A BRADFORD cab driver has been jailed for life with a minimum of 27 years at the High Court in Glasgow for the murder of a shopkeeper in Glasgow.

Tanveer Ahmed was sentenced for killing Asad Shah this morning.

Ahmed, 32, of the Toller area of the city, drove to Glasgow on March 24 this year in the belief that the shopkeeper had disrespected the Prophet Muhammad.

Ahmed, who had armed himself with a knife, engaged Mr Shah, 40, in conversation at his shop before stabbing him repeatedly in a frenzied attack which lasted four minutes.

Ahmed, who did not know Mr Shah, claimed to have been offended by clips the shopkeeper had posted online which he said ''disrespected the Prophet Muhammad''.

Ahmed watched a clip featuring Mr Shah on his mobile phone as he travelled to Glasgow on the day of the murder and was heard in a phone message to say "listen to this guy, something needs to be done, it needs nipped in the bud".

When he arrived at the shop, Ahmed said he warned the shopkeeper he was there to kill him and asked him to stop claiming to be a prophet.

Mr Shah's brother and a shop assistant tried to fend him off as he launched his attack on the popular businessman, described by locals as a ''pillar of the community''.

The Shah family, which moved to Scotland from Pakistan in the 1990s to escape persecution, belongs to the Ahmadi sect of Islam whose beliefs differ from the majority of Muslims.

The court heard their belief that Prophet Muhammad was not the final prophet was a view many consider blasphemous.

In a statement released through his lawyer after the killing, Ahmed said: "If I had not done this others would have and there would be more killings and violence in the world."

Judge Lady Rae today said Ahmed had carried out a "brutal, barbaric, horrific crime" for which he had shown no remorse and even appeared proud of what he had done.

She described the calculated nature of the murder as "chilling", saying he had carried out what was in effect an "execution".

The Bradford father-of-three was given a life sentence and judge Lady Rae told Ahmed he must serve a minimum of 27 years before being considered for release.

The judge said she had discounted the sentence by three years in view of his early admission of guilt.

Lady Rae told him: "It is clear this was a barbaric, pre-meditated and wholly unjustified killing of a much-loved man who was a pillar of the local community."

She described Mr Shah as a family, peace-loving man who went out of his way to respect people of all faiths and had been attacked in an "appalling display of merciless violence".

She said: "Your determination to kill Mr Shah was obvious. What is so chilling is that what you did was calculated and deliberate.

"You did not know the deceased but you decided that you had a duty to kill him."

Following the confrontation during which the shopkeeper was unwilling to change his views, the judge said Ahmed had carried out "what was in effect an execution".

She said she accepted that the crime was not the result of prejudice against the Ahmadi community but that it was religiously motivated.

Lady Rae said: "It's clear you are proud of what you did. You seem oblivious to the fact that you have devastated a family."

As he was led from the dock, Ahmed raised a clenched fist and made a pronouncement praising the Prophet Muhammad to members of his community gathered in the court.

He said shouted, in Arabic: "Praise for the Prophet Muhammad, there is only one Prophet."

Some of his supporters responded by raising their arms and repeating the phrase.

A statement released on behalf of the family of Mr Shah said:  "Asad's family have lost a peaceful, kind and loving brother, son and uncle who can never be replaced.

"Most of his family have now left or are in the process of leaving Scotland, a country they came to seek safety in.

"They are grateful to the Lord Advocate, Crown Office and Police Scotland for their hard work and compassion."

The murder shocked the close-knit community of Shawlands in the south side of the city where several vigils were held in the wake of the tragedy.

Chief Superintendent Brian McInulty, local policing commander for greater Glasgow division, said: "Our thoughts continue to be with the family of Asad Shah, whose presence in the community is very much missed by everyone who knew him.

"I hope that the sentencing today will reassure the immediate community in Glasgow's south side as well as communities all across Scotland that acts of violence such as this are utterly unacceptable and cannot be justified.

"Glasgow is a strong, united, multi-faith community that has immense pride in its diversity.

"In fact, our communities celebrate this diversity, with people from all backgrounds, faiths and culture living, working and socialising together.

"Religious intolerance in any form is simply not tolerated in our society and Police Scotland will work in partnership with our communities to eradicate such behaviour, to ensure that no individual, group or community feels isolated, marginalised or threatened."

Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC said: "Asad Shah was a well-liked and respected member of the community who was savagely murdered by a total stranger.

"This was a brutal, unprovoked and relentless attack on an unsuspecting victim. It has left his family and friends devastated at the loss of a kind and peace-loving man.

"Tanveer Ahmed's crime has rightly been condemned by communities across Glasgow and the rest of the country.

"Tanveer Ahmed has committed the gravest of crimes and he will now serve a very lengthy period in jail as a result of his actions."

After the case, Dr Mohammed Iqbal, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Bradford, said he was pleased that "justice was done". 

But he called for all faiths in Bradford and beyond to be more tolerant and not take the law into their own hands. 

He said: "I'm pleased that justice has been done. 

"The fact that he did not show any remorse is quite worrying. 

"He was totally brainwashed by misinformation from sources including the internet. We must challenge this idiotic behaviour. 

"There are lessons for the Bradford district that bigotry and stupidity should be challenged. 

"People have a right to have different interpretations and views. You should not take the law into your own hands. 

"It's important for our society that we teach tolerance of what other people's faiths. We need to nip bigotry in the bud. 

"You can't stay silent on these things. Intolerance must be challenged. 

"We need to educate people across the Bradford district about tolerance and understanding."

Rafiq Hayat, the national president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK, added: "In Glasgow, as in many parts of the world, we have witnessed the evil of a warped and poisonous ideology of hate, that is at war with the whole of humanity.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr Shah and his family who have suffered immensely as a result of this brutal killing. No-one should suffer or be murdered, least of all for their faith.

"But out of this dark episode we also saw the spirit of humanity, as the city came together in a show of solidarity to show their support for Mr Shah and to take a united stand against extremism.

"Mr Shah’s only crime was to spread a message of love and compassion and the whole city paid tribute to him for his kindness and care.

"No matter how brutal the crime and how evil the ideology, the people of Glasgow and the UK have made clear that we will not let hate prevail. We welcome the fact that justice has been served and our community will continue to work with others in this proud and great city to build a legacy of love.

"The murder of Asad Shah represents the first time that an Ahmadi Muslim has been killed on British soil because of his beliefs.  They are routinely attacked by extremist zealots and it is disturbing to see such hate reach the shores of Britain.

"However while in other parts of the world, such crimes are committed with impunity, we are proud to live in the UK, where the rule of law and principle of justice plays a formidable role in responding to such hate. 

"In this regard we pay tribute to the authorities in the UK and in particular in Scotland, who have stood up against such brutality. In Islam it is important for due consideration to be given to the thoughts and sentiments of the family of the victim. Our thoughts and prayers are with Asad Shah’s family and if they consider that justice has been served then we then we commend the authorities for this. 

"We appreciate the work of the authorities and, based on the intelligence and information they have access to, they must continue to work diligently for the protection and safety of all citizens.

"This pre-meditated murder highlights how vigilant we all must be to the evil of extremism and we hope and pray that no one else has to suffer at the hands of extremists."

Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Glasgow have planned to mark the legacy of Asad Shah.

A fundraising Peace Walk in Glasgow aiming to raise £25,000 took place last month.

This was in addition to the online fundraising page that had raised more than £100,000 to support directly his family.

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