London teenager bonded with ISIS terrorist over shared love of ‘Deal or No Deal’

A teenage would-be terrorist declared her love for an Islamic State fighter after bonding over the TV gameshow Deal or No Deal, a court has heard.

Safaa Boular also fantasised about killing the former US president Barack Obama during her relationship with her fiance Naweed Hussain, jurors were told.

She allegedly planned a grenade and gun ambush at the British Museum in London after Hussain was killed in Syria before she could join him.

Last April, she passed the baton to her older sister Rizlaine, 21, after Safaa was charged with planning to travel to Isis territory for terrorism, the Old Bailey was told.

Safaa was 17 when she and Rizlaine allegedly plotted an attack in London using coded conversations about an Alice In Wonderland-themed Mad Hatter’s tea party.

Duncan Atkinson QC, prosecuting, told jurors that Safaa chatted with Hussain on social media for three months before they declared their love for each other. He said she wanted to marry Hussain and then carry out a suicide belt attack so they could be martyrs together.

Joel Bennathan QC, defending, told jurors Safaa was just a child when Hussain, who was twice her age, “groomed” her.

Jurors heard that on 18 August 2016 the couple shared their enthusiasm for British television gameshows – including the Noel Edmonds-fronted Deal or No Deal, and quiz show The Chase – before exchanging expressions of love.

Hussain sent her a heart emoji to which Safaa replied: “I love you too”. The Isis fighter, who was in his 30s, called her his “princess” and “shexy” [sic]. Safaa responded: “Oh my gosh.”

Two days earlier, they had fantasised about killing Obama, the court heard. After exchanging pictures of a Kalashnikov rifle, grenades and a handgun, Hussain bragged about “our klash”, saying it was “one of a kind”.

Safaa sent him a picture of Obama in reply and asked: “So what, is it us Vs …”

Hussain replied “Yeah” and allegedly called the president a “filthy kalb” (Arabic for dog).

Asked how she would kill him, Safaa sent an image of an explosion and said “shake my hand with Mr President”, the court heard. She allegedly told him she wanted to achieve paradise in death “so bad”.

Hussain said they would both “go forth one day” or she would fulfil her role as a fighter and wife and “raise lions”.

Rizlaine Boular, of Clerkenwell, central London, has admitted planning a knife attack on London; her mother Mina Dich, 43, has pleaded guilty to assisting her, the jury was told.

Safaa Boular, now 18, who lived at home with Dich in Vauxhall, south-west London, denies two counts of preparing acts of terrorism.

The trial continues.

Source: The Guardian