Muslim trainee lawyer apologises for 'terror' rant blaming West for Paris attacks

A Muslim trainee lawyer at a top firm has apologised after blaming the Paris attacks on the West who "killed our people and raped and pillaged our resources".

Aysh Chaudhry, who works at London law firm Clifford Chance on an annual salary of £40,000, posted a rant on YouTube saying the attacks would never have happened if non-Muslims had not gone to war in the Middle East.

He also criticised Muslims for allowing their minds to be "colonised" by kuffar – a derogatory term for non-believers.

The video, which has since been taken down, was published days after the Charlie Hebdo massacre and kosher supermarket siege in Paris.

Chaudhry, who is part of the east London youth group Call of Dawah, said in his broadcast: "Brothers and sisters, we would not be here had it not been for the fact that the kuffar had gone to our lands and killed our people and raped and pillaged our resources.

"This, brothers and sisters, is what we need to understand. We need to move away from this apologetic tone and have confidence in Islam because we are enslaved otherwise."

However, on Monday (19 January), Chaudhry, of Waltham Forest, east London, apologised for any offence caused and insisted he had a "deep and serious Islamic faith".

"I had no intention other than to encourage intellectual debate and would never support or condone violence," the 22-year-old added.

Sam Westrop, of Stand For Peace, said: "This venomous rhetoric directed at non-Muslims should not be seen as mere political ramblings.

"It is the language of terror."

Clifford Chance told the Evening Standard Chaudhry was still an employee and would not be facing any disciplinary action over the video.

A spokeswoman said: "The views expressed in this video are personal and not those of Clifford Chance.

"We ask our people at all times to consider how their personal conduct and actions may affect those around them, their professional reputation and that of the firm."