TWO converts to Islam and the mother of an eight-month-old baby are among eleven people charged yesterday over an alleged plot to blow up aircraft flying from Britain to America.

Eight of the eleven are charged with two offences of conspiracy to murder and the new offence of preparing acts of terrorism that was introduced after the July 7 London bombings.

The other three have been charged with other offences under the Terrorism Act 2000, including failing to give police information which might have prevented an terror act.

Umar Islam, a former Rastafarian who became a Muslim and changed his name from Brian Young, had moved from High Wycombe to East London, where he is employed as a ticket inspector. He is married to a Muslim woman who is the mother of his young child, and in 2004 began to wear traditional Islamic clothes and pray five times a day. The former postman’s parents came to England from the Caribbean island of St Vincent.

Ibrahim Savant, whose wife, Atika, is six months pregnant, was arrested at his parents’ home in Walthamstow. A bookkeeper, he is the son of an Iranian architect and changed his name from Oliver on converting to Islam about seven or eight years ago.

He went to school with Ahmed Abdullah Ali and Arafat Waheed Khan, also charged yesterday. The three were said in a previous newspaper report to have been in the same year at a school in Walthamstow, northeast London. They are said to have become religious and changed their appearance to conform to Islamic dress codes.

Cossar Ali, 23, the mother of an eight-month-old, and her husband, Ahmed, were both charged in connection with the alleged plot. It is reported that she attended the same school as Waheed Zaman, another of those charged yesterday.

Mr Zaman, who lived with his parents and brother, aged 15, in Walthamstow, was described by a neighbour as “very pro-Britain” and a strong supporter of Liverpool Football Club. A biomedical science student at London Metropolitan University, he was also head of the university’s Islamic Society. He had worked at Hamleys toy shop in Regent Street in London, according to reports.

He is a follower of Tablighi Jamaat, an international missionary sect. The group’s preachers regularly visited the mosque where most of those arrested in East London worshipped.

Kamran Siddique, a student friend of Mr Zaman, said: “After 9/11 and 7/7, Waheed was sceptical about whether Muslims could have been responsible. He watched conspiracy videos on the internet. He believed them and thought they made sense.” Like Mr Zaman, another of the suspects charged yesterday, he was a follower of Tablighi Jamaat.

Assad Ali Sarwar, arrested in High Wycombe, is said to have become increasingly religious and abandoned his university degree course. He attended weekend study groups by the sect. Tablighi Jamaat, whose British headquarters are in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, denies any links to terrorism.Tanvir Hussain and his brother, Mehran, who are both from Chingford, Essex, were described as having previously been like “wheeler dealers” and having changed from being very Westernised to being devout Muslims. They prayed at Chingford Islamic Society mosque, northwest London, which doubles as a bookshop and cultural centre. They were involved in a market business involving delivering trainers, perfume and Islamic dress to young men, and local events.

Mr Khan, a computer salesman, and Adam Khatib, both from Walthamstow, were also charged yesterday.

Mr Khan is said to have struggled to deal with the death of his father during a pilgrimage to Pakistan.

THE CHARGES

Against eight suspects

Between Jan 1, 2006, and Aug 10, 2006, with the intention of committing acts of terrorism engaged in conduct to give effect to their intention to smuggle the component parts of improvised explosive devices onto aircraft and assemble and detonate them on board

Against a 17-year-old male

Between Oct 1, 2005, and Aug 10, 2006, had in his possession a document or record, namely a book on improvised explosives devices, some suicide notes and wills with the identities of persons prepared to commit acts of terrorism and a map of Afghanistan containing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism

Against Cossor Ali

Between Jan 1, 2005, and Aug 10, 2006, had information which she knew or believed might be of material assistance in preventing the commission of another person namely, Ahmed Abdullah Ali aka Abdullah Ali Ahmed Khan, of an act of terrorism and failed to disclose it as soon as reasonably practicable

Against Mehran Hussain

Between Sep 23, 2005, and Aug 10, 2006, had information which he knew or believed might be of material assistance in preventing the commission of another person namely, Nabeel Hussain, of an act of terrorism and failed to disclose it as soon as reasonably practicable

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