A large Islamic community nestled in the Buckinghamshire hills of High Wycombe sprang into action when disaster struck the Kashmir region, their ancestral home.

The five were all newlyweds and prayed at the same preaching centre, which teaches a strict form of the faith. The High Wycombe suspects are said to walk around with eyes lowered, to keep their minds away from worldly affairs.

Muslims in the town are torn between shame, scepticism and disbelief at the arrests over the alleged plane bombs plot.

The discovery of a suitcase filled with bomb-making material by police scouring woods close to some of the arrested men’s homes has sent hearts sinking. “There is quite a lot of shame,” a well-connected member of the 5,000-strong Pakistani community in the ancient market town told The Times. Even if the terrorism allegations are untrue, an unwelcome spotlight has been thrust on what has become a hotbed of divisions between rival interpretations of Islam.

Religious tapes by Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal, jailed after touring Britain telling Muslim boys to kill “filthy” Jews, Hindus and infidels, are known to have been in circulation among local people.

Three of the five suspects — Khuram Ali, Waseem Kayani and Assad Sarwar — are from Pakistani families. Two are converts from Christian backgrounds: Abdul Waheed, a white youth formerly known as Don Stewart-Whyte, and Umar Islam, a British West Indian born Brian Young.

The suspects joined fellow Muslims in earthquake aid last October when Crescent Relief London was active in the town. The five High Wycombe suspects worshipped at the Muslim Education Centre in Totteridge Drive, founded seven years ago when the sternly traditional Markaz ud-Dawa movement moved into town. The centre, a charity, proclaims its mission as being to advance Islam according to the “interpretation and accepted view of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa-ah”. Websites linked to this movement emphasise a rejection of Western values and distrust of democracy.

Children, some as young as 4, in Islamic costume, are dropped off nightly at the centre for lessons in “being a good Muslim”. Some have spent the day at Islamic school in Luton. One father explained: “My wife and I don’t swear at home but my children came home swearing. Where did they get it from? They learn about sex and drugs in state schools.”

The centre’s annual report says that it holds nightly lessons teaching children to recite the Koran. “These classes have been very popular and successful . . . represented by long waiting lists of parents who want to send their children to participate,” it states.

Older youths are invited to join gatherings for English-language topical debates. “Issues such as racism, drugs, alcohol and respect for others are discussed and are aimed at social reform on an individual as well as communal level,” the report states. “Volunteers are offering free self-defence classes, to encourage teenagers to spend their time constructively.” At weekends there are lessons in Arabic so followers can understand holy writings.

Waseem Kayani, 28, one of the suspects, was described as a popular character with children at the centre. “He’s always smiling and laughing. They find him very nice,” a father said. Among the suspects, only Khuram Ali, 27, still spends some time wearing Western garments because, being a selfemployed car dealer, looser garments are impractical for his job. “If you wear Islamic clothes it’s difficult to get under your car and examine your tyres,” a friend said.

Most Muslims in High Wycombe originate from Kashmir. The three Pakistanis are said to have returned to their homeland recently to meet their brides and get married. The community largely respects the traditional conservative practice of choosing a blood relative as a spouse.

Mr Stewart-Whyte, 21, by contrast, married a Moroccan girl from London. Mr Young, 28, a bus ticket inspector and former Rastafarian, married a Muslim girl from the East London district of West Ham and moved in with his in-laws.

Mr Stewart-Whyte converted to Islam six months ago. A videotape of the ceremony, including footage of the former Methodist explaining his decision, is sought by news organisations, so far without success.

Previously regarded as something of a wild man, he explored his new faith spending hours browsing a High Wycombe bookshop, which propounds the purist Salafi version of Islam from Saudi Arabia.

Some suspects, including Mr Sarwar, 25, joined Tablighi Jamaat, an international missionary sect encouraging followers to live like the Prophet, growing beards and praying five times a day. Volunteers are sent around Britain from mosque to mosque, bringing only a sleeping bag and provisions.

By day they tour Muslim communities, knocking on doors to discuss faith with the men of the house and inviting them to evening gatherings. The movement condemns terrorism but French Intelligence describes it as the “antechamber of fundamentalism”.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Speed limit of 20mph to cut urban road deaths
• Great grades not needed to be a good doctor
• The survivors' tales