Public Inquiry Report into Brutal Murder of Rochdale Imam Due Next Week
Rochdale, UK – July, 2025 – The findings of a public inquiry into the brutal 2016 murder of elderly former Imam, Jalal Uddin, are set to be published next week, promising to shed light on potential intelligence failures and whether his killers could have been stopped. The highly anticipated report, chaired by His Honour Thomas Teague KC, will be made public on Thursday, July 10th.
Jalal Uddin, 71, was bludgeoned to death with a hammer in a children's play area in the Wardleworth area of Rochdale in February 2016. The inquiry sought to investigate aspects surrounding his death, particularly whether there were intelligence shortcomings prior to the killing.
Police suspected Mohammed Kadir, then 24, of striking the fatal blows and planning the murder. He was aided by Mohammed Syeedy, then 21 and a former Manchester United steward, who drove Kadir to the scene and conducted surveillance on the pensioner.
Kadir, from Oldham, fled the UK three days after the killing and is believed to have travelled to Syria. Syeedy, from Rochdale, was convicted of Mr. Uddin’s murder in September 2016 and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 24 years.
Syeedy's trial revealed that both men were sympathisers of Islamic State and harboured intense hatred for Mr. Uddin due to his practice of Ruqyah, a form of exorcism and healing using amulets, which the terrorist organisation considered 'black magic'. Mobile phone exchanges reportedly referred to Mr. Uddin as 'Voldemort'.
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The public inquiry was established by the Home Secretary in November 2023. His Honour Thomas Teague KC, who also served as the coroner at Mr. Uddin's inquest, presided over the proceedings. Three days of evidence in open session were heard at Liverpool Crown Court in September 2024. While the inquiry aimed for transparency, certain evidence was heard in 'closed' sessions, not accessible to the press or public, following Judge Teague's ruling to prevent harm to terrorism detection and prevention, and public safety.
The inquiry was told that Mr. Uddin, a father-of-seven who arrived in the UK from Bangladesh in 2002, was a respected scholar of the Koran and a well-regarded member of the Rochdale community, having previously served as an Imam at the local Jalalia Mosque. However, his religious practices were deemed sacrilegious by his killers, who believed Islam should be practised strictly as it was in the seventh century.
Jason Beer KC, counsel to the inquiry, highlighted that from October 2015, Mohammed Kadir had been assessed as a person of high risk and significant concern, and someone who posed a risk of acting on his Islamist extremist aspirations.
A third man, Mohammed Syadul Hussain, was convicted in April 2017 of helping Kadir leave the country and was jailed for five years.
Jalal Uddin, 71, was bludgeoned to death with a hammer in a children's play area in the Wardleworth area of Rochdale in February 2016. The inquiry sought to investigate aspects surrounding his death, particularly whether there were intelligence shortcomings prior to the killing.
Police suspected Mohammed Kadir, then 24, of striking the fatal blows and planning the murder. He was aided by Mohammed Syeedy, then 21 and a former Manchester United steward, who drove Kadir to the scene and conducted surveillance on the pensioner.
Kadir, from Oldham, fled the UK three days after the killing and is believed to have travelled to Syria. Syeedy, from Rochdale, was convicted of Mr. Uddin’s murder in September 2016 and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 24 years.
Syeedy's trial revealed that both men were sympathisers of Islamic State and harboured intense hatred for Mr. Uddin due to his practice of Ruqyah, a form of exorcism and healing using amulets, which the terrorist organisation considered 'black magic'. Mobile phone exchanges reportedly referred to Mr. Uddin as 'Voldemort'.
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The public inquiry was established by the Home Secretary in November 2023. His Honour Thomas Teague KC, who also served as the coroner at Mr. Uddin's inquest, presided over the proceedings. Three days of evidence in open session were heard at Liverpool Crown Court in September 2024. While the inquiry aimed for transparency, certain evidence was heard in 'closed' sessions, not accessible to the press or public, following Judge Teague's ruling to prevent harm to terrorism detection and prevention, and public safety.
The inquiry was told that Mr. Uddin, a father-of-seven who arrived in the UK from Bangladesh in 2002, was a respected scholar of the Koran and a well-regarded member of the Rochdale community, having previously served as an Imam at the local Jalalia Mosque. However, his religious practices were deemed sacrilegious by his killers, who believed Islam should be practised strictly as it was in the seventh century.
Jason Beer KC, counsel to the inquiry, highlighted that from October 2015, Mohammed Kadir had been assessed as a person of high risk and significant concern, and someone who posed a risk of acting on his Islamist extremist aspirations.
A third man, Mohammed Syadul Hussain, was convicted in April 2017 of helping Kadir leave the country and was jailed for five years.
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