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland) (Oct 13, 2004):