Latest news with #Islamisation
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Akash, Brahmos now battle-tested; counter-drone ops will remain expensive: Maj Gen Gaurav Bagga on Op Sindoor
While the lower house of Parliament on Monday morning began a 16-hour debate on Operation Sindoor and the events following the terrorist attack at Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April this year, Major General Gaurav Bagga, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Golden Katar Division, spoke on the same topic at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar. Bagga has been delivering lectures at several universities and higher educational institutions on Operation Sindoor. After a lecture at Karnavati University and RRU, the Major General is set to speak at IIMA on July 30, said an Army spokesperson. In a roughly hour-long lecture to students and faculty members at RRU, Bagga highlighted the threat of information warfare and narrative shaping, the need for greater self-reliance in weapon technologies and the asymmetry caused by cheap armed drones in modern warfare. From expounding on the Islamisation of the Pakistani Army to his thoughts on a multi-front war, Bagga touched on a number of topics, including how long deployed weapons in India's arsenal had finally seen combat for the first time. 'A lot of systems, which were never (battle) tested, got tested. Akash was made, but never tested. Now it's battle-hardened. They've been pretty successful. Brahmos missile was made, jointly manufactured with Russia, but never tested. They got tested. The S-400 was bought and deployed, but never tested. The scores of drones and anti-drone systems, many in trial stages, were tested and so Operation Sindoor has had several advantages for the armed forces. Many cannot be put in an open domain as yet,' said Major General Bagga. Here he was referring to the Akash Surface-To-Air (SAM) missile system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that is an integral part of India's Air Defence shield. The S-400 missile system is another air defence system, this one imported from Russia. The Brahmos, meanwhile, is a supersonic cruise missile used in offence operations and is deployed with all three wings of the Indian military. Taking a question on indigenisation of weapons systems, Bagga said, 'Self-dependence or 'atmanirbharta' has come to the fore. If you remember, during Operation Vijay (1999 Kargil war), there was a challenge of ammunition shortage. It was not indigenous and we had to procure it from the world market. The 155-mm howitzer ammunition was not available and that was the first time we felt, in the middle of a war, that ammunition was not available. Atmanirbharta is thus a challenge we need to work on.' On modern warfare, often conducted beyond visual range, Bagga said, 'We are adapting to a new type of warfare because this time, nobody crossed the line of control, it was all by air. The whole battle changed and went towards a zone we had not anticipated in numbers and intensity. These are lessons we have learnt as a nation. Your security is directly proportional to the money you invest in it. To keep such a huge armed forces is an expensive business so that country has to balance and it is doing that.' On India's preparedness for a multi-front war, Bagga said, 'Multi-front war is a reality, and to the best of our abilities, we are ready. Capability development is a constant process, it is a very slow and long-drawn process, which is happening. Human resources are being built, trained and a lot of situations and scenarios are being played up during preparation.' He further added, 'Preparation is a direct function of the kind of resources you have, the kind of supply chain that runs from many countries. So if we have a long-drawn war, we will have to look to friendly foreign countries where we will get our logistics supplies. That happens to be a challenge we are overcoming through 'atmanirbharta'.' On a question on the asymmetry between expensive anti-drone weapon systems and the relatively cheap attack drones used in modern warfare, Bagga said, 'The anti-drone systems involve many things. It has a soft kill and a hard kill. Soft kills have ranges of 70-80 km unlike missiles whose ranges vary from 200-300-400 km… there is no refuting the fact that a small Chinese or Turkish drone is being countered by a missile. But that's how it is. Now the question is do we have a cheap missile? We don't. Do we have a cheap system that can hit at long ranges? We don't. Should we allow that armed drone to come in and hope that our close-in systems will be able to (counter it)? These challenges remain, and that is why people are switching to lower-cost options like drones to cause damage. If you read about the Russia-Ukraine war, you will see most of the successful operations being done by drones because they are low-cost.' Speaking about drone warfare during the short India-Pakistan conflict, Maj Gen Bagga said, 'It's not just the Pakistanis who did it. We did the same to them and they didn't even have a counter for them (our drones). How did we reach their Lahore airport? It was our loitering munitions. At least we had counters, we did not allow them to damage any of our critical assets, including population centres or military stations. Counter (drone operations) will be more expensive till we get a cheaper option and no cheaper option is on the horizon (at the moment).' He also talked about the initial targeting of terrorist camps across the border in the first phase of Operation Sindoor. 'India's western front stretches from Point NJ9842 at Siachen Glacier to Sir Creek in Gujarat. (When hostilities take place) we are supposed to work in a particular fashion. This time, the challenge was to do things not as we usually do. They were expecting us to reply in a particular way — which we did not do. The targets were not restricted to J&K. They were thinking that we would react in a certain way like we did after Uri. They expected something towards J&K, but we had different plans.' 'There was a pool of targets because the command and control element of the terrorists were there. From 21, ultimately 9 targets were chosen and based on certain factors, vectors were chosen. Seven were destroyed by the Indian Army, two by the Air Force and a communique was sent to Pakistan that this is what we wanted to do, and this is not related to your military or nation, but (this is) against terrorism. These (targets) included Sawai Nala, Syedna Bilal, Kotli Abbas, Kotli Gulpur, and Bhimber in POJK; and Bahawalpur, Muridke, Mehmoona Joya, and Sarjal in Pakistan,' he added. On selection of targets, Bagga said, 'The camps are far more than 21, but we selected them because at that point in time, they were active. The others may also not exist after our strikes because the terrorists need to have flexibility to move. They were not expecting Muridke and Bahawalpur, which had been terrorism headquarters for many years, to be hit. The network is flexible and in motion. When nine were hit, the other 12 weren't there anymore. ' Speaking on the state of the Pakistan Army, Major General Bagga said, 'The islamisation of the Pakistan Army began when Zia-Ul-Haq was in power in the 1980s. Armies of all countries are apolitical and have no religion. He islamicised the Army and once you do that, the whole outlook changes. Then, the eastern neighbour becomes the Hindu eastern neighbour and that gives you a different dynamic.' Bagga added, 'Pakistan has troubles on its own western borders. On one hand there is Balochistan, and on the other, there is KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). They are in tumult and they must fight. The Pakistan Army is always under pressure because in Balochistan there are operations being carried out against the Pakistani Army every day. And when the Pakistani Army comes under pressure, they look to India. In India they can't do much anywhere, so they go to J&K and carry out terrorist attacks through Hafiz Saeed of the LeT and Masood Azhar of the JeM.' On the political situation in Pakistan, Bagga further said, 'There is an issue whenever there is greater political assertiveness in Pakistan. Whoever becomes stronger, put him in jail or hang him — that's what Pakistan does. The moment Imran Khan became a little stronger and began questioning the Army, and the people began fighting them, he went to jail.'
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Akash, Brahmos now battle-tested; counter-drone ops will remain expensive: Maj Gen Bagga on Operation Sindoor
While the lower house of Parliament on Monday morning began a 16-hour debate on Operation Sindoor and the events following the terrorist attack at Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April this year, Major General Gaurav Bagga, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Golden Katar Division, spoke on the same topic at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar. Bagga has been delivering lectures at several universities and higher educational institutions on Operation Sindoor. After a lecture at Karnavati University and RRU, the Major General is set to speak at IIMA on July 30, said an Army spokesperson. In a roughly hour-long lecture to students and faculty members at RRU, Bagga highlighted the threat of information warfare and narrative shaping, the need for greater self-reliance in weapon technologies and the asymmetry caused by cheap armed drones in modern warfare. From expounding on the Islamisation of the Pakistani Army to his thoughts on a multi-front war, Bagga touched on a number of topics, including how long deployed weapons in India's arsenal had finally seen combat for the first time. 'A lot of systems, which were never (battle) tested, got tested. Akash was made, but never tested. Now it's battle-hardened. They've been pretty successful. Brahmos missile was made, jointly manufactured with Russia, but never tested. They got tested. The S-400 was bought and deployed, but never tested. The scores of drones and anti-drone systems, many in trial stages, were tested and so Operation Sindoor has had several advantages for the armed forces. Many cannot be put in an open domain as yet,' said Major General Bagga. Here he was referring to the Akash Surface-To-Air (SAM) missile system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that is an integral part of India's Air Defence shield. The S-400 missile system is another air defence system, this one imported from Russia. The Brahmos, meanwhile, is a supersonic cruise missile used in offence operations and is deployed with all three wings of the Indian military. Taking a question on indigenisation of weapons systems, Bagga said, 'Self-dependence or 'atmanirbharta' has come to the fore. If you remember, during Operation Vijay (1999 Kargil war), there was a challenge of ammunition shortage. It was not indigenous and we had to procure it from the world market. The 155-mm howitzer ammunition was not available and that was the first time we felt, in the middle of a war, that ammunition was not available. Atmanirbharta is thus a challenge we need to work on.' On modern warfare, often conducted beyond visual range, Bagga said, 'We are adapting to a new type of warfare because this time, nobody crossed the line of control, it was all by air. The whole battle changed and went towards a zone we had not anticipated in numbers and intensity. These are lessons we have learnt as a nation. Your security is directly proportional to the money you invest in it. To keep such a huge armed forces is an expensive business so that country has to balance and it is doing that.' On India's preparedness for a multi-front war, Bagga said, 'Multi-front war is a reality, and to the best of our abilities, we are ready. Capability development is a constant process, it is a very slow and long-drawn process, which is happening. Human resources are being built, trained and a lot of situations and scenarios are being played up during preparation.' He further added, 'Preparation is a direct function of the kind of resources you have, the kind of supply chain that runs from many countries. So if we have a long-drawn war, we will have to look to friendly foreign countries where we will get our logistics supplies. That happens to be a challenge we are overcoming through 'atmanirbharta'.' On a question on the asymmetry between expensive anti-drone weapon systems and the relatively cheap attack drones used in modern warfare, Bagga said, 'The anti-drone systems involve many things. It has a soft kill and a hard kill. Soft kills have ranges of 70-80 km unlike missiles whose ranges vary from 200-300-400 km… there is no refuting the fact that a small Chinese or Turkish drone is being countered by a missile. But that's how it is. Now the question is do we have a cheap missile? We don't. Do we have a cheap system that can hit at long ranges? We don't. Should we allow that armed drone to come in and hope that our close-in systems will be able to (counter it)? These challenges remain, and that is why people are switching to lower-cost options like drones to cause damage. If you read about the Russia-Ukraine war, you will see most of the successful operations being done by drones because they are low-cost.' Speaking about drone warfare during the short India-Pakistan conflict, Maj Gen Bagga said, 'It's not just the Pakistanis who did it. We did the same to them and they didn't even have a counter for them (our drones). How did we reach their Lahore airport? It was our loitering munitions. At least we had counters, we did not allow them to damage any of our critical assets, including population centres or military stations. Counter (drone operations) will be more expensive till we get a cheaper option and no cheaper option is on the horizon (at the moment).' He also talked about the initial targeting of terrorist camps across the border in the first phase of Operation Sindoor. 'India's western front stretches from Point NJ9842 at Siachen Glacier to Sir Creek in Gujarat. (When hostilities take place) we are supposed to work in a particular fashion. This time, the challenge was to do things not as we usually do. They were expecting us to reply in a particular way — which we did not do. The targets were not restricted to J&K. They were thinking that we would react in a certain way like we did after Uri. They expected something towards J&K, but we had different plans.' 'There was a pool of targets because the command and control element of the terrorists were there. From 21, ultimately 9 targets were chosen and based on certain factors, vectors were chosen. Seven were destroyed by the Indian Army, two by the Air Force and a communique was sent to Pakistan that this is what we wanted to do, and this is not related to your military or nation, but (this is) against terrorism. These (targets) included Sawai Nala, Syedna Bilal, Kotli Abbas, Kotli Gulpur, and Bhimber in POJK; and Bahawalpur, Muridke, Mehmoona Joya, and Sarjal in Pakistan,' he added. On selection of targets, Bagga said, 'The camps are far more than 21, but we selected them because at that point in time, they were active. The others may also not exist after our strikes because the terrorists need to have flexibility to move. They were not expecting Muridke and Bahawalpur, which had been terrorism headquarters for many years, to be hit. The network is flexible and in motion. When nine were hit, the other 12 weren't there anymore. ' Speaking on the state of the Pakistan Army, Major General Bagga said, 'The islamisation of the Pakistan Army began when Zia-Ul-Haq was in power in the 1980s. Armies of all countries are apolitical and have no religion. He islamicised the Army and once you do that, the whole outlook changes. Then, the eastern neighbour becomes the Hindu eastern neighbour and that gives you a different dynamic.' Bagga added, 'Pakistan has troubles on its own western borders. On one hand there is Balochistan, and on the other, there is KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). They are in tumult and they must fight. The Pakistan Army is always under pressure because in Balochistan there are operations being carried out against the Pakistani Army every day. And when the Pakistani Army comes under pressure, they look to India. In India they can't do much anywhere, so they go to J&K and carry out terrorist attacks through Hafiz Saeed of the LeT and Masood Azhar of the JeM.' The Major General also said lack of employment and development in J&K was definitely not the cause for conflict or terror in the area. On the political situation in Pakistan, Bagga further said, 'There is an issue whenever there is greater political assertiveness in Pakistan. Whoever becomes stronger, put him in jail or hang him — that's what Pakistan does. The moment Imran Khan became a little stronger and began questioning the Army, and the people began fighting them, he went to jail.'
Euronews
5 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Ateş' warnings against 'Islamisation' dangerous, German imams says
Since demonstrations in Berlin and Düsseldorf turned violent when supporters of Syria's new government clashed with pro-Kurdish demonstrators, discussions surrounding radical Islamism in Germany have been on the rise. At the protests last weekend, people celebrated the wave of attacks on Syria's Druze minority by Bedouin militias, which left hundreds dead, a wave of sectarian violence that threatened to derail post-war Syria's hopes of renewed stability. Around 400 people took part in the protests in Berlin, while 500 participants took to the streets in Düsseldorf, where the rally ended in violence and police officers were injured. The German-Turkish Imam Seyran Ateş criticised the demonstrations in comments to Euronews and issued an urgent warning against radicalism on the streets of Germany. "They were sent to Europe to cause unrest here, to recruit people for their ideology and to work on the grand idea of Islamising Europe," she claimed. Counterpoints by other imams So is Germany really being Islamised by extremists as Ateş claimed? Some of the country's other imams are now speaking out to Euronews, putting forward diverging opinions. Benjamin Idriz, an imam in Penzberg, countered: "I disagree with the insinuation that 'Islam' or 'the Muslims' want to threaten Europe." Anyone who uses the term Islamisation is "stirring up Islamophobia," he emphasised. "I consider Ms Ateş' statements, according to which young Syrians are allegedly being sent here to Islamise Europe, to be dangerous and simply irresponsible;" Idriz told Euronews. Idriz accuses her of adding "fuel to the fire". There are "of course individuals, with or without a migration background, who misuse religious terms" to incite hatred against people of other faiths. "There is no justification for this," he stated. "But identifying such people with a religion or an entire faith is as wrong as it is dangerous," Idriz said. According to Idriz, Islamisation is a "politically charged fighting term" stemming from "right-wing populist contexts" and suggests a "targeted infiltration of Europe by Islam". This is a narrative that is "close to conspiracy ideologies" and anyone using it is fuelling Islamophobia, he said. No connection with Islam, Berlin imam says Berlin imam Sharjil Khalid was also outraged. "The main function of these self-proclaimed Islam experts seems to be to make simplified general judgements," he told Euronews. This can be seen in the "decontextualised use" of Islamisation. The term is "increasingly being used in a populist way ... without regard for context or differentiation. This was also the case with the protests in Berlin and Düsseldorf." Khalid sees an ethnic conflict rather than one with Islam at its core. "Why is Ms Ateş suddenly linking these demonstrations, which were clearly about an ethnic conflict between Druze and Syrians, to Islam?" "We know that many people who read about Islam are hardly religiously educated. This was also the case with extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda or (the self-described) Islamic State (group)." "Reports have shown that many members had hardly any Islamic knowledge, and a large number were even illiterate. Despite this, a direct connection to Islam is repeatedly made across the board," he said. "What we are seeing in these riots is not an expression of Islam," emphasises Khalid, but "the result of profound ethnic and geopolitical problems". Any incitement to violence should be firmly rejected. "As an imam and Islamic theologian, I would like to remind you of a central tradition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad: 'A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand people are safe.'" Outrage from Austria Ateş's warnings have made waves beyond Germany's borders. "With all due respect to the professional successes achieved by native German-Turks, but fear-mongering conspiracy theories such as 'The Islamists were sent to Islamise Europe' are less useful here," Austrian-Turkish political analyst Ercan Karaduman told Euronews. Karaduman has already appeared with Ateş on the "Talk im Hanger-7" show to discuss the subject. "I can't understand why people who think differently are subjected to death threats. Muslims shouldn't be allowed to do that either," he said, speaking about the death threats against Ateş. It can be observed how the "Taliban in Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda with 9/11, Daesh terror in Syria, Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Iran and its offshoots in Lebanon are forming generalised opinions about all Muslims and Islam in European societies," he said. Daesh is another term used for the so-called IS group by Arabic speakers to disempower it. Karaduman finds this unjustified. "This even creates blanket judgements about Muslims who have lived in NRW for generations and are even more German than the Germans," he explained. With regard to the radical protests in Berlin and Düsseldorf, he believes it would do no good to see "Islam as the source of the problem". "We need to focus on professional extremism prevention," says the Austrian political analyst with Turkish roots. Who is the 'liberal' imam Seyran Ateş? Ateş founded the first and so far only liberal mosque in Germany in 2017, where women and men have equal rights and Muslims of all sexual orientations can practise their religion openly. The feminist and lawyer was brought up in a conservative family and is fighting to reform Islam. The Ibn Rushd Goethe Mosque, which she founded in 2017, had to close temporarily last year due to an Islamist attack plot. Ateş has been under police protection for almost 18 years, but continues to campaign for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights. Many in the Muslim world see this as a provocation. Egyptian religious leaders have issued a fatwa — a religious ruling — declaring prayers in her mosque "not valid". The price for her fight to establish a centre for liberal Islam has come in the shape of death threats, police protection and further pressure on her wellbeing. Ateş has already withdrawn from public life several times.
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First Post
15-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Is Bangladesh's Jamaat setting up BNP for a ban before polls?
Jamaat-e-Islami appears to be strategically isolating its long-time ally, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party read more (File) Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters gather near the chief adviser's residence in Dhaka, demanding BNP's Ishraque Hossain as the capital's mayor. Bangladesh's key political party are holding large-scale protests against the interim government, as the political rows spill onto the streets including demands for an election date. AFP The once robust political alliance between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) is now showing signs of deep fracture, prompting speculation that Jamaat may be orchestrating a political manoeuvre to isolate, discredit and eventually ban the BNP ahead of the upcoming national elections. Recent developments suggest a calculated strategy by the Islamist party to sideline its long-time ally and emerge as a dominant political force. Rising acrimony between allies Tensions between the BNP and Jamaat have escalated sharply in recent weeks. Jamaat has reportedly threatened to push for a ban on the BNP despite decades of political partnership rooted in shared opposition to the Awami League. This unexpected rupture signals a broader power shift within Bangladesh's Islamist and nationalist opposition blocs following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government in 2024 and the rise of an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Jamaat's intention appears to be not just to break away, but to eliminate BNP as a serious competitor in a bid to consolidate Islamist control over the political terrain. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Violence on campus: A tactical escalation? In a rare and symbolic confrontation, violent clashes erupted over the weekend between Chhatrashibir — the notorious student wing of Jamaat — and the BNP's student affiliate. Such infighting between long-aligned groups was previously unthinkable, underlining the severity of the current rift. Some reports suggest that BNP student activists have been forcibly ousted from Dhaka University hostels and other educational institutions, with Chhatrashibir allegedly leading the charge. These skirmishes appear less spontaneous and more like a prelude to a larger scheme. As one source explained, the plan may involve allowing BNP to stir unrest nationwide, cultivating public frustration and then engineering a violent event that justifies banning the party entirely. Jamaat's strategic positioning For years, the BNP and Jamaat alliance functioned as a cornerstone of opposition politics in Bangladesh. This partnership, formalised in the late 1990s, delivered significant electoral gains, notably in the 2001 general elections. However, that same period witnessed increased Islamisation of state institutions and growing ties between segments of the government and extremist groups. The fallout of that governance era continues to haunt BNP's credibility. Now, Jamaat seems to be recalibrating. The BNP's senior leadership has started publicly accused Jamaat of ideological overreach in the academic and health sectors, signalling a desire to distance themselves from Islamist dominance. The rhetoric has coincided with Jamaat's efforts to realign with other, more radical Islamist factions such as Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB), while maintaining pressure on BNP through confrontation and political subterfuge. A plot for political elimination? The central allegation—that Jamaat is setting up BNP for a ban — gains credence when viewed in light of Bangladesh's volatile political history. The current situation bears a resemblance to previous state-led suppression tactics, albeit now seemingly employed by a former ally. The strategy, reports say, involves pushing BNP into a corner through provoked violence and engineered chaos. This would give the interim regime and Islamist-leaning factions within it, a pretext to outlaw BNP altogether under national security or public order pretence. Such a ban would clear the field for Jamaat and its ideological offshoots to assert control in an election where secular heavyweights like the Awami League have been significantly weakened. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD BNP's identity crisis The BNP faces an identity crossroads. On one hand, it has a relatively secular legacy among the parties in the fray after Sheikh Hasina's Awami League was taken out of Bangladesh's political equation. It still has some leaders who speak about the spirit of the Liberation War and favour the inclusion of Hindu and minority representatives. On the other hand, it continues to engage with Islamist groups to shore up support for upcoming elections. BNP's recent outreach to IAB, following Jamaat's similar attempts, exemplifies this tightrope walk. Analysts argue that BNP has an opportunity to reclaim its secular credentials and lead a democratic, pluralistic coalition. However, wavering between Islamist and secular forces risks alienating both sides. If BNP fails to clearly define its ideological direction, it may be outmanoeuvred not just electorally, but structurally. New power equation The political vacuum left by the Awami League's ouster has allowed new forces — particularly fundamentalist ones — to assert influence. While BNP assumed it would automatically step into power, the emerging scenario has shown otherwise. Jamaat, reduced in electoral power due to its deregistration, is traversing through informal alliances, madrassa networks and student activism. There are also signs of Hizb ut-Tahrir-linked elements gaining prominence within the new opposition framework, especially among student movements. Jamaat and its allies, despite their provocative positioning, have limited formal reach, and look to employ back-door tactics to control the political narrative. If successful, BNP could find itself squeezed out, either through disqualification or marginalisation. A strategic elimination? All signs point toward a calculated attempt by Jamaat-e-Islami to marginalise, discredit, and ultimately eliminate BNP from the electoral contest. Whether through student violence, engineered unrest or ideological delegitimisation, Jamaat appears to be laying the groundwork for a dramatic reshaping of Bangladesh's opposition. BNP now faces a dilemma to tilt towards secularism as Awami League is out of the question as of now, and risk alienation from Islamist voters, or attempt a balancing act and risk losing votes to Islamist Jamaat. The weeks ahead may determine whether Bangladesh sees a pluralistic future or a slide into ideological hegemony masked as political realignment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
IT worker who hacked Network Rail wi-fi to rant about 'Islamisation of Europe' avoids jail as judge cites prison overcrowding
An IT worker who hacked the Network Rail network to rant about 'Islamisation of Europe' has avoided jail after a judge took into account prison overcrowding. Customers who went online at 19 major railway stations across the UK on September 25, 2024, viewed information about major terror attacks including 7/7 and the Manchester Arena bombing. Swedish John Wik, 37, had discussed defacing the page with a colleague, citing the 'significant political damage' he could cause before he posted the message. The hacker worked for Global Reach providing public WiFi networks to major companies including Network Rail. Wik hijacked the usual WiFi terms and conditions page with his anti-Islam message which was headed: 'We love you, Europe. The Islamisation of Europe is already happening and it's getting worse each day.' His message warning of future terror attacks was seen by a 'significant number of people' and was up for several hours before it was removed. Vincent Scully, prosecuting, said the offence 'required some level of sophistication. 'It required logging into multiple systems, and drafting quite a long document that didn't contain many spelling errors.' The wifi webpage after the hack said 'We love you, Europe' and contained information about terror attacks, which has been obscured by MailOnline in the above image He added: 'This was a particularly sensitive social climate. It was a few weeks after the Axel Rudakubana incident and the riots at the start of August. 'Mr Wik's internet history shows that he has a long-standing fascination with Islamist terror attacks and at some stage a fascination with converting to Islam himself. 'Clearly there is some level of tension between those two.' Stations affected by the attack included Paddington, Kings Cross, London Bridge, Victoria, Bristol Temple Meads, Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central and Manchester Piccadilly. Wik earlier admitted distributing threatening material intending to stir up religious hatred, which carries the maximum of a seven-year jail sentence. He was given a suspended jail sentence after Judge Vanessa Baraitser took into account the lack of space in prisons. He appeared at Inner London Crown Court wearing a dark blue suit jack, blue jeans and a white shirt as the judge told him: 'Customers were redirected to a landing page that contained threatening and Islamophobic messages. 'The messages referred to the Islamisation of Europe, with claims that things were getting worse each day.' The page listed major terror attacks that had taken place in Europe in recent years, including the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, the 7/7 London Tube and bus bombings and the Bataclan Theatre massacre in Paris in 2015. The message also contained photos of the victims and of the terrorists. Judge Baraitser said: 'The message continues 'And so much more in the name of Allah'. 'The number of people who accessed the portal in that period is unknown. What is known is that millions of rail passengers pass through those stations every day. A large percentage will try to connect to the free wi-fi. 'Passengers contacted British Transport Police and described their fear and disgust on reading the message. 'One passenger believed that the message might be suggesting that another deadly attack might be about to happen. 'When police attended your home you told them that you had drunk a bottle of vodka that day.' Wik had shown an interest in converting to Islam a few years earlier, the court heard. 'Your interest in Islam appears to have begun around 2020. You watched YouTube videos about the process of converting to Islam. 'The police found articles you had read about the record number of Brits converting to Islam. 'You were only able to access the portal because of your position as a trusted employee at Global Reach. 'This required some sophisticated work on your part. 'I accept that you are now genuinely remorseful for what you did. You have described yourself as disturbed and disgusted by it. 'I don't accept that the timing of the message aggravates the offence.' The judge took prison conditions into account when she handed Wik a two-year suspended sentence. 'You are being sentenced at a time when the prison population is very high and close to capacity.' Andrew Cohen, defending, said Wik had not incited violence in his message. 'It is notable that there is nothing in it that says, for example, we have to kick Muslims out of the country, or that you have to kill, attack or burn mosques or anything similar. 'He is originally from a small town in Sweden. 'In 2016 he moved [to the UK] and had been employed up until his arrest. 'This has cost him dear. He lost his job. His entire life savings have been depleted. He has been living on support from his parents. 'It is quite a dramatic fall from grace, what has happened to him. 'The punishment and suffering has already taken place. He is most unlikely to offend again. 'The defendant is extremely sorry for what he has done, and is extremely ashamed of himself.' Wik, from Bromley, south London, was given a 24 month prison sentence suspended for 24 months. He will have to complete 280 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement. Wik will also have to pay £150 in costs and a victim surcharge within 28 days.
