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		</div><p>A British imam voiced support for Islamic State and told children at his mosque that martyrdom was the &#8220;supreme success&#8221; and better than anything they would achieve at school or college, a court in England heard.</p>
<p>Kamran Hussain, 40, allegedly made a series of radical sermons over four months last year encouraging terrorism and supporting IS in Syria.</p>
<p>The Friday lunchtime speeches at the charity-funded mosque in Tunstall High Street, Stoke on Trent, England, were in front of around 40 worshippers, often including children aged under 15, jurors heard.</p>
<p>He was arrested after an undercover law enforcement officer secretly recorded sermons from June last year.</p>
<p>On September 2 last year, Hussain talked about martyrdom to a congregation of nine children and 35 adults.</p>
<p>Prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC said: <i>&#8220;Mr Hussain told his audience that martyrdom was the supreme success and was greater than any other success, such as school or college.&#8221;</i></p>
<p>Martyrs had nothing to fear when <i>&#8220;you go in front of Allah with the bullet wounds and the sword wounds and you are raised in that situation with the blood still coming from your body&#8221;</i>, Hussain allegedly said.</p>
<p>He continued on the same theme on September 16 last year and criticised the Prevent programme, aimed at identifying and intervening when young people are at risk of radicalisation, jurors heard.</p>
<p>At a meeting on August 19 last year, there were up to 15 children present and 25 adults as he gave a sermon about &#8220;Kuffar&#8221; or non-Muslims, the court heard.</p>
<p>Hussain allegedly blamed the British government for creating the English Defence League and funding them to &#8220;insult&#8221; Muslims and put them down.</p>
<p>He also claimed far right group Britain First was a &#8220;government-backed project&#8221;, jurors heard.</p>
<p>In all, the undercover officer known as Qasim attended 17 sermons, 10 of which had &#8220;strayed beyond the mainstream moderate Islamic thought&#8221;, Mrs Whitehouse said.</p>
<p>On June 24 last year, Hussain allegedly referred to IS in his sermon as &#8220;a small fledgling state who is standing in the face of a pompous and arrogant army&#8221;.</p>
<p>On that occasion he called on the congregation of 10 men to pray for their victory and their oppressors to be &#8220;annihilated&#8221;.</p>
<p>On July 22, last year, he prayed for all to live under Sharia law and urged his listeners to stand against sinners, oppressors and infidel, the court heard.</p>
<p>He allegedly urged them to &#8220;finish them and remove their heads for what they do&#8221;, adding: <i>&#8220;When you don&#8217;t fulfil the command of Allah, I&#8217;m coming to remove your head.&#8221;</i></p>
<p>On August 5 last year he spoke in favour of engaging in jihad to &#8220;take over a land&#8221; and &#8220;stand the black flag&#8221;.</p>
<p>He allegedly said that neither the &#8220;Queen or prime minister&#8221; could stand in the way of the law of Allah.</p>
<p>In a recording retrieved from Hussain&#8217;s phone, he also allegedly predicted the &#8220;black flag&#8221; would &#8220;rise over Big Ben and Downing Street&#8221;.</p>
<p>After he was arrested in February, Hussain issued a short statement saying the ability to discuss &#8220;difficult concepts in a challenging world!&#8221; is an essential part of exercising religion and freedom of speech.</p>
<p>Hussain, from Tunstall, denies eight charges, two of supporting IS and six of encouraging terrorism on dates between June and September last year. The Old Bailey trial continues.</p>
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