Airline bomber remembered for defending 9/11 while at school

He is remembered for his religious fervour. During Ramadan, he declined to join fellow pupils going to a disco, telling them gently but firmly that it would be un-Islamic. He defended 9/11 as an act of war, saying that it might have been necessary because there were American troops on Saudi soil.

“He did have this saintly aura,” said Michael Rimmer, a Briton who taught him history, but sometimes expressed religious opinions that were “a bit over the top”. Mr Rimmer added: “In 2001 we had a number of class discussions about the Taleban. All the other Muslim kids thought they were a bunch of nutters, but Umar spoke in their defence.” At the time, the teacher had assumed that his 15-year-old student was “just playing devil’s advocate, trying to keep the discussion going”.