Woman produced 'holy war' leaflet

Published: 2009/02/03 19:56:28 GMT

A woman has admitted producing a leaflet which encouraged readers to go abroad to fight a jihad - or holy war.

Shella Roma, 28, of Oldham, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to dissemination of a terrorist publication at Manchester Crown Court.

She had 200 copies of the leaflet printed but police arrested her after a tip-off from a photocopy shop worker.

A charge against her 30-year-old husband, Amjad Mahmood, was ordered to lie on file.

The pair, who have a young child, had been due to go on trial on the charge under Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Mr Mahmood had denied the charge.

Roma, of Chester Street, admitted committing the offence between October 2007 and January last year.

The leaflet contained an eight-page essay by Roma, entitled The Call, which was spotted by the worker at a shop in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.

'Poor mental health'

It contained theological, political and historical commentary and mentions the 9/11 attacks and the war on terror.

Roma, said to be the "prime mover" in the case, asked in the essay: "Will you go to Jihad (holy war)?"

It ended with the statement: "Jihad: the choice is yours."

Thomas Bayliss QC said his client Roma told police she had intended to hand the leaflet out to people in her community but had never got round to it.

He said at the time the leaflet was written she was "in a poor state of health mentally".

The case was adjourned for reports ahead of sentence on 20 March. Roma was released on bail.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/7868372.stm